Introduction

The history of visual communication is a Story that spans the entirety of human Existence. Visual communication has
been in Use since prehistoric times. It shows how some Trends influence and change the next ones. Visual
communication came from Written language, the arts and Science, and various art mediums.

Background
Visual communicatio. started with pictographs. Simple drawings that told a story or presented a message to others.
Pictographsstill exist today most commonly in the form of signs. You see a sign and can instantly understand the
message it’s trying to convey. Road signs are the perfect present-day example
Hieroglyphic relief: The Egyptians first used these sacred carvings exclusively for inscriptions carved or painted on temple
walls.

Pictographs
The Altamira Cave Paintings, Spain
One of the great bison paintings in Altamira, Spain, photo from the Museo de Altamira y D. Rodríguez, via Wikimedia
Commons

Lascaux, France
Discovered in 1940 by some kids and their dog, the Lascaux caves represented the Motherlode of European rock art for
many decades. French priest and amateur Prehistorian Abbé Henri Breuil termed it “the Sistine Chapel of Prehistory”.

The origin of visual Communication

In the past, written language means a Collection of images that a group of people have Agreed to have specific
meanings.

Latin, in its commonly recognized form, started In 6 BC, and, to the unfamiliar, looks like a Group of random lines. But
Latin Evolved and became the foundation for many European languages (Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and
Romanian), including English.

Asia uses logograms like Hanzi, from China, and Kanji, From Japan. Korean is built on A phonetic structure like English,
but for anyone unfamiliar, the Alphabet looks more similar to other Asiatic languages. Even with all these Differences, the
commonality is that all these cultures Use images, recognized as words, to communicate.

Arts and science

Visual communication also came from the Arts and science in technical drawings And various art mediums. Paintings can
Capture the essence of subjects. Instead of Relying on a verbal or written description, people were Able to actually see
the subject at hand. Sculpture, drawing, ceramics, and Performing arts are all forms of visual Communication that can
be seen, Recognized, and understood. The arts Provide a perspective in communication, And it may be open to
interpretation, but the Core is providing a message.

In science, biological drawings have existed For thousands of years. From Greek physician Herophilus, who is considered
the father of Anatomy, to Charles Darwin’s The Voyage Of the Beagle, which contained detailed drawings of “biology,
geology, and anthropology;” these Became tools for scientific communities And helped shape science.

Unlike art, scientific Guides present the Reality of the Subject matter. You Can’t take artistic license When presenting
specific Human anatomy and These guides were used as Education tools for years.

Photography
According to the Harry Ranson Center, the Earliest surviving photograph made in a Camera was taken in 1826 or 1827
by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Even though it’s difficult to see the “view from an upstairs window,” the invention Of the
photograph was a major jump in technology.

The amount of information you can convey in a Single photo can explain more than a 10-minute Conversation and this is
why photography is still a Valued way to communicate

Animation
Animation is another form of communication that dates back Thousands of years. Animation today is a sequence of
images To create motion, but in the past, it was a sequence of images that Could be read and understood as a story. Art
on a vase with a painted Sequence is an early form of animation because you could view each picture And understand
the story.

Fantasmagorie was made by French animator Emile Cohl in 1908 and is one of the earliest Examples of traditional hand-
drawn animation.

Animation
Flip books, or kineographs, are also a form of animation because The images create the illusion of motion. The long
history of animation Shows that people were drawn in by moving images. Animation can convey Complex stories. Static
images have to use the most impactful action In a single frame which animation isn’t limited by
Film
Combining animation and photography gives you the Motion picture. The earliest surviving motion picture is Roundhay
Garden Scene. While short, the 1888 short film is Considered the oldest surviving film.

Essentially, a film is identical to animation with the Subject matter recorded on film on individual frames and then played
In sequence. Animation uses drawn images in the same way. Film Might have evolved from film to digital recording, but
the core ideas Have never changed.Like a photo, even more information can be shared with a video.

Seven years later, Arrival of a Train (1895) is a 50-second Silent film. Silent films became big business in the early days of
Film, as people were amazed at watching moving pictures on screen. Even without sound, you can effectively present a
message solely Through visuals.

Timeline
The most significant events impacting this History and have shaped what we know as Visual communication today

Cave paintings are the images painted on cave Or rock walls and ceilings and are the first Signs of visual communication
dating to Prehistoric times. Subjects vary from animals To hand imprints to events. These early forms Of cave paintings
were how people Communicated from one generation to Another

Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script that was used to Write several languages of the Ancient Near East. The Sumerians
created one of the first written Languages, most likely as a means of accounting For the receipt and distribution of
resources. These Earliest languages were logographic and the icons Represented entire words, things, numbers, and the
Sounds of words instead of phonetic sounds.

The oldest surviving writing system was Developed in China. They used woodblock, or Relief, printing to stamp designs
on silk clothes And eventually on paper. In 1040, Bi Sheng Invented the world’s first technique for Printing with movable
type.

Johannes Gutenberg brought moveable type to Europe in 1439, introducing mass communication to Western Culture.
Gutenberg’s design replaced wood with metal and Printing blocks with each letter. The Gutenberg press Forged a path
for more commercial uses of design, which Led to the evolution of advertising and graphic design.

This is the process of making pictures by means of the Action of light. The first photograph was an image Produced in
1826 by the French inventor Nicéphore Niépce On a polished pewter plate with a camera.

Technological advancements led to the ability to print in Color, or chromolithography. It is a lithographic process That was
used to create multi-color printed images by Using a separate stone for each color where a print went Through the press
separately for each stone. Chromolithography uses chemical processes to create an Image. This process also enabled
some degree of realism And opened new doors for advertisism

The first visual design agency, Wiener Werkstätte was Established in 1903. The Werkstätte brought together Architects,
artists, and designers working in ceramics, Fashion, silver, furniture, and graphic arts. They’re Regarded as a pioneer of
modern design and early Influence in styles such as Bauhaus and Art Deco.

The first visual design agency, Wiener Werkstätte was Established in 1903. The Werkstätte brought together Architects,
artists, and designers working in ceramics, Fashion, silver, furniture, and graphic arts. They’re Regarded as a pioneer of
modern design and early Influence in styles such as Bauhaus and Art Deco.

Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, Art Deco, Swiss Design (The International Typography Style), Pop Art and Postmodernism are
Some of the influential art movements That helped evolve graphic design

The introduction of digital tools provided a new, Revolutionary way of creating visual design. The Arrival of desktop
publishing and the Introduction of software applications introduced Designers to computer image manipulation and 3D
image creation that had previously been Unachievable

The future of visual Communication

The future of visual communication is highly influenced by emerging Technologies and changing trends in media
consumption. One of the most significant technological Developments that are likely to shape the Future of visual
communication is the rise of Virtual and augmented reality.

These technologies offer immersive and interactive experiences that Can enhance visual communication in various fields.
For example, in the field of architecture and Engineering, VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented reality)Can be used to
create 3D models and Virtual tours of Buildings and structures.

Another area of growth for visual communication is artificial Intelligence and machine learning.
AI algorithms can analyze user data and Preferences to create personalized marketing content Or suggest design options
for websites and mobile Apps.

The growing popularity of social media and Mobile devices is also transforming the way People consume visual content.
As aResult, visual communication professionals Need to be proficient in creating content optimizeFor mobile devices and
social media platforms.