THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF DESIGN AND VISUAL COMMUNICATION AT THE TIME OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Earlier in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the course of all our lives. The whole world had to adjust to a new situation and learn to live differently, with restrictions. From the very beginning of the crisis, the communication of government, autonomies, and other parties and authorities with citizens is crucial. How to communicate critical pandemic information in as clear a way as possible in such a dynamically changing situation? Communication messages from the government should be clear, accurate, and understandable. That is not always a case for certain countries. During the crisis, the provision of clear, accurate, and easily accessible information becomes a matter of life and death. Given the current information and misinformation volumes, the necessity for clear communication delivered through the single visual system has never been that high. Design and visual communication comprise the crucial power in solving multiple challenges, including restriction and regulation announcements connected with the novel coronavirus pandemic. In the paper, our focus will be on the general role of design and consistent visual communication; we should also look at the case study of elaborate visual communication of enacted measures in New Zealand at the time of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]