Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This text presents the important contribution that visual communication design can make to society, beyond its usual commercial applications. It identifies successful socially orientated projects, demonstrating the human and economic benefits that can be achieved through good communication design. The book also discusses a user-centred approach to Design, Including Notions Of Social Marketing, Design Methods And different information-gathering techniques.; The book closes with a discussion of a new professional profile for the graphic designer which reflects the complex cultural, psychological and often political issues that in turn affect, construct and contextualize our daily communications.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Contributors (p. ix)
• Acknowledgements (p. xii)
• Introduction (p. 1)
• 1 Mapping the terrain
• 1.1 Visual communication design: a working profile (p. 3)
• 1.2 Discipline and interdiscipline (p. 5)
• 1.3 The audience (p. 8)
• 1.4 The designer (p. 11)
• 1.5 Design, meaning, order and freedom (p. 28)
• 1.6 Summary (p. 31)
• 2 Design methods
• 2.1 The quantifiable and the human dimension (p. 33)
• 2.2 The insufficiency of semiotics (p. 37)
• 2.3 Some markers in the field (p. 39)
• 2.4 The visualization of strategies (p. 40)
• 2.5 Sorting requirements (p. 42)
• 2.6 The question of validity in data collection Zoe Strickler (p. 43)
• 3 Targeting communications: traffic safety project report
• 3.1 Introduction (p. 61)
• 3.2 Creating a background (p. 61)
• 3.3 Profile of the target group (p. 68)
• 3.4 The focus group sessions (p. 71)
• 3.5 Narrowing down the target group (p. 93)
• 3.6 Recommendations for a communication campaign strategy (p. 95)
• 3.7 Future action (p. 98)
• 3.8 The campaign concept: focus and choices (p. 99)
• 3.9 Visualizing ideas (p. 100)
• 4 Case histories
• 4.1 Introduction (p. 107)
• 4.2 Australia's Transport Accident Commission Campaign (p. 107)
• 4.3 Britain's Health and Social Security forms (p. 112)
• 4.4 Australia's Capita Insurance Company forms (p. 116)
• 4.5 British Telecom: the telephone book project (p. 117)
• 5 Profiling the communication designer
• 5.1 Introduction (p. 119)
• 5.2 The transformation of design Bernd Meurer (p. 119)
• 5.3 Deschooling and learning in design education Jan van Toorn (p. 126)
• 5.4 Design practice and education: moving beyond the Bauhaus model (p. 129)
• Bibliography (p. 137)
• Index (p. 141)