MIRA
1. Communication Theory in the Field of Design
Visual identity for Figma Config 2025
Design as Communication
Design is often perceived as something visual or aesthetic, but in reality it always functions as communication. Every object, interface, or visual system sends messages, whether intentionally or not. When we design, we communicate ideas, values, moods, and instructions long before the user consciously thinks about them.
Designer as a Sender
From the perspective of communication theory, a designer can be compared to a sender of a message. Through color, composition, typography, and interaction, meaning is encoded into a visual form. The user then decodes this message based on their experience, expectations, and cultural background. This process does not happen automatically or identically for everyone.
Encoding and Decoding in Visual Design
Misunderstanding is a natural part of communication, and design is no exception. Visual noise, overloaded interfaces, or unclear hierarchies can distort the message and lead to confusion. Communication theory helps designers understand why something does not work and how meaning can be lost between intention and perception.
Cybernetic Model in Design
The cybernetic tradition defines communication as an information system with feedback. Design today operates exactly this way: — interface sends a signal — user reacts — system adapts This turns design into a dynamic process, not a static object.
Feedback as the Core of Interaction Design
Feedback is what makes interaction feel alive. When an interface reacts to a user’s actions, it confirms that communication has taken place. Small visual responses, animations, or changes in tone help users feel seen and understood, strengthening trust between the system and the person.
Few words about feedback in Figma Community
Socio-Psychological and Socio-Cultural Perspectives
Communication theory also explains why design influences emotions. According to socio-psychological approaches, people react to visual incentives in predictable ways. Colors can calm or excite, shapes can feel friendly or distant, and typography can sound serious or playful. Designers constantly work with these emotional responses, often intuitively. At the same time, meaning is never universal. Socio-cultural theory reminds us that communication depends on context. What feels natural in one culture or daily routine may feel strange in another. Design always exists inside social practices, habits, and expectations formed over time.
Semiotics in Graphic Design
Graphic design strongly relates to semiotics — the study of signs and symbols. Icons, visual metaphors, and color codes replace words and sentences. Through these visual signs, design creates its own language, which users learn to read almost subconsciously.
Medium as a Message
Marshall McLuhan stated: «The medium is the message». This means: — the form of communication shapes meaning — not just what is said, but where and how
Design always communicates through its medium. The media is shaping our reality and our understanding of what’s going on.
2. Communicating the MIRA Concept to a General Audience
3. Communicating the MIRA Concept to a Professional Audience
4. Applying Communication Theory to the MIRA Project
MIRA as a Communication System
MIRA was designed as a communication experience rather than a smart object. The mirror acts as a medium that responds to a person instead of simply displaying information. Interaction is based on feedback: facial expressions and gestures influence how the system reacts. Because of this, communication remains flexible and adaptive, not fixed or scripted.
Emotional and Contextual Design
Design choices in MIRA are guided by emotional response. Calm visuals, minimal text, and a soft tone support the user instead of competing for attention. The mirror is a personal object connected to daily routines and self-perception, so communication remains subtle and respectful, allowing the user to stay in control of the interaction.
Symbols, Presence, and Personal Meaning
Visual symbols help make interaction intuitive. The avatar and interface elements suggest presence and intention without imitating a real person. Seeing information together with one’s own reflection makes communication feel personal and direct. In this way, communication theory is translated into a simple, human-centered design experience.
5. Literature and Visual Sources
Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice — online course materials
Figma Community — interface references and visual inspiration
AI-generated images — conceptual and illustrative visuals
MIRA project visuals — original designs by Polina Sheglova (https://portfolio.hse.ru/Project/177414#)
