There's a lot to consider when evaluating how to communicate a certain message. Our brains are constantly bombarded by different mediums of communication everyday, each of which trying to deliver a particular message. So the inevitable question that arises is which strategy works the most efficiently when trying to convey a message as simply as possible?
The method of delivery often times is subject to what goal is trying to be accomplished. For instance, if someone were trying to convey a list of groceries to a friend who was going to go shopping for them, a written list would be much more effective than verbally listing each and every item. The written communication delivers an exact request in what could be an otherwise frustrating scenario if forced to remember everything from a verbal exchange. Conversely, if two people were hanging wall cabinets, a verbally communicated direction would be much more efficient than writing down what needs to be done next. When trying to express emotion to someone else there is often times a merging of more than one medium of communication. If someone is angry, generally there is a visual and verbal representation of that. The two mediums combine to create a full picture of how someone may be feeling at a particular time.
Visual communication is more particular when trying to convey a message. A street sign for example must be direct and easy to interpret while a person is driving. Something as simple as a "STOP" sign is a great example of how to effectively communicate a message visually. Red is a color which has been ingrained into our society to mean many different things and one of the most commonly know is that "red means stop". Combine the red color of the sign with the white and bolded lettering that spells out "STOP" and the sign easily tells drivers when and where they must stop their vehicle. However, images are substantially important when trying to deliver a message. There is even a case to be made that the stop sign itself creates a recognizable image wherein the viewer need not read the words and still fully comprehend the message. Images deliver a direct representation of a message and can highly effective tools when trying to communicate visually.
One example of highly effective visual communication is from the band Phish. They are classified as a jam band and the sound and music style could be described as wavy or loose. Enter their logo, Phish logo. The main visual is of a fish with bubbles coming out of it's mouth, and within the fish is written the band's name "PHISH". The letters and color scheme are somewhat psychedelic which gives the viewer a baseline idea of what style of music the band may perform. The combination of font and color reinforce the message of what the band might sound like, while the word "PHISH" and the surrounding image of a fish reinforce the name of the band. Repetition, even subtly, can be very effective.
It is particularly important to know your market demographic when choosing a symbol to represent a person or business. Take Superman for example, superman logo. To anyone in the english speaking world, the logo is a red "S" on a yellow background inside of a red diamond shape. Okay, simple enough, the S stands for Superman. However, Clark Kent does not read it the same way. On Clark's home planet, that symbol stands for hope. He originally chose the symbol because it meant that, however his audience interpreted it another way and subsequently named the man of steel, Superman. The symbol arguably does still inspire hope, however it most certainly has an entirely different meaning than what Clark had originally intended on. Although this is just a fictional story about a made up superhero, it illustrates a strong point about how symbols can be defined differently based on who is interpreting them.
The Buffalo Sabres have an intriguing logo. It is one of the few logos throughout the National Hockey League that uses no letters and only an image to convey it message, buffalo sabres logo. The logo is rather clever. It depicts a buffalo charging between two crossed sabre swords. The colors are those of the team the symbol represents and the combination of images quickly communicates it's message to anyone even remotely familiar to the NHL.
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