In-depth look into the impact of globalisation on visual communication
Globalisation is central to the majority of production and distribution of visual communication. As a result, cultural and social differences are often made to fit into a global aesthetic to suit the needs of the capitalist marketplace. This has led to a decrease in bridging diverse visual disciplines and modes of creative practice. The EU-funded GLOVISCOMDIFF (Globalization, visual communication, difference) project set out to investigate key aspects of social and cultural diversity in order to stress the vital role of specific identities in global communication practices. This novel method of drawing on the differences in global culture helped to reveal the various ways in which the visual may be used to convey diversity in the saturated market of today's communication. Project partners looked at ways global visual communication texts manipulate key characteristics of social and cultural differences, namely locality, diversity and dissent. They examined the importance of specific identities such as those connected to nationality, race, gender, class and politics. The GLOVISCOMDIFF team also studied visual homogeneity and heterogeneity in a variety of global communication texts and contexts found in popular and consumer culture, photography, branding and public communication. This was mainly achieved by identifying case studies from communication industries with a strong visual component, fostering collaborative research partnerships and attending several research events with renowned subject matter experts. Findings stress the cultural and economic value of the work of professionals such as designers, photographers and urban planners. Two books are expected to be published based on key project outcomes. GLOVISCOMDIFF critically examined the relationship between visual communication and globalisation, and addressed major theoretical, critical and empirical perspectives to social or cultural difference and diversity. In doing so, it contributed to a greater understanding of visual communication knowledge on key globalisation methods.
Keywords
Globalisation, visual communication, cultural and social differences, communication texts
