All about Graphic Design

Are you curious about what graphic design really is?

Then you have come to the right place. You will get all information about Graphic Design here.

What is Graphic Design ?

Graphic design is the art or skill of combining texts, lines, shapes, colors, typography and pictures to form the design’s structure and convey its visual messages. The graphic design has been to improve the visual appearance and function of messages and information.

Types of Graphic Design

Graphic design is composed of many fields and specializations, ranging from print and web design to animation and motion graphics. Graphic design offers opportunities and options for individuals of almost any interest.
    If you’d asked someone 30 years ago to define graphic design, definitely their answer would have likely been focused on print-related examples like banner, poster, magazines, and advertisements. Now we’re living in the digital world, which has given birth to several new types of graphic design. Some types of graphic design are given below :

  • Brand Identity Design

A brand is a relationship between a business or organization and its audience. Therefore organizations have to communicate its personality, tone and essence, as well as memories, emotions and experiences through it’s branding. Brand identity is the face of a brand to communicate those intangible qualities through images, shapes and color. Therefore the identity of brands depends upon Graphic Designers.

  • Marketing and Advertising Design

Companies depend on successful marketing efforts to tap into their target audience’s decision-making process. Great marketing engages people based on the wants, needs, awareness and satisfaction they have about a product, service or brand. Since people will always find visual content more engaging, graphic design helps organizations promote and communicate more effectively. While traditionally print-centered, this type of design has grown to include more digital assets, especially for use in content marketing and digital advertising.

  • User Interface Design

A user interface (UI) is how a user interacts with a device or application. UI designer designs interfaces to make them easy to use and provide a user-friendly experience. UI design focuses on the user’s visual experience to balance aesthetic appeal with technical functionality and the design of on-screen graphic elements like buttons, menus, micro-interactions, and more.

  • Publication Graphic Design

Publications designs are books, newspapers, magazines, brochures, flyers, catalogs or any printed document that communicates with an audience through public distribution. However, there’s recently been a significant rise in digital publishing.

  • Packaging graphic design

Most of the products require packaging to protect and prepare them for storage, distribution, and sale. But packaging design can also communicate directly to consumers, which makes it an extremely valuable marketing tool. Every box, bottle and bag, can, container, or canister is a chance to tell the story of a brand.
    Packaging designers create concepts, develop mockups and create the print-ready files for a product. This requires expert knowledge of print processes and a keen understanding of industrial design and manufacturing. Because packaging design touches so many disciplines, it’s not uncommon for designers to find themselves creating other assets for a product such as photography, illustrations and visual identity.

  • Motion graphic design

Motion graphics means that graphics which are in motion. This can include animation, audio, typography, imagery, video and other effects that are used in online media, television and film. The medium’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years as technology improved and video content became king.

How to be a great Graphic Designer ?

Being a graphic designer you should have a great understanding of color theory and how vital the right choice of color scheme is. Color choices must reflect not only the organization but also users’ expectations. You should know how elements match the tone (e.g., sans-serif fonts for excitement or happiness). You also need to design for the overall effect, and note how you shape users’ emotions as you guide them from, for instance, a landing page to a call to action. You can enhance your designs usability in a flowing, seamless experience by anticipating the user’s needs and mindsets. With user psychology in mind, it’s important to stay focused on some especially weighty graphic design considerations.
Graphic designers should be also aware of the principles of design, which are essentially a set of guidelines that help a design achieve effective composition. These basic principles aid in creating balance and stability for the piece of work.

There are some principles of graphic design given below:
Balance – Balance is important because it provides structure and stability to a design. You can Achieve visual balance in graphic design by using symmetry and asymmetry. For example: balancing the design in weight – meaning shapes, lines, and other elements are distributed evenly. So even if the two sides of the design aren’t the exact same, they have similar elements.
Alignment – Alignment is a very important part of design. That means keeping the design aligned with the top, bottom, center, or sides to create a visual connection between the elements.
Proximity – Proximity creates a visual relationship between the elements of the design. It minimizes clutter, increases viewer comprehension, and provides a focal point for viewers. That means all elements should be connected visually.
Repetition – Once you’ve chosen how to use your elements, repeat those patterns to establish consistency throughout the design. This repetition ties together individual elements and strengthens the design but creates a feeling of organized movement.
Contrast – Contrasting is used to emphasize certain aspects of the design. Ultimately highlighting the key elements of your design that you want to stand out.

