Communication theory: UFOMG!
How Communication Theory Shapes Design and Contemporary Art
Design and contemporary art are fundamentally acts of communication. Both fields rely on symbols, narratives, cultural context, and the relationship between creators and audiences. Communication theory provides structured ways to understand how meaning is produced, transmitted, and interpreted across different contexts.
Communication theory offers designers and artists conceptual tools: • How audiences interpret signs and symbols • How messages persuade • How context shapes meaning • How relationships between sender and receiver evolve These tools help transform intuition into intentional creative strategy.
The Semiotic tradition views communication as a system of signs. In design, every element — color, shape, typography, illustration — becomes a sign that carries meaning. In contemporary art, semiotics explains how artworks generate layered interpretations beyond literal visuals.
Semiotics helps creators answer essential questions: • What does this symbol communicate? • How will different audiences interpret it? • How does cultural context alter meaning? Understanding these layers allows designers and artists to intentionally guide interpretation — or playfully subvert it.
The Rhetorical tradition treats communication as the art of persuasive public expression. In design, rhetoric appears in brand storytelling, composition, emphasis, and emotional appeal. In contemporary art, rhetoric shapes how an artwork positions itself toward the viewer — provoking, persuading, challenging, or inviting.
The Social Exchange Theory explains communication as a process of evaluating costs and benefits. In creative industries: • Audiences «trade» attention for emotional or aesthetic reward. • Designers balance complexity vs. clarity. • Artists consider the value exchange between the artwork and viewer. This theory helps understand how audiences decide what is «worth» engaging with.
Politeness Theory reveals how creators adjust tone and style depending on audience expectations. A brand may use playful, casual language for the public but adopt expertise-focused, precise communication for professionals. In art, politeness theory helps describe how artists negotiate boundaries between provocation and accessibility.
Communication theory emphasizes that meaning is always contextual. The same visual or phrase can communicate: • Humor in one cultural context • Offense in another • Mystery for a general audience • Coded symbolism for professionals Designers and artists must account for cultural norms, expectations, and prior knowledge.
The same alien symbol placed in three different contexts
Across all traditions, communication theory stresses that meaning is constructed between people. In creative work, this means: • A brand builds trust through consistent and meaningful messaging • Art builds a relationship by inviting interpretation • Design fosters connection through clarity, emotion, and engagement Communication is not one-sided — it is interactive.
Contemporary creative work rarely uses a single channel. Designers and artists communicate through: • Visual signs • Written messages • Spatial arrangement • Color and texture • Tone and rhythm Multimodality aligns directly with communication theory’s idea that meaning is co-created through multiple symbolic exchanges.
Communication theory does not limit creativity — it deepens it. By understanding semiotics, rhetoric, social exchange, and politeness, creators gain a clearer sense of: • How messages travel • How audiences interpret • How context transforms meaning These theories provide a conceptual foundation for building a coherent, persuasive, and culturally aware brand like UFOMG!
Presentation of UFOMG! for a General Audience
UFOMG! is a playful merch brand dedicated to everything extraterrestrial. We create fun, accessible, and imaginative products inspired by UFO culture — from iconic alien symbols to humorous intergalactic designs. Our mission is simple: bring cosmic joy into everyday life.
UFOMG! speaks to everyone who loves aliens, space, memes, and imaginative storytelling. The brand’s personality is: • Friendly • Energetic • Slightly silly • Always welcoming We make «alien aesthetics» not mysterious or scary, but charming and fun.
Brand Moodboard
What We Make UFOMG! produces: • T-shirts • Hoodies • Mugs • Stickers • Toys • Posters • Pins Every item tells a tiny alien story — a message from a universe where the unknown is friendly.
People choose UFOMG! because: • The designs are unique and humorous • The style is colorful and expressive • The products are affordable • Every item feels like a souvenir from another dimension The brand is perfect for gifting, self-expression, and fandom culture.
Merch showcase
«UFOMG! — We come in pace… and with merch!.» Our slogan captures the spirit of the brand: a mix of humor, friendliness, and cosmic imagination.
UFOMG! is designed for: • Teens and young adults • Space enthusiasts • Meme and internet culture fans • Casual shoppers looking for fun gifts • People who love quirky fashion and collectibles Everyone can find their own alien here.
Our products help people express the fun side of the cosmos in everyday life
UFOMG! was born from a simple idea: what if aliens weren’t frightening, but friendly, cute, and a little absurd? The brand reimagines classic UFO pop culture as something joyful and accessible. Instead of «the unknown is scary, ” UFOMG! says: „the unknown is fun.“
The brand’s look is built on: • Bright colours • Smooth rounded shapes • Cartoon-style alien mascots • Clean typography • Playful micro-messages like «Beam Me Up Later» This language is easy to recognize and instantly sets a cosmic, humorous tone.
