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.pdfin publications, and often consult with copywriters on any text that may accompany the visual part of the design. Designers then present the completed design to their clients or art or creative director for approval. In printing and publishing firms, graphic designers also may assist the printers by selecting the type of paper and ink for the publication and reviewing the mock-up design for errors before final publication.
Graphic designers use a variety of graphics and computer software to assist in their designs. Designers creating Web pages or other interactive media designs also will use computer animation and programming packages. Computer software programs allow ease and flexibility in exploring a greater number of design alternatives, thus reducing design costs and cutting the time it takes to deliver a product to market.
Graphic designers sometimes supervise assistants who carry out their creations. Designers who run their own businesses also may devote a considerable amount of time to developing new business contacts, examining equipment and space needs, and performing administrative tasks, such as reviewing catalogues and ordering samples. The need for up-to-date computer and communications equipment is an ongoing consideration for graphic designers.
Graphic designers create books, websites, magazines, film titles, catalogs, typefaces, signage systems, television graphics, posters and postcards. From complex identity programs to single logos, graphic designers give a face and a
“visual voice” to retail and cultural enterprises, to entertainment, manufacturing and service industries, governmental and political interests.
Simply put, graphic designers give meaningful visual form to content in all media: from print to screen; business cards to billboards; computer interfaces to movies screens. But the most critical skill graphic designers offer is their unique ability to communicate specific messages through the artful manipulation of typography and images, systems and structures. Their work promotes, educates, directs, informs, exposes, clarifies, beautifies and delights.
Working Conditions
Working conditions and places of employment vary. Graphic designers employed by large advertising, publishing, or design firms generally work regular hours in well-lighted and comfortable settings. Designers in smaller design consulting firms, or those who freelance, generally work on a contract, or job, basis. They frequently adjust their workday to suit their clients' schedules and deadlines. Consultants and self-employed designers tend to work longer hours and in smaller, more congested, environments.
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Designers may transact business in their own offices or studios or in clients' offices. Designers who are paid by the assignment are under pressure to please clients and to find new ones in order to maintain a steady income. All designers sometimes face frustration when their designs are rejected or when their work is not as creative as they wish. Graphic designers may work evenings or weekends to meet production schedules, especially in the printing and publishing industries where deadlines are shorter and more frequent.
WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN?
Suppose you want to announce or sell something, amuse or persuade someone, explain a complicated system or demonstrate a process. In other words, you have a message you want to communicate. How do you “send” it? You could tell people one by one or broadcast by radio or loudspeaker. That’s verbal communication. But if you use any visual medium at all — if you make a poster; type a letter; create a business logo, a magazine ad, or an album cover; even make a computer printout — you are using a form of visual communication called graphic design.
Graphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computergenerated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads; in books, magazines, and menus; and even on computer screens. Designers create, choose, and organize these elements — typography, images, and the so-called “white space” around them — to communicate a message. Graphic design is a part of your daily life. From humble things like gum wrappers to huge things like billboards to the T-shirt you’re wearing, graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention and provides pleasure.
Graphic design is a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas. The designer works with a variety of communication tools in order to convey a message from a client to a particular audience. The main tools are image and typography.
Image-based design
Designers develop images to represent the ideas their clients want to communicate. Images can be incredibly powerful and compelling tools of communication, conveying not only information but also moods and emotions. People respond to images instinctively based on their personalities, associations, and previous experience. For example, you know that a chili pepper is hot, and this knowledge in combination with the image creates a visual pun.
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In the case of image-based design, the images must carry the entire message; there are few if any words to help. These images may be photographic, painted, drawn, or graphically rendered in many different ways. Image-based design is employed when the designer determines that, in a particular case, a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.
Type-based design
In some cases, designers rely on words to convey a message, but they use words differently from the ways writers do. To designers, what the words look like is as important as their meaning. The visual forms, whether typography (communication designed by means of the printed word) or handmade lettering, perform many communication functions. They can arrest your attention on a poster, identify the product name on a package or a truck, and present running text as the typography in a book does. Designers are experts at presenting information in a visual form in print or on film, packaging, or signs.
When you look at an “ordinary” printed page of running text, what is involved in designing such a seemingly simple page? Think about what you would do if you were asked to redesign the page. Would you change the typeface or type size?
Would you divide the text into two narrower columns? What about the margins and the spacing between the paragraphs and lines? Would you indent the paragraphs or begin them with decorative lettering? What other kinds of treatment might you give the page number? Would you change the boldface terms, perhaps using italic or underlining? What other changes might you consider, and how would they affect the way the reader reacts to the content? Designers evaluate the message and the audience for type-based design in order to make these kinds of decisions.
Image and type
Designers often combine images and typography to communicate a client’s message to an audience. They explore the creative possibilities presented by words (typography) and images (photography, illustration, and fine art). It is up to the designer not only to find or create appropriate letterforms and images but also to establish the best balance between them.
Designers are the link between the client and the audience. On the one hand, a client is often too close to the message to understand various ways in which it can be presented. The audience, on the other hand, is often too broad to have any direct impact on how a communication is presented. What’s more, it is usually difficult to make the audience a part of the creative process. Unlike client and audience, graphic designers learn how to construct a message and how to present it successfully. They work with the client to understand the content and the purpose of the message. They often collaborate with market researchers and
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other specialists to understand the nature of the audience. Once a design concept is chosen, the designers work with illustrators and photographers as well as with typesetters and printers or other production specialists to create the final design product.
