1.Introduction

Today’s society has entered the digital age, and computer technology has driven the development of digital media. With the development of digital media technology, people’s lives have been affected to varying degrees. The combination of visual communication design and digital media also makes people have higher aesthetic needs. The main content of communication design is visual communication and information dissemination through diagrams, photos and videos. [1] The addition of digital media technology has brought new thinking and forms to visual communication design and also created new space for designers and media production. Digital media has changed information dissemination from flat and static expression to electronic and interactive expression.

The development of the form of media from the early printing period, when printing technology enabled the rise and rapid development of books, newspapers, and magazines, to the current era of digital new media - the Internet, mobile devices, and social media—makes information acquisition and sharing more convenient and faster. Based on this, the visual communication design has also changed from simple text layout, icon design, and photograph to the current website page layout, digital application planning, interactive function design, etc. This essay starts with the form of media development, researches and analyzes the change in the form of communication design with the development of modern media, and describes the characteristics of visual communication design in the context of digital media.

2.The Development of Modern Media Forms

The most visible role of the media in development is as a means of transmitting information to the general public, whether through posters, television advertising, or social media messaging. [2] In modern media, newspapers are the earliest mass media. Because of the popularity of modern printing technology, newspapers once became the most popular and influential media. With the development of the times, there are more varieties of newspapers, more flexible layouts, and more exquisite printing. The content and format of newspapers are becoming more and more diverse. Then, came the age of broadcast media. Radio broadcasting was invented in 1906. The development of broadcasting would not have been possible without the implementation of prior technologies in the 1920s and 1930s. It includes the delivery of news, entertainment and advertisements to the public by radio. [3] Although it is only a sound broadcast, broadcast media still has a considerable number of listeners due to its simple equipment and fast transmission. And because of its low advertising cost, it is also one of the important advertising media. After that, it is the development and rise of television media. Television was not invented in a single event or set of events. It is founded on a sequence of inventions and developments in electricity, the telegraph, photography, cinema, and radio. The first public television system appeared in the 1930s. At each stage, its partial realization rests on inventions aimed primarily at other ends. [4] Television media covers such a wide range of fields that its influence is enormous. Television is known as an “explosive” medium, with a huge amount of information and a wide range of content. Television has also made great progress in the advertising industry. The information in TV advertisements is more comprehensive, and both visual and audio are available, making it more suitable for disseminating information to consumers.

Nowadays, we are entering the age of online media. Network media, also known as digital media, refers to a kind of media that uses network technology for information sharing and interaction. The Internet contains unimaginably massive amounts of data and is fundamentally altering the scope and character of human communication. Not only has it dramatically reduced the cost of communication, allowing previously unthinkable distances to be bridged instantly, but it has also gradually incorporated all other media into itself. Mail, telephone calls, movies, television, music, photography, and radio - all of these have been transformed into digital form and made available to all users in a more convenient manner. [5]

3.The Features of Digital Media

Digital media is also built on the foundation of the Internet. Unlike old media forms and technologies, digital is the most significant element of modern media technology. This is the most significant distinction between digital and traditional media. Smartphones, laptops, digital cameras, mobile games, social media services are all based on the processing of information in digital format. [6] From this, the characteristics of digital media can be summarized. Firstly, digital media is highly interactive. Human-computer interaction is the most common form of digital media. At its core, interactivity is defined as the process of mutual adaptation that occurs between a communication medium, such as the Internet or a video game, and a human user of that medium. [7] Digital media provides a platform for users to engage in interaction. Users can directly participate, comment and share content. For instance, the sensor of the mouse. The interaction between the user and the electronic device is caused by a series of actions such as dragging, pulling, and touching. Some videos will set up some question-and-answer sessions or shock users through visual impact. Its purpose is to allow users to participate in the entire interaction process. Then, the features of digital media also include user centred. The media is no longer just for disseminating news information but is considering attracting more users to participate in and experience various services under the influence of content and brands. User experience and senses are placed in a very important position. There is also a concept of decentralization. It means that online opinion leaders in social groups are no longer dominated by a certain role or a certain media. In the new public space, the public is the subject. Each individual can be a centre of opinion. [8] This is also in line with the characteristics of user centred. For instance, an online influencer can get a high reading volume and have a huge impact by posting a post. But in the context of digital media, everyone has the chance to be an influencer. A post posted by ordinary people can get a lot of comments and even tens of thousands of views. Everyone can be a topic leader. Lastly, digital media is integrated. Digital media is no longer a single image, audio, or video, but a multimedia technology that includes a variety of media forms. It can easily blend image, audio video and animation media forms together to produce more innovative content. Therefore, the design forms that follow in the context of digital media have also become diverse.