Eligibility to become Graphic Designer

Mentioned below are the eligibility criteria of a Graphic Designer. Check out the qualifications, skills and work experience required to be a successful Graphic Designer.

Qualification Required

  • Candidates must have any degree or diploma in Graphic Design

  • Students must have a wide understanding of Graphic Designing tools. Any certificate in the HTML, Photoshop, CSS or Web Design can act as an added advantage.

Skills

  • Creative Skills

  • Sound Communication Skills

  • IT Skills

  • Critical Thinking

  • Problem Solving Ability

  • Time- Management

  • Eye to Details

  • Knowledge of HTML, CSS, Photoshop etc.

Work Experience

  • Work experience is not required as long as you are creative, talented and capable.


Types of Graphic Designer

Agency Graphic Designer

Many companies hire graphic design agencies to handle their designs for them. So if you’re working as an agency graphic designer, chances are you’ll be receiving a creative brief from companies to work on projects for many different brands. If you’re working as an agency designer, you’re expected to be a design expert. Often times, agency graphic designers are very specialized in areas of graphic design.

In-house Graphic Designer

If you’re working as an in-house graphic designer, you’re employed by an established company and your work revolves around that single brand only. In this scenario, you’re more of a graphic design generalist so that you can meet all the creative needs of your organization.

Freelance Graphic Designer

Working as a freelance graphic designer is quite possibly the most difficult, in my opinion, because not only are you expected to handle all design requests, but you’re also responsible for running every aspect of your business. Sure, there are perks like working on your own time and in your own space, but you will need knowledge in more areas than just graphic design.

Best Graphic Design Books

We have compiled a list of some graphic design books here. These tried and tested books will help you re-conceptualize your design approach and push you forward towards innovative creativity.

1. Graphic Design For Everyone: Understand the Building Blocks so You can Do It Yourself

    (Author): Cath Caldwell                      Buy Now 
    All the key principles of graphic design are explained via a series of specially created, beautifully streamlined graphics that show, rather than tell, you what you need to know. In addition, detailed how-to demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and inspirational galleries of the best design will help you to achieve your aims, from creating a brand identity or setting the right mood by choosing the best typeface, to organizing the elements of a layout to boost your message and meaning.
    Ten step-by-step projects help you create your own bespoke designs - for websites, digital newsletters, e-commerce, invitations, posters, sales materials, and more. There's also plenty of practical advice, including tips on publishing online, dealing with printers, commissioning professionals, and finding free design tools.

2. Graphic Design (This book is in Hindi)

    (Author): Narendra Singh Yadav                      Buy Now 

3. Non-Designer's Design Book

    (Author): Robin Williams                      Buy Now 
Whether you’re a Mac user or a Windows user, a type novice, or an aspiring graphic designer, you will find the instruction and inspiration to approach any design project with confidence.
THIS ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO DESIGN WILL TEACH YOU
    • The four principles of design that underlie every design project
    • How to design with color
    • How to design with type
    • How to combine typefaces for maximum effect
    • How to see and think like a professional designer
    • Specific tips on designing newsletters, brochures, flyers, and other projects

4. Making and Breaking the Grid, Second Edition, Updated and Expanded:

    A Graphic Design Layout Workshop
    (Author): Rockport Publishers                      Buy Now 
With this book you will:
    • learn how grids work.
    • be inspired to explore new concepts for using—or not using—grids.
    • discover achievable alternatives for boring layouts.
    • get the results you want using fresh design elements.
    • learn designers’ processes via fascinating case studies.
    • see numerous examples of successful layouts created with and without grids.
    • communicate ideas effectively using visual language.

