Communication theory: Persimmon
Official Logo of Persimmon
Communication theory in the field of design
Communication theory studies how people create, transmit, interpret, and transform meanings through interactions. Moreover it explores how communication shapes culture and society.
«Communication — process of meaning creation through interaction and symbolic exchange of messages within the context» [1]
Communication plays a vital role in various spheres of life and is fundamental to routine processes. The principles of communication theory are also presented in the realm of design. Design is an act of communication, in which the designer not only creates an attractive image but also transmits a visual message with a certain purpose. The designer considers the key aspects upon which communication is built. Therefore, design becomes a strategic tool: it captures attention and helps to reach a particular goal or task. Hence, design can assist a company or brand to attract new audiences, convey the core values and persuade customers to purchase a product or service. Communication theory aids to develop a correct communication idea and consider the delivery methods.
Fisher’s narrative paradigm states that individuals perceive the world through stories and consider communication as a narrative process. [1] Design could be used as a storytelling medium. It expresses a brand’s narrative through visual language, creates an emotional impact and fosters viewer empathy.
In communication, meaning is conveyed through symbols: verbal and non-verbal. In design, the symbols for communication are form, composition, color, and typography. In any communicative act context is significant because it shapes the interpretation of the message. In design context similarly impacts the interpretation of the visual image. Furthermore, in communication theory the medium in which the idea is delivered from one person to another is crucial. In design the perception of a visual message also depends on the format and requires a customized design approach for each channel (on a website, a mobile application, or a billboard). Communication theory in design serves to create a visual message that corresponds with users expectations and behaviors, thereby ensuring the intended communicative objectives are met. Furthermore, communication theory highlights the strategies for building relationships with customers on social media platforms where design serves as the core of visual engagement. Its primary roles are to capture users' attention and stimulate interaction with the brand.
This project will investigate the application of communication theory within the context of a handmade jewelry brand.
Presentation of brand for a general audience
About the Brand
«Persimmon» — handmade jewelry brand.
Founded by Alina Veytsel in March 2025, the brand’s journey began with her crafting pendants featuring original clay characters by hand. Later she improved her designs by adding mineral beads in the necklaces. Alina explores new creative formats and the current brand’s collection includes a wide range of stylish items: mono-earrings, necklaces, pendants, bag charms, and rings.
The unique style of jewelry is based on contrasts and contradictions. The aesthetic of the products is a mix of cute and dark styles. In the handmade pendants soft, rounded shapes are combined with sharp once, clay figures harmonise with natural stones. This mix of different elements creates a unique and eye-catching accent for any style.
The brand targets a young audience, primarily teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 30. People at this age tend to experiment a lot with their style. They are actively trying to create a unique identity and often look for special accessories. Unconventional jewelry becomes a tool for self-expression.
Alina Veytsel, Founder of Persimmon
Brand Mission
The Persimmon brand emphasizes the beauty and value of individuality. The brand offers unique, handcrafted accessories that are designed to complement personal style, highlight uniqueness and serve as a new form of self-expression.
«Be unique and unlike others — this is where your true beauty lies» — the message the brand conveys to its customers.
The unusual clay characters reveal the courage and beauty of being unique. The jewelry brand symbolizes how people can combine various aspects of their personality and embrace a range of feelings.
Therefore, the brand’s mission is to empower young people to express their individuality through the accessories.
Necklaces from the Persimmon collection
Brand Values
The Persimmon brand is based on several key values:
1. Handcraft uniqueness. The brand believes every accessory should be special. Persimmon’s items are made by hand with love and care. Therefore, jewelries are unique and differ from mass-produced ware.
2. Individuality empowering. The Persimmon believes each customer’s style is distinctive. Each jewelry of the brand is special and one-of-a-kind, highlighting the personality of the owner. This idea matches the demand for personalized items.
3. Facilitating emotional expression. The handmade clay characters on the jewelry show different emotional states. In that way, the brand encourages people to non-verbally communicate their feelings or mood through the accessories.
4. Promoting versatility and customization. Persimmon jewelry is designed for multifunctionality and personal transformation. For instance, a pendant comes with different fittings, so the customer can wear it in multiple ways: as a necklace, an earring, or a bag charm. Therefore the jewelry is more useful and personal for each owner.
Carabiner Keychain & Pendant Variants from the Persimmon collection
Presentation for a professional audience
The brand creates unique accessories with individual stories. Persimmon is open for collaborations with other brands that value quality craftsmanship. The brand is aiming to expand in the accessories market.
Brand Identity
Brand Color Palette: The colors are a key part of visual style. They highlight brand’s idea of the aesthetics mix.
The Persimmon Brand Color Palette
The Jewelry Core: Every piece include a pendant featuring a character with a specific expression. These clay parts made using a simple black and white color palette. By applying only these two colors the cohesive style of accessories is created.
Accents and Contrast: Persimmon also introduce vibrant colors — mostly cool tones. These bright colors appear only in the added parts of the jewelry and in brand’s visuals. Paired with the black and white pendants, they create a striking contrast and define the mood of each accessory.
A pendant and ring from the Persimmon collection
Design of Emotions: The jewelry include stylized character faces that express different moods, often with a touch of melancholy. Each piece is meant to capture a specific emotion that the wearer can connect with.
Pendant Designs by Persimmon
Jewelry-Making Techniques
Persimmon uses a special technique that might interest other designers and crafters. At first glance, the pendants look like ceramic. However, they are made from polymer clay, not traditional ceramic material. The making process follows several steps. First, each piece is sculpted from white material and fired once at 130°C. Then comes the hand-painting stage, where every pendant is decorated with acrylic and gouache paints. Before final assembly, a layer of UV resin is applied. This makes the jewelry durable and gives it a smooth, glossy finish. Some designs also include extra details like natural stones, silver-colored chains, or soft plush parts to diversify the items.
