Communication theory: «Nastya Ch.»
About the Brand «Nastya Ch.»
«Nastya Ch.» is a scarf brand that explores how everyday objects can support attention, presence and human connection in a fast and overloaded world. Instead of adding more information or visual noise, the brand invites moments of pause and self-observation. It speaks about relationships — with oneself, with others and with the surrounding world — through calm visual language and simple gestures.
The scarf is central to the brand because it naturally connects body, movement and meaning. Tying a scarf, touching the fabric or reading a short question printed on it becomes a small ritual. These minimal actions help shift focus inward, slow down the rhythm of the day and reconnect with personal values. «Nastya Ch.» addresses women who seek not only aesthetic accessories, but also objects that gently support emotional balance and mindful living.
И1, И2, И3, И4
Communication in the field of design
Communication theory is an active design tool. When a designer chooses a motif, a colour or a tag line, she is already making a communicative act — deciding what the object says and who it addresses. Rather than a passive layer of commentary, theory functions as a decision-making map: it reduces ambiguity, highlights which meanings to emphasise, and helps to plan the path from production to reception.
Semiotics provides tools for creating a readable visual language, while phenomenology shifts attention to how this language is experienced through time, touch and movement. In the context of a scarf brand, meaning is not only seen but also felt: the object is folded, tied, touched and revisited. A limited set of repeatable signs — icons, shapes and colour blocks — allows the user to quickly «read» the scarf, while the sequence of interaction turns this reading into experience. Designing with these two perspectives together means planning both structure and sensation. From unboxing to first touch and tying, each step becomes part of a micro-ritual. These small, repeatable moments do not overload the user with information; instead, they slow attention and help the object remain in memory as something personal and meaningful.
Communication theory helps designers work not only with form, but with meaning and interaction. It explains how objects speak, how they are read, and how experience is formed through use.
From a socio-cultural perspective, design objects gain meaning through shared use. A scarf becomes part of communication when it is gifted, discussed, tied together at a workshop or shown online. System thinking expands this view by treating the brand not as a single product, but as a network of connected touchpoints: the scarf, packaging, tags, social media content and offline encounters. When all these elements speak the same visual and verbal language, meaning does not fragment but accumulates. Repeated small interactions across different channels help the practice become habitual. In this way, communication theory supports the creation of a coherent brand ecosystem where individual experiences connect into a shared cultural rhythm.
Presentation of a brand for General Audience
«Nastya Ch.» creates scarves that gently support attention and presence in everyday life. In the middle of a busy day, a scarf can become a tiny practice — a quiet moment to slow down, breathe and notice how you feel. The brand is not about decoration alone, but about using a familiar object as an invitation to pause. Each scarf comes with a visual story and a short prompt. You tie it, look at the pattern, read a question on the tag and move on. This simple sequence — tie, look, notice — takes less than a minute, yet it often shifts mood and focus for much longer. The product does not demand time or effort; it supports a small internal reset that fits naturally into daily routines.
Scarves «И»
Collection «И» focuses on gestures and moments of meeting. It began as four expressive acrylic paintings refined with marker and black ink, later transformed into wearable squares printed on polyester. Bright figures follow a carpet-like order, suggesting that encounters are not random. The central form resembles a handshake — a shared space that became the name of the series, symbolising connection: you «AND» me.
О5, О6, О7, О8 о1, о2, о3, о4
The brand invites people to interact, not consume. Each scarf offers a one-minute practice of attention through touch and visual language.
Collection «О» explores everyday cause-and-effect. The series consists of eight vector compositions with soft ink accents, printed on cotton-satin. Shapes travel across the square, forming a visual map of movement and choice. Circular elements, inspired by eyelets and daily steps, gave the collection its name. «O» reflects how each small action becomes part of a larger path.
The brand is experienced through physical and visual encounters: in concept stores, pop-up spaces and video-based content. Visitors are invited to try a one-minute ritual on the spot — tie the scarf, read the prompt, breathe. Short workshops introduce different ways of tying and open space for sharing stories. Video content extends this experience beyond the physical space, showing rituals, gestures and moments of use rather than fast consumption. These low-effort interactions help the brand become part of a daily rhythm, not a one-time purchase.
Presentation of a brand for a professional audience
Nastya Ch. sits in the «accessible quality» niche: finished products with thoughtful design at mid-market prices. The concept prioritises repeated engagement over one-time luxury. The business model is small-batch production, seasonal drops, and a layered product ecosystem (scarves, tracker notebook, tags) that increases lifetime value through ritual and community practices.
The brand functions as a design system rather than a single product. Scarves, packaging and content work together as one communicative ecosystem.
Collection «И»: This series originated from four acrylic paintings, refined with marker and black ink, reproduced for textile via high-resolution digital printing on polyester. The painterly texture is preserved by a reactive-digital hybrid process so that brush marks remain visible. Compositionally, the «carpet» grid organises motifs to suggest structured human encounters; the handshake counterform is intentionally central to communicate union. The «O» series comprises eight vector-based compositions with added abstract ink spots, printed on cotton-satin to achieve a matte sheen and comfortable hand. The designs use repeated coordinates and flowing paths to visualise cause-and-effect; small circular elements reference grommets and daily steps. Production notes: vector art simplifies colour separations; cotton-satin allows high-fidelity digital or rotary printing and holds micro-details effectively.