5. Interaction of Color – 50 Anniversary Edition: 50th Anniversary Edition

    (Author): Josef Albers, Nicholas Fox Weber                      Buy Now 
One of the most beautiful books in the world.... Interaction of color is not solely for artists, though generations of them certainly owe albers a debt. It is for anyone who wants to get under the Hood and understand why and how we see the world The way we do.... A visionary work."-Br>malcolm Jones, Newsweek "the publication of this famous book in paperback is an event... It is clearly written and easy to understand.... This book ought to be owned by any serious student or teacher, regardless of the kind of painting he does."-The artist "anyone who is teaching himself any aspect of design will be cheating himself and his students if he fails to come to grips with this book. 

6. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People (Voices That Matter)

    (Author): Susan Weinschenk                      Buy Now 
We design to elicit responses from people. We want them to buy something, read more, or take action of some kind. Designing without understanding what makes people act the way they do is like exploring a new city without a map: results will be haphazard, confusing, and inefficient. This book combines real science and research with practical examples to deliver a guide every designer needs. With it you’ll be able to design more intuitive and engaging work for print, websites, applications, and products that matches the way people think, work, and play.

7. Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills

    (Author): David Sherwin                      Buy Now 
    Within these pages, you'll find 80 creative challenges that will help you achieve a breadth of stronger design solutions, in various media, within any set time period. Exercises range from creating a typeface in an hour to designing a paper robot in an afternoon to designing web pages and other interactive experiences. Each exercise includes compelling visual solutions from other designers and background stories to help you increase your capacity to innovate.
    Creative Workshop also includes useful brainstorming techniques and wisdom from some of today's top designers. By road-testing these techniques as you attempt each challenge, you'll find new and more effective ways to solve tough design problems and bring your solutions to vibrant life.

Use of Graphic Design

There are countless ways to use graphic design to solve business problems or evoke inspiration. It’s up to you to determine what graphic design means to you and your future career. Graphic design can be used by companies to promote and sell products through advertising, by websites to convey complicated information in a digestible way through infographics, or by businesses to develop an identity through branding, among other things.
graphic design and web design have gone hand-in-hand. People read newspapers, magazines online. Grocery stores, hospitals, and other kinds of businesses and institutions have online presence. Therefore, graphic designers must create and maintain a consistent look and feel across many disciplines when designing anything.

Q & A

Q. What means Graphic Design ?

Ans: Graphic design is the art or skill of combining texts, lines, shapes, colors, typography and pictures to form the design’s structure and convey its visual messages. The graphic design has been to improve the visual appearance and function of messages and information.

Q. Is Graphic Design good ?

Ans: Yes, Graphic Design is on very demand at this time. If you want to earn extra money as a freelancer then it will help you, Otherwise if you want to set this as your career then it you will get job instantly.

Q. What does a graphic designer do ?

Ans: A graphic designer’s primary job is to improve the visual appearance and function of messages and information. To do this, graphic designers combine art and technology to produce end results that resonate with their target audience.

Q. How to be a great Graphic Designer ?

Ans: Being a graphic designer you should have a great understanding of color theory and how vital the right choice of color scheme is. Color choices must reflect not only the organization but also users’ expectations.

Q. Who can study Graphic Design ?

Ans: Being a graphic designer you should have a great understanding of color theory and how vital the right choice of color scheme is. Color choices must reflect not only the organization but also users’ expectations.

Q. I didn't complete my +2 . Can I do graphic design it's possible ?

Ans: Yes, you can do multimedia courses like certificate course or diploma course. It's Duration will be approx. 6 months for only graphic design. You will be able to do freelance work or get job in any small company. But you need to complete your +2 or Graduation to get job as a graphic designer in any MNC company.

Q. Do professional graphic designers use Canva ?

Ans: Professionals generally use Photoshop, Corel draw & Illustrator for Designing. These software's have various tools & options to create your designs more creative.
Canva isn't considered a professional tool, but that doesn't mean you can do professional level work on it. The tool itself doesn't merit the level of the designer.

External links
Read on Wikipedia about Graphic Design