10 TOP DEFINITIO

NS

OF GRAPHIC DESIG

N

WHAT IS

GRAPHIC DESIG

N?

Definition #1: Graphic Design is commercial art

• Graphic design is the intersection between art and commerce• Before the term “graphic design” existed, we were called

“commercial artists”• Commercial artist create work with a function (usually to persuade

or inform)

Definition #2: Graphic Design is visual communication

• “Design is thinking made visually” – Saul Bass• Graphic designers create products that visually communicate a

message to a specific audience• A Cover Girl ad selling make-up to women. A hospital form nurses fill out

to document important patient information.• A designer’s communication usually has a purpose• To sell a product, brand a company, promote a service, announce and

event, or even tell directions.

Definition #2 cont… Graphic Design is visual communication

• Like any language, visual language has many styles• A familiarity and understanding of different styles is required for a

visual communicator to be proficient• Style is the combination of distinctive features of an era (or person,

school, group, etc..)• These styles you will become familiar with in this course.

Definition #3: Graphic Design is marketing communication

• Most graphic designers serve marketing needs• If a company does not have a need to promote itself, then graphic

designers would not be needed• Graphic designers have a responsibility to produce work that meets

the client’s marketing need• The result of good marketing is…profit

Definition #4: Graphic Design is creative communication

• Graphic design is a creative endeavor• Good designers offer client solutions that are functional yet distinctive,

innovative, imaginative, and inspired• Creative endeavors have no predetermined outcome as there are

infinite solutions to every design problem.

Definition #5: Graphic Design is mass communication

• A graphic designer’s product is usually mass produced• A graphic design’s primary medium is print and web• Designers are increasingly producing work for electronic media

(Internet, television, DVDs, etc.)• Other types of mass communication are books, movies, television, etc.

Definition #6: Graphic Design is planned communication

• All designers plan out projects in a systematic form• All designers prepares detailed plans (process/thumbnails)• Designers make rational design decisions that can be justified and

measured• Designer are problem solvers• A good design is functional and effective

Definition #7: Graphic Design is a structured arrangement of type and images

• Graphic design is the arrangement of visual elements into a unified whole• Visual elements include: images, text and color.

• Good design gives order and hierarchy to visual information• A design is resolved when you can’t add, remove or alter an element to

improve it

Definition #8: Graphic Design is a collaborative process

• Graphic Designers do not work alone• Designers work on teams which include copywriters, other designers,

creative directors, pressmen, etc.• Designers also work with clients

Definition #8 cont.: Graphic Design is a collaborative process

• The collaborative process helps designers solve problems in a more creative manner

• The collaborative process often includes brainstorming many creative solutions in order to determine the best one

• Feedback, critiques and revisions are an important part of the collaborative process• Everyone thinks differently. Through the collaborative process the concept

is tested to make sure the message reaches the majority of the target audience

Definition #9: Graphic Design is a skilled craft

• Like all crafty people, designers make things• Making objects of quality requires discipline, study and practice• A good designer embraces the technology and materials one works

with (i.e. printing techniques, paper, ink, digital media)• Just because design is available to everyone, does not mean everyone is a

designer. Ask yourself this question: Would you let just anyone build you your dream house just because he/she has access to the equipment? Should be the same with graphic design.

Definition #10: Graphic Design is a business

• Graphic designers work in the service sector• Clients hire designers for their expertise• Designers work one-on-one with clients seeking solutions to visual

communication problems• Designers can either be freelance or work in-house for a salary

Graphic Design is POWERFUL

• Graphic design has the power to change the way people see the world• Designers produce mass market imagery that becomes part of our

collective consciousness• As stewards of pop culture, designers alter the landscape of what’s

“cool” and what’s not• Graphic design spreads knowledge!

Typical Graphic Design Projects

• Ads (print, outdoor) • Logos• Posters • CD/DVD Packages• Brochures • Package Design• Books • Broadcast graphics• Magazines • Film credits• Newspaper • Fonts• Infographic • Web sites

Top 8 Reasons

Why study graphic design history?

1. To build your visual vocabulary

• Writers learn words and grammar from reading• Designers learn visual vocabulary and design principles by looking at

art and designs• Studying the work of other designers throughout history will give you

a larger visual vocabulary• Since design is EVERYWHERE…understanding the history of design

will help you weed through good designs and bad designs.

2. To learn to see instead of just to look

• Too often we filter out what’s in front of us• By deconstructing other designers’ work, one can begin to understand

why things look the way they do• Learning to see involves isolating specific visual elements, styles and

techniques

3. To acquire good taste

• Painters study art history; musicians study music history, movie directors study film history; designers study design history

• The more you know about the traditions of design, the more you will be able to distinguish the good from the bad

• The ability to make judgments about visuals is called ‘visual literacy’

4. To acquire an understanding of style

• Style is “the way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed”

• In graphic design, style can also mean the “look and feel” of a piece

5. To begin to recognize “personal style”

• In art, “style” can also refer to a specific artist or designer’s signature look

• By studying influential designer’s work, one can begin to think about developing a personal signature style for ourselves• Even though not all of you will become designers, personal style is

reflected in your style of clothing, home décor, etc.

6. To be able to communicate better

• In mass communication, style is a transmission code, a means of signaling that a certain message is intended for a specific audience

• By studying design history, one begins to understand the dominant visual aesthetic of a particular period or time

• An understanding of styles and trends will allow you to manipulate visual forms to attract the right audience for a product, service or brand• For example, if a company was holding a “50’s Blast from the Past” party,

using contemporary images and typeface (fonts) would give the wrong impression of what the theme of the party is.

7. To become a better designer

• Only the best work by the most respected, will be preserved in history• Time has judged these designs to be worthy of preservation and

re-examination

8. Why reinvent the wheel?

• By studying what other designers before you have done, one can begin to appreciate and understand the innovations of the past

• Understanding the past might even help you predict the future• Past innovations are excellent sources of inspirations of new work