The painting process for Persimmon pendants
Current Brand Promotion Channels
Collaborations: Persimmon is open to collaborations with other craftspeople and brands that make unique clothing or accessories. For instance, a recent partnership with the plush toy brand Kiara Plush led to the launch of a new collection of figurines, which combines the styles of both brands.
Collaboration with Kiara Plush
Cooperation with Boutiques: Persimmon also works with concept boutiques to showcase author’s work. Brand chooses stores that truly support handmade goods. So far, Persimmon’s jewelry has been featured in places like «Zanoschivost» and «Prizrachnaya Polka» in Moscow, as well as «Polka Chudes» in Krasnodar and Samara. These partnerships have assisted in reaching a new audience and increasing brand awareness. Persimmon is always looking for new stores and partners to work with.
Persimmon’s Collaboration with Handmade Jewelry Stores
Brand Growth Potential
Persimmon is focused on growing and brand is working on several key areas.
• Main platform for promotion is social media, specifically Telegram. Brand is planning to build audience on other social platforms as well.
• A major step in brand’s development will be launching the website for an online store. This website will put a strong emphasis on beautiful visuals and on connection with the audience.
• Jewelry collection is always expanding. Persimmon regularly introduces new pieces, experimenting with different materials and techniques.
• Persimmon also believes in the power of real-world connections. The brand actively participates in offline art markets and events. These are great opportunities to meet new customers, connect with other artists, and lay the groundwork for future collaborations.
Persimmon is participating in the Art Market
Persimmon holds practical value for the professional community. The brand’s effectiveness can be attributed to a clear formula: it has a solid concept, cohesive visual language, and communicates effectively with the target audience.
Persimmon may be interesting for creators due to its recognizable style. The brand illustrates the case of materials blending: polymer clay with stones, metal, or even fabric and combined techniques like sculpting, painting by hand, and working with resin. That mix gives each piece its own character. Moreover, Persimmon shows the effective communication with other makers and designers.
A pendant from the Persimmon collection
Communication theory as a basis for creating brand presentations
The communication strategy for «Persimmon» was built on the application of theories described in the course materials. The brand strategy was developed using a combination of theoretical «lenses», which allowed to adapt the message, channels, and meanings to the specific tasks of addressing both broad and professional audiences.
Narrative Paradigm (Walter Fisher):
This is the most important «lens» for communicating with customers. Fisher’s core idea is that humans are «storytelling animals». They understand the world through narrative rationality that makes sense to us and feel real, not just through facts. Rather than presenting a standard list of product features, the brand’s story becomes the core of its communication. Its plot: creating a unique style by combining opposites (сute and dark). In this framework, each piece of jewelry with a «face» becomes not just a product but an episode in this story, with which a person can relate their own experience and feelings.
Sociocultural Tradition (Robert Craig):
Robert Craig thinks communication as a fundamental process of joint creation of the social world.It is through interaction that we establish shared rules, negotiate meaning, and build what matters most for this project — group identity. For Persimmon, this perspective transforms the brand’s purpose. Its function is not merely to sell accessories, but to provide the audience with a set of deliberate symbols: the recognizable «faces» and the contrasting aesthetic. These symbols act as tools for individuals to construct and signal their identity. Wearing Persimmon jewelry thus becomes a deliberate social gesture — a visual claim of membership in a community of young, creative individuals who value handmade quality and independence from mainstream trends. In this sense, Persimmon is not just responding to a market; it is actively co-creating the cultural code of its audience, offering a means for self-expression and social connection.
Semiotic Tradition (Robert Craig):
If the sociocultural tradition answers why people communicate, semiotics shows how they do it, by creating and reading signs. Thinking about it that way, the Persimmon brand can be viewed as an intentional sign system, where each piece is there to say something specific:
• The black-and-white «face» is a sign of the inner world, drama, and foundation of personality.
• The bright cold accents in beads and packaging are a sign of individuality, emotional expression, and modernity.
• The facial expression itself is the most important sign. Persimmon does not say if it is sad or thoughtful on purpose. Brand lets the wearer add their own feelings, turning the jewelry into something personal instead of just a statement.
Concept of Affordances (James Gibson / Donald Norman)
In simple terms, affordances describe the actions an object permits or invites. The theories mentioned earlier defined the narrative and symbolic layer of the brand. When creating the brand, the concept of affordances guided the design process to encourage specific interactions. For Persimmon, this translated into building two key affordances directly into the products.
The first is an affordance for sharing. The jewelry is designed to be photographed — with its high contrast, expressive faces, and bright color accents. This aesthetic inherently encourages photography and social media sharing. When this occurs, customers transition into informal brand ambassadors, disseminating its visual style within their networks.
The second is an affordance for personalization. The jewelry’s design is modular and versatile. A pendant functions not only as a pendant but can also be worn as a single earring or attached to a bag. This versatility provides the components for creating a custom look. It transforms the act of purchase into a more creative endeavor, directly aligning with the brand’s core values of individual style and self-expression.
Two-Way Symmetrical Model of PR (James Grunig)
This model formed the basis for dialogue with the professional audience (partners, retailers). Unlike outdated approaches (manipulation or mere informing), it aims at long-term, mutually beneficial relationships through dialogue and mutual understanding. Therefore, in the presentation for professionals, the focus was shifted away from product promotion. Instead, the emphasis was placed on demonstrating: readiness for collaborations («we are open»), transparency and expertise (details of technology), and mutual benefit (examples of successful placement in stores). This approach creates a foundation for trust and partnership, rather than a one-time transaction.
«Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice», HSE online-course (дата обращения: 10.12.2025)
persimmon // Telegram URL: https://t.me/alikveytsel (дата обращения: 10.12.2025)