4.The Forms of Visual Communication Design in Modern Media

Visual communication design and communication media are inseparable, efficient communication is inseparable from excellent communication design. As mainstream media has evolved from newspapers to digital media, the form of communication design has also shifted.

4.1.Design Forms of Newspaper Media

Newspaper media is mainly using typesetting design and some text design. Ease of reading is achieved through various arrangements of text and photographs. Because of the huge amount of information in newspapers, these principles should be followed when designing. Firstly, its design should be simple, without any distracting decorations. The newspaper should be designed and arranged to increase readability and draw readers to the news and to let the reader know which events are the most significant at a look. Then, the design should create recognition for the newspaper, so that readers will be interested in reading it. The packaging of the entire newspaper should maximize the attraction and comfort of the reader. Indeed, all designs and plans are designed to increase the aesthetics of the layout on the basis of convenience for readers. [9]

4.2.Design Forms of Broadcasting Media

Then, broadcasting media can be divided into sound broadcasting and television broadcasting. On the one hand, radio communication takes on an exponential character over time. In radio-related designs, the use of digital signal processing to replace analogue circuit blocks has become a prominent trend. It is precisely because of the development of digital communication technology. Advances in technology have made radio equipment smaller, cheaper, easier to manufacture and more reliable.[10] For example, car radio is widely used now. Many car radios can even be controlled with a touch of the screen. On the other hand, television broadcasting has a wider impact on the life of people than sound broadcasting. Television also touches on a wider range of visual arts. Firstly, it is an important household appliance. In addition to the product appearance design of television itself, in the booming consumer society, the design of television advertisements is also very important. In television advertisement, use modern graphic design to integrate personalised characteristics into mass-produced products.[11] Secondly, the design form applied in television media also includes stage design and program design in terms of television content. In addition to planning and designing specific plots of certain programs, it also includes designing space, background, lighting, clothing, colours and many other aspects. Reasonable layout of space, appropriate use of colour, reasonable design of lighting, and matching of clothing can all play a multiplier role in the effect of the program. In addition, different artistic techniques for combining these factors will produce different effects. From characters to lighting to atmosphere, designers have to work hard to bring all their contributions together into a cohesive whole. Design teams create entire worlds within a given piece. The more fully the ideas of the art team are developed, the more complete the effect of the television program will be presented to the audience.

4.3.Digital Media Design

In the stage of digital media, visual communication design has changed dramatically. Digital products have become a necessity of daily life, and digital information dissemination has become the main way of dissemination. The progress of digital technology has given birth to new art forms, and the development of digital technology has changed the form of art design. [12] The form of related design is also transformed into digital design. Such as the mobile social media applications that are commonly used by people. With the development of the mobile Internet, the use of mobile phones is becoming more widespread. People use mobile apps to log into social media almost every day. In this aspect, the application is mainly the interaction design between the user and the application and the user interface design. Reasonable design for mobile phone screens, reasonable interaction mechanisms, and the overall layout of the page have become important factors for judging whether the design is excellent. [13] Furthermore, many mobile games are now also given the attributes of social media in the process of use. In addition to the design of the game program itself, the character design and scene design in the game are also very important. Whether it is a game scene or a game character, image drawing and 3D modeling can be completed on computer software, such as 3D Max and Photoshop. [14]

5.Conclusion

In conclusion, modern media have changed dramatically over the decades. So far, it has mainly gone through four stages: newspaper media, broadcast media, television media, and online media. With the enrichment and development of media forms, related forms of visual communication design are also constantly developing. Newspaper media mainly focuses on text design and layout design. Broadcast media is closely related to the design and invention of radio. Television media integrates the development of multiple technologies, involving advertising design, stage design, and program design. The scope of online media is even broader, such as in interactive interface design, scene design, character 3D modeling, etc. Digital media based on the Internet has also developed the characteristics of integration, interactivity, and user-centredness. In the future, social media will become a more important part of digital media, and with the development of technology and society, more attention will be paid to the protection of the personal data of users. Moreover, artificial intelligence technology will also be more widely applied to digital media to provide users with more intelligent services.