What is Communication Design? Courses, Fees, Top Institutes, Careers & Salary 2025

The demand for communication designers are increasing day-by-day. A communication designer's job is to create a connection between the spectator and the visuals. A communication designer would evaluate the message they want to transmit and how to effectively engage the viewer before they know what the graphics will look like.

A communication design course will teach students everything they need to know to become expert communication designers. Some of the popular specializations in communication design include - Film and Video communication, Exhibition Design, Animation Film Design, and Graphic Design. 

When you ask about some Communication Design examples in the real world setting, you can find them in the digital form, with a focus on brand identity, storytelling and effective visual communication. Here are a few Communication Design examples for your reference:

• LEGO - visually engaging brand identity
• Nike - brand power through bold typography
• Tiffany & Co. – combines brand identity with playful colors
• Spotify Wrapped Platform
• Mailchimp – graphic design symbolizes brand character

A Communication Design portfolio is important because it serves as a handbook of your skills, certifications, projects, internship experiences, and basically the overall contribution that you can bring to the table if hired by any recruiter. A strong Communication Design portfolio gives every recruiter a strong impression of your creative abilities and can land you a rewarding job offer with a decent salary package.

About 900+ best Communication Design colleges are there in India. Of these, 563 colleges are privately owned, 70 colleges are owned by public/government organisations, and public-private entities own 9 colleges. Students can secure admission after passing Class 12 boards or some universities conduct entrance exam like NIFT entrance exam, CUET, NID entrance exam, etc. Some of the best Design colleges in India for Communication Design course include NIFT Delhi, NIFT Mumbai, NIFT Gandhinagar, Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pearl Academy, NIFT Bangalore, NIFT Hyderabad, NIFT Chennai, NIFT Kolkata, and many others.

Yes, there are about 80+ Online Communication Design colleges in India. Some of them are mentioned below along with their tuition fees:

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website/ sanctioning body and may vary.

The Communication Design subjects and syllabus differ from one college to another on the basis of the course type and course level. Having said that, some core foundational subjects might be similar as given below for reference:

• Theory of Communication Design
• Drawing and Sketching
• Digital Design - Adobe Illustrator
• Introduction to Interaction Design
• Theory of Advertising
• Elements of Interface Design
• 3D Printing
• Advanced Graphics
• Writing for Digital Media

After completing a course in Communication Design, students can join various sectors and expand their job prospects. A Communication Design graduate can join Fashion designing industry, web designing companies, boutiques, hotels etc. Depending on your level of skills and qualifications, you can work in job profiles such as Graphic Designer, Animator, Print Media Designer, Visual Designer, Brand and Social Media Manager, Creative Director and so on.

The average salary package for Communication Design freshers in the beginning is somewhere between INR 4 LPA and INR 6 LPA which may differ on the basis of the academic results, skills, internship experiences, job role, recruiter, company location and market demand. The earning potential increases with experience in the field and skill enhancement over the years.

No, usually there is no minimum or maximum age limit to apply for Communication Design courses. However, some colleges may have their own eligiblity parameters. If you want to pursue BDes in Communication Design then you should be not be older than 21 years. However, if you wish to pursue BA Communication Design, BSc Communication Design or MDes Communication Design then there is no age limit.

Yes, you can apply for postgraduate-level Communication Design courses such as MA Communication Design, MSc Communication Design and MDes Communication Design after completing BTech. Make sure that you have passed the degree with at least 50% marks or 5.5 CGPA.

Here are some important documents you must carry during Communication Design course admission process:

• Class 10 and 12 marksheets.
• A relevant bachelor's degree (if applicable).
• Valid ID Proof (Adhaar, PAN Card, Passport, etc.).
• Passport-sized photographs.
• Migration Certificate.

Unfortunately, there's no provision for MDes Communication Design lateral entry in India. However, if you want to pursue a PG course in Communication Design, without investing in 2 years of education, you can go for PG Diploma courses in Communication Design. There are many colleges offering PG Diploma in Communication Design such as JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Indian Institute of Fashion Technology, AND Academy, AAFT, ISD, Apeejay Institute of Design, etc.

Yes, you will see reservations and quota systems for categories like EWS (Economically Weaker Sections), SC (Scheduled Castes), ST (Scheduled Tribes), OBC (Other Backward Classes), etc., in the Communication Design course admission. These reservations may vary depending on the course level and the college.

Students who meet the eligibility criteria can pursue the course. Check out popular Communication Design courses duration below:

The ideal Communication Design course depends on your interests and future goals. Communication Design programs are offered at various levels, so you can choose this field of study at any stage of your educational journey. Meanwhile, BDes in Communication Design and MDes in Communication Design are the top two courses mostly preferred by students in India.

Communication Design is a vast field of study that includes various specializations such as Graphic Design, UX/UI Design, Visual Representation, etc. Communication Design students can choose their career paths based on these specific areas or opt for further studies in these specialised areas.

Yes, pursuing a Certificate in Communication Design can be a good option if you really want to proceed in this field without having to pursue a full-fledged degree course. These certification courses will offer specialised knowledge and enhance your career options.

