Expressive power of no words poster

This thesis discusses an expressive power of no words poster as an example of establishing a universal art of visual communication in a wider public sphere. The image-text ratio in a no words poster favours the image, while the importance of the text is significantly devalued, resulting in the image with no words or only a few key words remain as a reference supporting the image. The aim of the first part of the thesis is to theoretically examine different methods of communication, and a correlation between the development of communication tools (technology) and different methods of communication. A technological development has resulted in a shift towards global communication. Communication on a global scale foregrounds the image which has overcome linguistic constrains and thus enables a simpler way of decoding the message. Contemporary methods of communication are based on creating messages without words, i.e. non-verbal messages. In the historical review of the development of a poster it is shown how technological changes have influenced the society and its ways of communication, which is also reflected in the overall poster message. When the content of the poster message moves to a higher level of common social interest, the expressive power of non-verbal communication is used to establish effective communication on a global scale. An overview of no words posters with a socially critical content confirms their expressive power, with their message successfully transmitted over time and geographical constraints. The first part of the thesis ends with three original no words posters, all with a socially critical content. The pedagogical and empirical part of the thesis shows, through practical work with students, the significance of artistic language as a means of effective coding and decoding complex artistic and visual messages. By creating a socially critical poster message, establishing grading criteria, and evaluating some works, students learn about the basic graphic design tools, and, more specifically, also learn how to design a poster message. By forming their own non-verbal message, they become familiar with the significance and the influence such non-verbal messages can have in a public social setting