How communication design can be used to improve the standard of signage in Katakwi district

Abstract

Katakwi district is a sub-region of Teso, located in the Eastern region of Uganda. It was formerly part of Soroti district until 1997 when it was turned into a district. It has an estimated population of about 178,000 people currently living there. Communication design is a mixed discipline between design and information development, focusing on how media communicate with people. Communication design has become very influential in modern-day Uganda, contributing to the development of different sectors in urban centers like Kampala, Jinja, Mukono, and Wakiso. However, in rural areas, the case is different. Since around 2010, there has been a spike in the use of communication design in creating various types of signage in Katakwi district across sectors such as health, economic, and education. Despite this increase, the quality of signage remains substandard. The types of signage include signposts, posters, banners, and notices. Although local artists employ communication design elements to create these signs, major principles of communication design are often ignored. As a result, the work produced deviates from what is expected of professional communication designers. The issue with the signage lies in its poor quality, which makes it difficult for local people to understand the messages being conveyed. This has created a gap between the sectors in Katakwi and the local population, negatively impacting development. The signage in Katakwi is repetitive, overcrowded, and poorly designed, making it hard to understand for most locals. This has exacerbated the communication challenges in the district.