You can find some top Communication Design entrance exams and the number of colleges accepting specific exam scores given in the table:

Note: Some colleges accept multiple exam scores.

The required preparation for Communication Design entrance exams cannot be said with any certainty; rather it depends on the particular exam that you're planning to appear for. Generally, you should start your preparation at least 4 to 6 months before the exam date so that you have a good amount of time to cover the syllabus, have a look at last year's question papers, practice mock tests, and revise in the last month to score well.

It is not at all compulsory to give an entrance exam for admission to Communication Design courses at the UG level. You will find several design institutes that give admission on the basis of Class 12 board exam marks and take into account extra rounds like GD, PI or portfolio submission.

But in the case of PG Communication Design entrance exams, the admission is majorly based on valid entrance exam scores.

Communication Design courses help students who wish to build a name for themselves in the field of communication design and technology. Students will learn everything they need to know about communication design in a communication design course. In a communication design course, students are usually taught subjects such as Sketching; Design Process; Elements of Photo, Video and Animation; Branding & Identity Design; Information Design; Publication Design and so on.

Yes there are many good books related to Communication Design. Some of these are as follows:

Note: The information is sourced from external sites and may vary.

Know more about Communication Design courses

The two most popular Master design courses at UG and PG levels include BDes and MDes, respectively. Candidates who wish to pursue a Communication design course can opt for degree, Diploma or certificate-level programmes. Candidates can pursue the courses at the undergraduate or postgraduate level in full-time, part-time or online modes.

The duration of the courses ranges from a few months (if enrolled in a short-term certificate programme) to four years (if enrolled in a degree programme). 

Few of the popular communication design colleges in India are:

Here are some top Communication Design college options offering the best placement opportunities to students in India:

Note: The information is sourced from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

Know more about Design Career Scope

Here are some top B Des in Communication Design college options in India:

Note: The information is sourced from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

Mumbai is a power hub when it comes to pursuing Communication Designing courses at top colleges in India. You can find some top college options for Communication Design courses in Mumbai given here:

Note: This information is taken from the official website and may vary.

Here are some top Communication Design distance college options in India:

Note: The information is sourced from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

In order to secure admission to reputed communication design colleges in India, you need to sit for national-level entrance exams such as NIFT Entrance Exam, NID Entrance Exam, CEED and UCEED. Admission standards in top schools and institutes are designed to select the best students and those who are ready to learn and make diverse choices.

Yes, Communication design has a promising career. The scope of Communication design career is enormous, whether it is in the field of print or public design, or advertising and event design, and thus the academic course has expanded and will soon be one of the most important courses in any country. 

Students after passing out from their respective undergraduate or postgraduate programmes can apply for jobs in industries such as Advertising, Animation, Publishing, Web Design, and movies. People are able to showcase their artistic abilities and inventiveness through communication design. It offers a forum for individual expression as well as the chance to produce eye-catching and powerful designs.

The average base salary of a Communication Designer in India is INR 6 Lacs per year. The salary, however, can increase significantly to up to INR 20 lakh per annum as a person grows in skills and experience. Job duties for such specialists include brainstorming, sketching, and design creation while keeping client needs and consumer susceptibility in mind.

• Entry-Level Communication Designer: An entry-level communication designer can earn an average salary ranging from INR 2 LPA to INR 5 LPA.
• Mid-Level Communication Designer: A mid-level designer can earn an average annual salary ranging from INR 5 LPA to INR 10 LPA.
• Senior Communication Designer: Senior communication designer can earn up to INR 25 LPA.

 To become a successful communication designer in India, you can follow the steps below.

• Obtain an undergraduate communication design degree
• Pursue a PG diploma or degree course in communication design
• Create an impressive portfolio
• Gain industry experience

Communication Design industry recruiters generally look for candidates with certain skill sets. These abilities enable them to function in various situations. Some of those important skills include:

• Knowledge of marketing
• Creativity
• Aesthetics sense
• Ability to understand consumer psyche
• Ability to use computer software
• Commercial mindset

In order to ace the industry it is essential to have some must-have skills for Communication Design. The basic Communication Design skillset that anyone planning to pursue a career in the field should have been mentioned below.

• Creativity
• Aesthetic sense
• Communication skills
• Commercial mindset
• Knowledge of various software
• Attention to detail
• Team player
• Ability to adhere to strict deadlines

Communication Design is particularly used while addressing the approach involved in presenting information through visuals. Some of the main reasons why a student should opt for a Communication Design course are:

• The field of Communication Design is broad and applicable to several sectors. Graduates have a wide range of professional opportunities, including employment in web design, branding, marketing, publishing, advertising, and more.
• You can develop your creative ability through Communication Design. It gives you a way to graphically communicate your ideas, feelings, and thoughts, promoting artistic expression as well as self-expression.
• They learn how to communicate ideas and messages effectively through visual elements.
• Gaining a thorough understanding of user experience (UX) is necessary for many of the projects that designers work on. This expertise ensures a user-friendly interface in a variety of disciplines, including website and app design.

