So, what exactly is graphic design? Well, let’s start with simple. With graphic design there are two things: We have the ‘graphic’ part and the ‘design’ part.
Graphic
The graphic is visual, which is mainly associated with art, imagination, and expression involving many mediums such as drawing, painting, engraving, or lettering, given clear and explicit detail. The graphic part of graphic design is made up of visual elements which are the building blocks of design.
The basic visual elements that combine to create graphic design include the following:
Line
Lines, in graphic design, can be used for a wide range of purposes: stressing a word or phrase, connecting content, creating patterns, and more.
Shape
Shapes are a basic element in graphic design. They pertain to the figures and forms that are geometric, organic, or abstract making up all the other elements in the design. Geometric shapes like squares, triangles, and circles have certain meanings that define graphic design.
Space
Space is a design consideration that recognizes the importance of empty places in a design. In the context of architecture, space is a physical environment in which people live and work. In the case of visual 2D design, space is a way to create a sense of separation between elements that makes a design more visually appealing and usable.
Typography
Typography is the art of arranging letters and text in a way that makes the copy legible, clear, and visually appealing to the reader. Typography involves font style, appearance, and structure, which aims to elicit certain emotions and convey specific messages. In short, typography is what brings the text to life.
Typography is one of the most essential elements of graphic design. Typography is the art of arranging type to make all written language legible, readable and appealing when it is displayed. This can also affect everything from hierarchy to brand presence. Typography is vital to all visual design that includes any text.
Colour
Colour is used to generate emotions, define importance, create visual interest and unify brandingIMPORTANCE OF COLOUR CHOICE IN BRANDING
Do you know that a staggering 93% of consumers put appearance ahead of other factors when shopping and 85% put a color as their primary choice of the reason for purchase?
When choosing colors for a business product or brand – many factors need to be taken into account. Is the product fun or serious? Is the potential consumer young or old? Is the product or service you are selling a prestige product or perhaps something that needs to appeal to a mass-market? When initially thinking of a color scheme for your logo and branding, try and think about your potential customers and how you can appeal to them, rather than picking your personal preference when it comes to color. Your color schemes should be eye-catching but harmonious.
Colour harmony engages the viewer and creates an inner sense of order and a balance in the visual experience. When your branding is not harmonious, it’s either boring or chaotic. At one extreme, is a visual experience that is so bland that the viewer does not engage with it. At the other extreme is a visual experience that is so overdone, so chaotic that it is difficult for the viewer to engage with that image. The human brain rejects what it visually cannot organize or understand.
The visual task of designing a brand logo requires that a logical structure is presented to the viewer. Colour harmony delivers visual interest and this sense of order.
Texture
Form
Through the harness of our artistic expression, we choose these visual elements and arrange them on a surface in a layout to convey an idea.
Design
The second part is design, which is to decide upon the look and function of something before it is made. Design is thinking, problem-solving, and practicality. In graphic design there are rules that are to be considered and these rules are called ‘The Principles of Design’. All these principles have a relationship with each other and appear in every well-designed piece of work you see.A good grasp of design theory will mean there is always substance behind your work. The key principles of design are the following:
Contrast
Contrast occurs when two or more visual elements in a composition are different.
In design, we use contrast to generate impact, highlight the importance, create exciting graphics, and create visual interest and dynamics.
Alignment (like the name suggests) is all about organizing elements relative to a line or margin. This doesn’t have to be a literal line in your design; in fact, it’s usually an invisible margin implied by the way your design is arranged. The two basic alignment principles are edge alignment and center alignment. Each is essentially a different way of utilizing an invisible line.
Proximity
The principle of proximity it does not rocket science. The basic premise and the rules governing this principle are pretty straightforward. Here they are:
- Things that are related should be close together.
- Things that are unrelated should be further apart.
That’s it. Those are the basic precepts of proximity as a principle in graphic design. Yes, there are other rules of aesthetics and harmony we can examine, but these are the basic ideas that dictate the use of proximity. Proximity, therefore, is primarily a technique of organization. By grouping elements and information that belong together, and separating them from those that are unassociated, you provide a logical system of organization that lets the audience understand and locate the elements of the design that matter to them.
Simplicity
Simplicity is all the rage these days. It is a design philosophy that is championed by many successful companies and fans of those companies alike. Apple Inc., a highly successful multinational technology company, fights for simplicity in design. Steve Jobs, the late CEO of Apple, an American entrepreneur, and investor, once said:
“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
Hierarchy
Visual hierarchy is a pattern in the visual field wherein some elements tend to “stand out,” or attract attention, more strongly than other elements, suggesting a hierarchy of importance. While it may occur naturally in any visual field, the term is most commonly used in design (especially graphic design and Cartography), where elements are intentionally designed to make some look more important than others.
Balance
In design, balance is the notion that elements are symmetrical, which in turn creates harmony, order, and cohesion. Often found in nature, the concept often yields aesthetically pleasing results that are complete in our minds. On the other end of the spectrum, asymmetry is a break in balance and can lead to visually interesting results in return.
Repetition
In graphic design, repetition is the act of repeating the same or similar design elements and making them come together as a cohesive whole. This repetition can be done by repeating the same design elements in your design, like colors, fonts, lines, shapes, sizes, and texture, among others.
Function
When we bring both the visual elements and the design principles together we have a graphic design.Graphic design is not about making things look pretty or drawing, painting, creating a poster or a quick logo on your computer. These things are the means to the end and are skills in their own right.
Graphic design is:
The organisation and presentation of information developed through a creative process for a particular function.
In graphic design we must first understand information, a message, or a brief and then research, think, imagine, develop and create a solution or concept in order to communicate that information, story, message, or idea in a visual way.
It’s only when we have a solid idea, developed through the design process is when we can use our skills with layout, colour, typography and creative tools to bring that idea to life.
Once upon a time that would have been with just the aid of a pencil or paintbrush on paper but these days we also have cameras, computers and printers.
Since the invention of the print press which enabled reproduction on a mass scale, graphic design has been used to communicate and spread messages worldwide.
Through the evolution of technology, today we are surrounded by an abundance of visual communication. Today, graphic design is implemented across a broad spectrum of media both print and digital such as:
Advertising, Branding, Web Design, Interface Design, Magazine Layout, Paper Engineering and Packaging, TV, Motion Graphics, Infographics, Signage, Art and Installations, and Digital Art.
If you’re looking to pursue a career in graphic design, you will inevitably end up creating work across one of those sectors.
Over many decades in the past, graphic design has shaped culture through pop art, political art, and commercial art. Today graphic design has a big commercial side and used to sell and advertise things, but that’s not all it has to be.
The power of graphic design to inform, influence, and instruct on a commercial level can also be used to educate and inspire a generation.
Graphic design is the unity of two opposing forces:
artistic expression and practical application. As a graphic designer, these two forces will always be at odds with each other in your mind. When you can harness these two forces together in harmony, then you can create great visual communication.
So… that’s an introduction to what graphic design is for anyone who was not sure of what graphic design was all about.
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