Material choices were guided by phenomenological and market needs: polyester-spandex blends for everyday wear, a silk-like finish for special pieces. Printing techniques mix digital precision (for microcopy and detailed ink spots) with reactive dye or digital reactive printing for larger painterly colour fields. Sustainability is addressed via small-batch production, recyclable packaging, and OEKO-TEX or equivalent certifications for suppliers. These choices balance tactile quality, print fidelity and cost targets.
«И» and «O» scarves collections in HSE ART AND DESIGN STORE
For retailers we propose experiential display: scarves flat on tables with story cards that explain motifs, tactile samples to feel the hand, and a small demo area for one-minute rituals. Online, product pages must show high-resolution close-ups, short micro-videos of tying and a visible prompt snippet. Wholesale packs include co-branded story cards and pop-up display kits. These touchpoints reduce friction and support conversion.
The use of Communication Theory in the project
Craig’s communication traditions helped frame the scarf both as a system of signs and as a social practice. Semiotic thinking defined the visual code — icons, repetition and clarity — while the socio-cultural approach shaped workshops, prompts and shared rituals. Phenomenology reinforced attention to experience: fabric, touch, sequencing and unboxing were designed as temporal events, not just visual outcomes. Politeness theory guided all written communication. Texts use invitation instead of pressure, offering options rather than commands. This combination ensures that users feel included and respected, which lowers resistance and supports long-term engagement.
Social exchange and interdependence theories framed attention as a cost and meaning as a reward. The project offers visible benefits: ritual prompts, shared events and tools for reflection. Rhetorical theory shaped message structure — problem, small practice, invitation — ensuring ethical persuasion. The course emphasised that persuasion should support agency, not manipulate it, which became a core creative principle.
The course’s distinction between objective and interpretive research led to a mixed approach. Quantitative indicators are combined with qualitative feedback from workshops and content interactions. Each collection release functions as a micro-study, where insights inform the next iteration. Theory remains active — not as a fixed framework, but as a tool for generating and testing hypotheses.
The project translates academic theory into everyday practice. Meaning is tested, refined and adjusted through real user interaction.
Conclusion
«Nastya Ch.» demonstrates how communication theory can be applied directly to design, user experience and brand structure. The project treats theory as a practical tool that shapes visual language, interaction and tone. By connecting academic concepts with everyday gestures, the brand shows that meaning in design is created not through spectacle, but through attention, repetition and care.
Course «Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice»
Craig R. T. Communication Theory as a Field // Communication Theory. 1999. Vol. 9, no. 2. P. 119–161.
Fisher W. Narration as a Human Communication Paradigm: The Case of Public Moral Argument // Communication Monographs. 1984. Vol. 51, no. 1. P. 1–22.
Petty R. E., Cacioppo J. T. Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1986. 262 p.
McLuhan M. The Medium Is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects. New York: Bantam Books, 1967. 159 p.
Blumler J. G., McQuail D. Television in Politics: Its Uses and Influence. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969. 340 p.
Grunig J. E., Hunt T. Managing Public Relations. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984. 576 p.
Bormann E. G. Symbolic Convergence Theory: A Communication Formulation // Journal of Communication. 1972. Vol. 22, no. 4. P. 396–407.
Baudrillard J. For a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign. St. Louis: Telos Press, 1981. 288 p.
HSE Design. Brand Promotion Analysis of «Nastya» Scarves [Electronic resource]. Available at:https://hsedesign.ru/project/analiz-prodvizheniya-brenda-platkov-nasty-5728759814d04946af42775cc94165d9 (accessed: December 6, 2025).
HSE Design. Scarf Design Project [Electronic resource]. Available at:https://hsedesign.ru/project/8a6c69600f9344568cf488b3d8773e6a (accessed: December 6, 2025).
HSE Design. Campaign: Scarf Collection [Electronic resource]. Available at:https://hsedesign.ru/project/kampejn-s-mka-kollekcii-platkov-o-61aae7457b914dbf84b6be234e5f03e7 (accessed: December 6, 2025).
HSE Design. Nastya Scarf Brand Project [Electronic resource]. Available at:https://hsedesign.ru/project/brend-platkov-nastya-f4d0d03d59d34de7ab0a22c492b83e2b (accessed: December 6, 2025).
HSE Design. Scarf Branding Project [Electronic resource]. Available at:https://hsedesign.ru/project/7d28fbf5eec742b296d3d846b8223f20 (accessed: December 6, 2025).
Cherkasskaya N. YouTube Channel [Electronic resource]. Available at: https://youtube.com/@nastya_che_22 (accessed: December 6, 2025).
Cherkasskaya N. TikTok Account [Electronic resource]. Available at: https://www.tiktok.com/@nastya_cherkasskaya (accessed: December 6, 2025).
Cherkasskaya N. Telegram Channel [Electronic resource]. Available at:https://t.me/n_cherkasskaya (accessed: December 6, 2025).
Cherkasskaya N. VKontakte Profile [Electronic resource]. Available at:https://vk.com/n_cherkasskaya (accessed: December 6, 2025).
Cherkasskaya N. Pinterest Profile [Electronic resource]. Available at:https://pin.it/4yLCex5XG (accessed: December 6, 2025).
