Communication strategy: Atoll — marine cosmetics
Rubrication
1. Design as a process of encoding meaning 2. Brand presentation — For general audience — For professional audience 3. Our way of developing stradegy
Design as a process of encoding meaning
Communication is a process of co-creating meaning through the exchange of symbols within a specific context. Throughout the course, we have come to the conclusion that design primarily operates with symbols: forms, colors, textures, typography, and composition. Any visual object becomes a message that is encoded by the designer and decoded by the audience. In order to predict and transform communicative processes, a structured explanation of reality is required. We do not simply rely on intuition or «feel» what makes a design appealing; instead, we draw on theoretical frameworks that allow us to consciously construct and manage brand meaning.
Within communication theory, two major groups of approaches that are directly connected to design can be identified: objective and interpretive theories. Objective theories are oriented toward the identification of regularities and the production of predictions. They provide insight into which design decisions can increase brand recognition and improve the perceived usefulness of a product. Interpretive theories, in contrast, focus on understanding meaning in context, making it possible to work with metaphors and with the necessary associations between a product and the needs of its audience.
The objective group of communication theories assumes the existence of a single objective reality that can be identified through universal laws. Such theories strive for simplicity, structure, and the testability of hypotheses, rely primarily on quantitative research methods, and are oriented toward practical application and the solution of specific communication problems.
Interpretive theories, in turn, assume that understanding reality does not have a single, pre-given structure but is constructed through the ongoing process of communication. Meaning is not transmitted in a finished form; rather, it is created by participants in interaction and depends on context, culture, experience, and values.
The semiotic tradition of communication, as presented in Robert Craig’s classification, belongs to the interpretive group of theories. Within this tradition, communication is understood as a process of creating and sharing meaning through signs and symbols. Meaning does not exist independently and is not expressed directly; instead, it is always mediated through sign systems such as images, visual elements, and symbols. The semiotic tradition emphasizes that the same signs can be interpreted differently depending on cultural context and the personal experience of communication participants. Therefore, it does not guarantee a single, unambiguous understanding of the meaning embedded in symbols.
The Atoll brand operates in a field where meaning cannot be reduced to functional benefits alone. Skincare is closely connected to bodily experience, perception, and cultural associations of nature, purity, and care.
Therefore, an interpretive communication approach was chosen, as it allows meaning to emerge through visual signs rather than being transmitted directly.
From this perspective, communication is understood not as the transmission of information, but as a process of meaning-making.
Brand presentation
According to communication theory, meaning is not transmitted as a finished message but constructed by the audience in the process of interpretation.
This principle defines the visual language of Atoll, where natural processes function as signs and invite interpretation rather than explanation.
For general audience
Atoll — line of Israeli mineral skincare products based on the salt, mud, and water of the Dead Sea.
The brand produces a range of products, including mineral soaps, scrubs, mud masks, bath salts and bath bombs, toning creams, serums, exfoliants, and scrub gels.
Living in a climate with intense sunlight and strong winds places constant stress on the skin, leading to dehydration, flaking, pigmentation, and photoaging. These effects are not limited to Israel: cities around the world with hot summers, dry air, and high levels of UV radiation create the same challenges.
The minerals and salt of the Dead Sea are close in composition to human blood plasma, allowing them to penetrate the skin easily, accelerate regeneration, and support the skin’s water–mineral balance. Dead Sea water is hypoallergenic and suitable for different skin types. Atoll transforms this natural resource into an everyday ritual: gentle yet mineral-rich formulas that restore the skin’s elasticity and comfort.
Atoll is a gentle yet effective mineral skincare line that helps the skin rise above the effects of heat, wind, and sun exposure.
What Atoll communicates?
Atoll communicates care not as an instant result, but as a gradual and natural process.
The brand avoids aggressive promises and instead emphasizes time, transformation, and interaction with natural elements.
For professional audience
Who?
