I've heard a statistic thrown around that something like 80% of all meaning in a conversation is transmitted through elements beyond the actual spoken words themselves. Factors such as vocal tone and body language can transform an ambiguous serious of words into an coherent message full to the brim with subtext and indirect implications. While this is effective within the context of verbal communication, it is unsurprisingly less useful when applied to written communication and other visual forms. In these cases, design is used to fill the gap. Design gives voice to visuals, granting any single word placed on a page the potential to carry any of a near infinite variety of meanings. Imagine two closed doors, each bearing a sign reading, “Danger, do not enter.” Now imagine that one is scrawled haphazardly in pencil on the top of a post-it note while the other is printed in a rich, black, bold Helvetica font on a sturdy, neon yellow, reflective placard. While the words are the same, the levels of impact of the signs are significantly different due purely to their variation in design. One signs whimpers ineffectually while the other shouts in your face. Essentially, design is visual voice.
-Ed Saavedra
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