New Perspective on Visual Communication Design Education: An Empirical Study of Applying Narrative Theory to Graphic Design Courses

Visual communication design (VCD) is a form of nonverbal communication. The application of relevant linguistic or semiotic theories to VCD education renders graphic design an innovative and scientific discipline. In this study, actual teaching activities were examined to verify the feasibility of applying narrative theory to graphic design courses. Matched group design was employed to equally divide 30 participants into experimental and control groups, who participated in distinct activities over a 4-week period. The results revealed that incorporating narrative theory into graphic design courses enabled increasing students’ poster design capabilities across various dimensions, including thematic concept, image creativity, and visual aesthetic. Narrative is a storytelling method. Applying narrative techniques to VCD not only facilitates the creativity of designers, but also elicits the audience’s visual memory, thereby encouraging a bidirectional communication between the two entities.