A comunicação visual a serviço da educação: um estudo sobre o PROERD - Programa Educacional de Resistência às Drogas e à Violência - RS

Abstract

The present work aims to evaluate the visual communication of the Educational Program for Drug and Violence Resistance (Proerd) is constructed, based on graphic materials used in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This study seeks to understand the importance of visual communication in the context of educational and advertising materials; position the Proerd program within the perspective of drug abuse prevention education in Brazil; describe the main characteristics of the graphic communication products used by Proerd, and propose suggestions for improving visual communication. The methodology used was qualitative and included bibliographic research, document analysis, and visual analysis. In the bibliographic research, the theoretical framework follows the perspective of Hernández (2000) for contextualizing education in the 21st century, and Abramovay and Castro (2002), Acserald (2013), Adade and Monteiro (2014) for understanding drug abuse prevention education. In terms of communication theories, the study draws on the ideas proposed by Peruzzolo (2006). Organizational and institutional communication is addressed based on Kunsch (2014). For Visual Communication, the research relies on theories proposed by Donis A. Dondis (2000), Munari (2006), Strunck (2007), and Wheeler (2019). The document analysis was conducted using the program’s institutional folder and booklet, which provided a perspective on the visual communication adopted in the Proerd program. The visual analysis included five stages developed by the researchers such as: observing the selected materials and determining the main visual categories, describing the materials, conducting individual analyses of each category, analyzing the overall results, and proposing improvements to the visual communication through a list of recommendations. This study is justified by the need to understand how visual communication is used in Proerd’s materials and to enhance its effectiveness, reflecting the commitment to providing societal benefits through public education. The work revealed that visual communication plays a central role in mediating the educational message and the target audience. Key materials, such as the booklet and folder, integrate visual elements including cohesive visual identity, geometric and organic shapes, colors, and typography. These elements play a role to convey information, engage participants, and foster a deeper connection to the program. The materials aimed to balance functionality and attractiveness, creating an emotional connection while stimulating learning. However, points for improvement were identified, such as optimizing the use of institutional colors, refining the visual hierarchy, and strengthening emotional resonance. These adjustments can further amplify the effectiveness of the educational message and fulfill the objectives of the program.