Design is not about looks—it’s a language. An image-based language that communicates, elicits emotions through images, and makes decisions in an instant. During my recent visit to JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore, I was fortunate enough to get to interact with a rowdy group of students to talk about two closely related themes propelling contemporary design: visual storytelling and advocacy art.

As I entered the session, I could already feel the fresh curiosity and eagerness to learn in the air. These new designers are just starting their creative journey, and my role was to try to make them realise that design is not merely decoration, but storytelling.

At the centre of our conversation was the idea of visual storytelling—how we employ images, text, composition, colour, and layout to not only display, but to narrate. In an age of information overload, it’s the narrative behind the image that resonates and strikes a chord. We talked about how every element of design can be employed to evoke mood, expose character, or enhance a message—whether it’s a fashion ad, a movie poster, or a photo of a brand.

Students were instructed from the perspective of film—how visual design is an inherent aspect of set design, costume design, and VFX. All visual decisions exist for the development of the story, from lighting a dramatic photo to type for a movie title. Design is not an aside—it is part of the narrative.

Strong design narrates a story, and successful promotion guarantees the story finds its audience. We delved long and hard into the craft of promotion and how visual narrative becomes a measured agent in drawing attention, spinning intrigue, and crafting engagement. From trailers to posters to online promotional campaigns, promo design is the collision of creative and communicative purpose.

I asked students to think like visual marketers. How do you design a poster that addresses the soul of a movie? How do you craft an Instagram story that gets someone to pause swiping? These are questions that exist at the intersection of art and purpose.

To introduce reality to the topic, I used my own experience of moving from the initial client brief to final deployment in reality. Finding out what the client wants, creating innovative solutions, guiding creative production, and coping with feedback—all these are parts of the process that the designer undertakes. The students liked watching concepts developed and streamlined step by step, as well as the importance of maintaining the essential message regardless of limitations.

The room was full. From brain dump to reflexive critique, the conversation was a dialogue. I went through student portfolios, offering constructive critiques and praising potential. Their imagination was innovative, their questions penetrating. It is always an honour to see the designers of tomorrow born.