Communication Design: What Is It & Everything Else You Need to Know.
Date
Jun 11, 2025
Abstract painters can throw paint on a canvas and leave the meaning entirely up to you. It’s art, you get to decide what it says.
Communication design is the opposite.
Here, the meaning isn’t left to chance. The designer takes the wheel, crafting visuals that make you feel something, think something, or do something. Exactly as intended.
Before they even open Illustrator or pick a colour palette, a communication designer asks:
- What’s the message?
- Who’s the audience?
- What will make them stop, look, and care?
They tap into psychology, cultural associations, and visual cues to make sure the message lands instantly, faster than words could. And when it’s done well, you don’t just see the design… you get it. Instantly.
Graphic Design vs Communication Design vs Visual Communication
Let’s get something straight:
“Graphic design” is the umbrella term most people know and for decades, it covered pretty much everything visual. It can mean the big-picture craft of visual storytelling, or it can mean the nitty-gritty of layout, typography, and tools.
That’s where communication design comes in, it’s the strategic side of graphic design where visuals are planned, purposeful, and built to deliver a clear, compelling message. Think of it as the difference between making something look nice and making something work.
- A graphic designer might be brought in to create one visual element. Say, a killer poster.
- A communication designer would plan the entire campaign, making sure every visual touchpoint (from the poster to the social ads to the packaging) tells the same story.
- Visual communication? That’s just another way of saying communication design, all about using visuals to tell a story that sticks.
Learn graphic design
Learn graphic design from scratch. The original Shillington graphic design course. Join as a complete beginner, leave with an industry-ready portfolio and the skills to launch your creative career.
What Communication Designers Actually Do
Communication designers work across industries and mediums always with one goal: connect a message to its audience in the most impactful way possible. Here’s where they shine:
Corporate Design & Branding
Logos, colours, typography sure, but branding is bigger than that. It’s the personality of a business, bottled into visuals people instantly recognise. Get it right, and it’s priceless.
Think Target’s red bulls-eye: iconic shape, iconic colour, iconic urgency. That wasn’t an accident, it’s design psychology at work.
Advertising Campaigns
From billboards to Instagram reels, communication designers create campaigns that stop you mid-scroll (or mid-commute). Some go funny (Schick’s animal beards), some go weird-but-brilliant (Ikea’s crib ad that doubled as a pregnancy test), and some go straight for the heart (Shanghai GM’s road safety ads using real accident survivours).
Book Cover Design
Yes, people judge books by their covers and communication designers make sure they judge right. Covers signal genre, tone, and intrigue in one glance. At Shillington, we even push students to ditch the computer and design by hand for covers, posters, and album art because sometimes the best ideas start off messy.
Check out our Student Work
These are created by students during the graphic design course. Imagine what you could do.
Photojournalism
It’s not just about snapping a great shot, it’s about knowing exactly what story that shot tells. Communication design gives photojournalists the storytelling edge.
Web & Mobile App Design
The internet and our phones aren’t going anywhere, but bad design should. From user experience to interface aesthetics, communication designers make digital spaces that work and look great doing it.
Train in motion design
Advanced training in motion design. A new Shillington motion course for practising graphic designers. Level up your career by learning the theory and practical application of motion design.
Packaging & Label Design
People shop with their eyes. Whether it’s a wine bottle, a t-shirt tag, or an unboxing experience, packaging design is a sales pitch in physical form. Communication designers know how to make it irresistible and functional.
Why Communication Design Matters More Than Ever
We live in a visual-first world. Great design doesn’t just make things pretty. It shapes decisions, inspires movements, and builds brands people obsess over.
When you become a communication designer, you’re not just making images. You’re making meaning. And that’s powerful.
At Shillington, we teach you both the creative craft and the strategic thinking behind great communication design. You’ll learn design theory, master industry tools, and work on 30+ real briefs — from print ads to packaging to app design. You’ll graduate ready to step into the industry with a portfolio that proves it.
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