In India and around the globe, Communication Design offers a wide range of career options across various industries such as Advertising, Mass Media, Digital Marketing, Branding, Education, and Retail, with job roles like Graphic Designer, Art Director, UI/UX Designer, Creative Director, Campaign Manager, etc. This allows professionals to work in print, electronic, and digital media based on their specialization; making it a versatile field with high demand due to the ever-evolving digital realm. 

Here are some important skills that every Communication Design graduate must have for a bright future:

• Technical skills: You must know about Design software and how to use it.
• Creative Thinking: Designers must have a unique and creative approach to attract their targeted audience.
• Communication Skills: They must have good communication skills to make new contacts and build relationships in the industry.

Some of the high-paying job profiles in the Communication Design field include:

Note: The salary information is taken from Ambitionbox.com.

Communication Design is a mixed discipline between design and information-development which is concerned with how media intervention such as printed, crafted, electronic media or presentations communicate with people. A communication design approach is not only concerned with developing the message aside from the aesthetics in media, but also with creating new media channels to ensure the message reaches the target audience. Some designers use graphic design and communication design interchangeably due to overlapping skills.

Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service. [1When using social media marketing, firms can allow customers and Internet users to post user-generated content (e. g. , online comments, product reviews, etc. ), also known as "earned media, " rather than use marketer-prepared advertising copy.

Graphic Design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving using one or more of typography, photography and illustration. The field is considered a subset of visual communication and communication design, but sometimes the term "graphic design" is used synonymously. Graphic designers create and combine symbols, images and text to form visual representations of ideas and messages. They use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to create visual compositions. Common uses of graphic design include corporate design (logos and branding), editorial design (magazines, newspapers and books), wayfinding or environmental design, advertising, web design, communication design, product packaging and signage.

Communication Design is a vast field of Design focused on creating visual and graphic elements to disseminate a message or information. It contains several design disciplines, including Branding, Graphic Design, User Experience (UX) design, and User Interface (UI) design.

Communication Design refers to designing in order to communicate emotions, message, information, data, and knowledge through electronic media. Communication Design is quite different as it not only includes the creation of message but even the creation of channels through which message will be conveyed to the target population. Different types of communication designs include:

1. Graphic Design : Graphic design is a form of visual communication that has certain goals which can be achieved through proper graphics designing. It involves aesthetically expressing the concepts by using various graphics tools. Graphics Designing entails to creating a layout and choosing the right images, symbols and words to express a message.
2. Data Visualisation : Data visualization is also a form of visual communication whereby the information and data are represented in a graphical form. The elements which play a key role in data visualization are maps, charts and graphs. These elements help the viewer to easily understand the data pattern, trends or outliners. Today a large amount of data is available at everyone disposal. However, it needs to be analyzed for better decisions with proper visualization tools. 
3.  Interaction Design : Today digital products like applications have become so popular these are being used as powerful tools to spread message and information. There are different elements of digital products and each element interacts with the user in a different way. Interaction design refers to a designing approach whereby designers focus on the ways a product & its elements will interact with the users. Through the interactive design of digital products, the necessary information is communicated to the end users.
4. Art and Illustrations : Rather than the oral means of communication, messages can be conveyed best through graphics, illustrations, photographs or pictograms.
5. Visual Identity : Visual identity refers to symbols, logos, shapes or other visual elements that different brands use in order to ACT as their identity. These are easy to remember and whenever a person witnesses the logo of a brand, he/she can correlate it with the brand.
6. Writing & Editing : Different newspaper articles, promotional content, blogs, articles, fiction novels, journals, and informational documents are a great way of communicating a message. Thus, communication design also includes creating content in such a way that it meets its intended goals.

Students who meet all the eligibility criteria as per the course level and clear entrance exams, as demanded by the colleges, can seek admission to communication design courses. Many people are drawn to communication design courses because they inspire, encourage, and develop want to create a positive impression on the public's minds. It can play a significant role in the promotion of a message and shaping a buyer's behaviour, whether to establish a brand or shift sales. People who are creative and know typography and design skills can take up this course. Moreover, the communication design industries include print media, photography, filmmaking, game design, animation, research, interaction design and digital media.

Graphic design is a subset of communication design. While a graphic designer creates specific graphic elements, a communication designer uses those elements in designing a strategic communication plan or a complete end-to-end marketing campaign. A communication designer understands how to use these aspects to communicate a particular mood. Every design decision, from colour to font to layout to language, will have an impact on the company's brand.

A graphic designer is usually involved in handling one specific task of design creation. On the other hand, the job of a communication designer is not only about creating graphics but also communicating the organisation’s message to the audience. A communication designer is involved in the complete marketing campaign from start to finish. Check Graphic Design Syllabus

No, you cannot pursue BDes Communication Design in distance mode as BDes in distance mode is not recognised by UGC. However, you can pursue other bachelor's programme such as BA Communication Design and BSc Communication Design in distance or correspondence mode.