Atoll is a line of Israeli skincare mineral cosmetics based on salt, mud and Dead Sea water. --------------------------------------------------------Our products:
Mineral soap, scrubs, mud masks, bath salts and bombs, tonic creams, serums, peelings and scrub gels. --------------------------------------------------------What problem are we solving?
Living in a climate with scorching sun and wind is a constant stress for the skin: dryness, peeling, pigmentation, photoaging. These effects are not only familiar to residents of Israel: cities with hot summers, dry air and high levels of UV radiation around the world pose the same challenges. --------------------------------------------------------Our solution:
Minerals and Dead Sea salt are close in composition to human blood plasma and easily penetrate the skin, accelerating regeneration and maintaining water-mineral balance. Dead Sea water is hypoallergenic and suitable for different skin types. Atoll turns this natural resource into a daily ritual: gentle yet mineral-rich formulas that restore skin’s firmness and comfort. --------------------------------------------------------Who we’re talking to?
• Women 25-45 years old living in hot/dry climates or frequently exposed to the sun. • Women with a tendency to pigmentation, photoaging and peelingSemiotic system of the brand:
• Salt crystals function as signs of natural transformation and renewal • Stains and textures represent traces of interaction and time • Muted color palette communicates calmness and tactility • Minimal typography reduces verbal dominance in favor of visual meaning
Within this communication model, the designer does not control meaning directly.
Instead, the designer creates conditions in which meaning can emerge through interaction between visual signs and the audience’s experience.
Atoll is a gentle but effective mineral care that helps the skin «float» above the effects of heat, wind and sun. Here comes the metaphor of «floating up» that directly related to the experience of swimming in the Dead Sea (with a lot of salt that pushes your body up) and to the logo, in which the letters seem to emerge from the water.
wet watercolor + salt = salt stains
The visual style was based on the idea of crystallization and salt stains on watercolor paper, directly referring to the nature of the product and helping to read the mood of the brand. The result was the interweaving of salt patterns into the visual language of the brand, allowing for the creation of a unique style and pattern that has become rooted in the brand name and has become its recognizable feature.
Formation of packaging: «salt mushrooms» as an object language.
salt crystallization process = salt stains
Our way of developing stradegy
In order to build an effective communication strategy for our brand Atoll, we studied the theory presented in the online course and selected several key topics as the conceptual foundation for the strategy.
Since our brand is oriented toward creating a dialogue between the consumer and the product through metaphors, symbols, and non-verbal imagery, the most relevant theoretical frameworks for our work are:
Semiotic Tradition
- Advertising and branding operate through systems of signs that convey meaning without stating it explicitly.
- Crystalline salt formations and so-called «salt mushrooms» found on the shores of the Dead Sea create iconic visual images: the viewer immediately associates them with minerals, crystallinity, and natural origin.
- The watercolor technique using wet salt transforms this natural process into abstract visual textures, which become a distinctive visual pattern of the brand.
The initial metaphor of floating in the Dead Sea is also transferred into the logo.
- The word «atoll» refers to an island in the sea — a protected space where recovery and restoration are possible. - Rounded letterforms with a subtle cut at the bottom, as if partially submerged in water, convey the idea of a floating object — similar to the human body that does not sink in the Dead Sea but gently stays on the surface.
Politeness Theory
The brand demonstrates sensitivity to the audience’s face: we do not shame people for skin-related issues but instead support and normalize their experience.
Packaging — the closest point of embodied, tactile interaction between the product and the consumer In-store visual elements — slow, contemplative perception within a physical context Posters — a form of unobtrusive presence in public space Digital visual elements — fragmented, scroll-based perception in digital environments
Thus, our communication strategy is aimed at building calm, trust-based relationships with the audience through visual communication that emphasizes natural processes rather than direct persuasion.
Material from the Communication Theory course (date of access 04.12.2025)
Студенческое портфолио URL: https://portfolio.hse.ru/Project/201552 (date of access 10.12.2025).
