How visual communication shapes creative practice in fashion

What is visual communication?

Visual communication is everywhere - think design, illustration, photography, art and advertising. It's all about how we communicate ideas and information across different visual mediums such as videos, GIFs, images, quotes, campaigns, films and animations.

Looking to develop her skills in visual communication, Iria signed up for our Visual Communication for Fashion Online Short Course to learn more. "I did this course because communicating your ideas visually is very important in fashion," she says. "It's needed in a lot of stages of the process of building up and conceptualising a collection or a fashion brand."

During the course, students experiment with different methods of image making, learn how to conduct effective visual research and communicate ideas and concepts through the work produced.

Key aspects of visual communication

Visual communication plays an important role in the creative industries. In the fashion world, for example, visual storytelling helps to shape creative practice, engage target audiences and convey fashion concepts effectively.

Key aspects of visual communication include elements such as colour, line, shape and typography, and design principles such as hierarchy, balance, contrast, and alignment. The aim is to convey information clearly and efficiently through visuals like images, graphs, and videos.

Understanding visual communication in fashion

In fashion, visuals are often used to convey mood, brand ethos and aesthetics across lookbooks, campaigns and collections. Crucially, visual communication helps fashion designers develop cohesive creative visions that resonate with audiences.

Visual communication is essential in building a clear brand identity by providing context, marketing designs and telling the story of the brand, from the design process to materials and social impact.

"Mood boards and collages are essential and provide a lot of information about the universe and aesthetic you are creating," Iria explains. "It also helps to combine very different ideas into one and that's always been one of my favourite parts of the process, so I wanted to explore, learn and improve my skills."

Developing visual communication skills as a fashion creative

Taking a short course like our Fashion Communication Online Short Course can be a great way to develop your creative eye, learn new techniques and understand the wider industry. Conducting visual research and experimenting with mood boards, sketches and photography can help you improve your visual communication skills.

Prior to completing the Visual Communication for Fashion Online Short Course, Iria had quite the busy schedule. Originally from the Mediterranean, she made the decision to pursue her interest in fashion abroad. Iria graduated with a degree in fashion design from Italy and moved to New York to intern for Marc Jacobs.

Iria tells me the practical nature of the course helped her develop new ways she can express her ideas and that a lot of what she learnt is directly applicable to her own line of work. But above all else, it was the creative freedom she had on the course that inspired her the most.

"The tutors on the course are great because they give you feedback and guidance without compromising your taste or identity. And in such a short space of time you get a real sense of what it is like to work as a creative as well as a lot of tools to develop your own projects."

Bring your ideas to life through visual communication

Learn more about how visual communication in fashion helps transform creative ideas into compelling visuals with a short course. For anyone contemplating doing a short course, Iria’s advice is simple: "Do it! Either if you just want to discover a new field or learn more about one you already have some knowledge in."

Looking ahead, Iria says she has lots of exciting plans in the pipeline where she plans to use her newfound skills and confidence. "Right now, I am working on different projects as a fashion designer, some personal projects as well as an exciting collaboration with KOLABS, a platform for emerging designers that will hopefully come out soon!"