UFOMG! invites everyone to enter a small, friendly universe where aliens bring laughter, color, and imagination
Presentation for a Professional Audience
UFOMG! is a conceptual merch brand built around the intersection of pop-cultural semiotics, playful narrative construction, and accessible visual communication. The brand uses extraterrestrial imagery not as nostalgia or parody, but as a flexible symbolic system capable of addressing diverse audiences.
UFOMG! operates within three key communication frameworks: 1. Semiotic clarity and recognizability — using universal alien/UFO symbols as culturally saturated signs. 2. Narrative consistency — developing a cohesive «friendly extraterrestrial» tone across channels. 3. Participatory communication — encouraging audiences to reinterpret and remix the brand’s symbols. This aligns with contemporary branding strategies rooted in symbolic interaction and audience co-creation.
UFOMG! aims to: • Build emotional resonance through humor and play. • Provide high recognizability through consistent semiotics. • Facilitate audience engagement with modular visual assets. • Offer a flexible narrative world adaptable for merch, social media, and collaborations. Professionally, the brand serves as a case study in constructing approachable speculative fiction branding.
UFOMG! uses a single-brand architecture with expandable sub-lines: • UFOMG! Core — apparel and standard merch • UFOMG! Mini — small toys, stickers, pins • UFOMG! Homeworld — lifestyle objects • UFOMG! Limited Orbits — collaborations and limited editions This structure supports both scalability and controlled specialization.
UFOMG! communicates across a multimodal system: • Visual channels: product design, social media graphics, packaging • Verbal channels: slogans, microcopy, product names • Experiential channels: unboxing experiences, limited-edition story events • Digital presence: website, animated assets, AR stickers (future expansion) The channels are unified by shared tone and symbolic vocabulary.
UFOMG! store sign
While the general audience is broad, professionals should consider UFOMG! ’s segmentation: • Entertainment and fandom culture — seeking humor and collectability • Design-focused consumers — appreciating aesthetic consistency • Gift market — prioritizing emotional resonance • Pop-culture communities — favoring remixability and identity expression UFOMG! functions as both a consumer brand and a communication system.
UFOMG! ’s packaging system is designed to balance recognizability, cost-effectiveness, and emotional impact. Key characteristics: • Flat, bold alien icon as a core identifier • Limited but expressive color palette • Playful microcopy («Open for Abduction», «Certified Intergalactic Item») • Environmentally conscious materials The packaging serves as a low-cost but high-impact communication channel.
UFOMG! packaging
UFOMG! treats merchandise not just as products, but as portable storytelling surfaces. Each item contributes a fragment of a larger fictional universe: • T-shirts = primary visual statements • Mugs = short textual jokes • Pins/stickers = symbolic micro-narratives • Toys = character-based extensions This approach aligns with current trends in narrative-driven merchandising and fandom economies.
The brand’s modular identity allows for seamless collaborations: • Art–design studios • Indie toy makers • Webcomic artists • Music festivals • AR/VR creators Professionally, UFOMG! is structured as an open platform where external creators can introduce new visual or narrative modules without breaking brand coherence.
UFOMG! stands out through: • A distinct non-threatening alien aesthetic • Consistent symbolic language • Universal humor that transcends cultural boundaries • Low entry barrier for new consumers • High remixability for creative communities This differentiation is intentional and theory-informed, not accidental.
UFOMG! plans to expand its communication system through: • Seasonal collections • Narrative arcs («Our Alien Visits Earth», «Lost in the Cosmic Mall», etc.) • Animated micro-content • AR-reactive merch • Limited-edition collaboration drops The brand is designed for longevity through evolving but consistent semiotic structures.
How Communication Theory Informed the Creation of the Presentations
The brand uses Semiotic Theory to construct a consistent symbolic system. Alien heads, UFO silhouettes, beams, and neon colors function as culturally recognizable signs. Their familiarity ensures immediate comprehension for a general audience. For professionals, semiotics explains how the design achieves clarity and coherence. Rhetorical Theory shaped message structure: • General audience → emotional appeal, humor, accessibility • Professional audience → analytical tone, conceptual clarity, structured arguments Each presentation uses rhetoric appropriate to its audience’s expectations.
Social Exchange Theory influenced the perceived value of the brand. For the general audience: entertainment, humor, and emotional resonance outweigh the «cost» of attention. For professionals: conceptual rigor and scalability provide intellectual value. Politeness Theory guided tone adaptation: • Casual, friendly, meme-like tone for public communication • Respectful, precise, expertise-centered tone for professionals Each presentation mitigates «face threats» by aligning style with audience needs.
The entire project demonstrates how communication theories help designers craft layered, audience-specific messages. UFOMG! functions not only as a merch brand but as a communication system: a semiotic universe, a narrative platform, and an adaptive rhetorical structure. The two presentations differ because communication theory demands sensitivity to context, expectations, and interpretive frameworks.
Literature and Image Sources
All images were generated via AI.
Maria Mordvinova, Olga Solovyova «Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice», Smart LMS [online course], 2025
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