Symbols, logos and logotypes
Symbols and logos are special, highly condensed information forms or identifiers. Symbols are abstract representation of a particular idea or identity.
The CBS “eye” and the active “television” are symbolic forms, which we learn to recognize as representing a particular concept or company. Logotypes are corporate identifications based on a special typographical word treatment. Some identifiers are hybrid, or combinations of symbol and logotype. In order to create these identifiers, the designer must have a clear vision of the corporation or idea to be represented and of the audience to which the message is directed.
BUSINESS CARDS DESIGN
Whether you are a freelancer or you own your own design firm, it is crucial to have business cards for your graphic design business. First we are going to look at the advantages of having a card, and then move on to the decisions that have to be made and the actual design process.
The most obvious reason for having a graphic design business card is to be able to easily provide your contact information to potential clients and employers.
You don’t want to be left in a situation where you are promoting your business, and then searching for a scrap of paper to jot down your phone number, email address and website. Having your card on you at all times will insure that you are providing people with clear and accurate information. It is important to look professional and legitimate, and a business card is the first step.
A business card serves as a mini portfolio. It is the first example of your design work that you are showing potential clients. The design and message of the card itself can make it stick in people’s minds and convince them to contact you for their next big project. The card should reflect your own personal style, so people have a tiny glimpse into your work that makes them want to see more. This is not to say a simple card cannot do the trick, but even a basic design can have the small touches that impress your next client.
Before working on the actual design of the card, decide what you want to include on it. Most commonly, a graphic design business card will include any of the following:
Company Name.
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Logo.
Slogan.
Your Name (if different from company name).
Title or Description of Work Provided (i.e. Web and Print Design).
Phone Number.
Fax Number.
Email Address.
Website Portfolio Address.
Mailing Address.
Having all of these content items on your card would most likely be overwhelming and crowded on the small space of a card. Only include what is essential. Along with these items, consider including a message that will speak to your target audience.
You don’t necessarily need to choose a printer before you design the card.
However, it may be helpful in that you can see the size, paper and other printing options early on in the design process. Which printer you choose may be based on their costs or options such as papers and sizes. Perhaps one of the easiest options is to go with an online printer. Online printers often offer low-cost options for
business card printing. Most will send free samples at your request, so be sure the quality is what you are looking for at your budget. Most will also provide templates for popular graphics software such as Illustrator, making the design process easier.
The standard business card is 2 inches tall by 3.5 inches wide. This is often the best choice, as it will fit in business card holders and match up with other business cards, and will often have the lowest printing cost. Perhaps you have a design in mind that will work best on a square or round card. Most printers do provide a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as custom die-cuts. Just remember that while you may want to make a statement with a fancy shape, a card should be convenient, both for you to carry and for others to take, and hopefully keep. Don’t make the mistake of choosing form over function. Choosing the standard size but with rounded or angled corners can be a nice touch and compromise. At this point, you should also decide if the card will be one or two-sided. With the low costs of online printers, it is possible to get a full-color, two-sided card at a good rate.
Before completing your business card project, you will also have to choose a paper. This decision will often be limited by what your printer of choice provides. Common choices are glossy and matte finish at different weights such as 14pt. Again, getting samples from printers can help with this decision.
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Treat this design as you would a project for your top client. Now that you’ve collected your content and determined the document size, move on to some preliminary sketches. Figure out where each element will appear on the card. Do you want one side to be just your logo, with contact information on the back? Do you want a clever marketing message on one side and all company information on the other? Sketch out your ideas to help make these important decisions.
Once you have a concept or two that you like, it’s time to create the actual design. Adobe Illustrator is one of the best software tools for business card design, because of how well it handles type and other design elements. Check with your printer to see what file formats they accept, and use their templates whenever possible to insure the process goes smoothly. Be sure your document layout is properly prepared for printing. Once the design is complete, the files must be delivered to your printer. While there may be an extra cost, it may pay to get a proof of your design, which allows you to see the layout and quality before going ahead with the full print job.
ELEMENTS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN
The elements of graphic design are used, and often combined, to create graphic works. They should not be confused with principles of design, such as balance and white space, but rather components such as color, type and images. Presented here is a list of the most commonly used elements in graphic design.
Shapes: from ancient pictographs to modern logos, shapes are at the root of design. They are used to establish layouts, create patterns, and build countless elements on the page. With graphics software such as Illustrator, creating and manipulating shapes is easier than ever, giving designers the freedom to create them at will.
Lines are used to divide space, direct the eye, and create forms. At the most basic level, straight lines are found in layouts to separate content, such as in magazine, newspaper, and website designs. This can of course go much further, with curved, dotted, and zigzag lines used as the defining elements on a page and as the basis for illustrations and graphics. Often, lines will be implied, meaning other elements of design will follow the path of line, such as type on a curve.
Color is an interesting element of graphic design because it can be applied to any other element, changing it dramatically. It can be used to make an image stand out, to show linked text on a website, and to evoke emotion. Graphic designers should combine their experience with color with an understanding of color theory.
Type, of course, is all around us. In graphic design, the goal is not to just place some text on a page, but rather to understand and use it effectively for
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communication. Choice of fonts (typefaces), size, alignment, color, and spacing all come into play. Type can be taken further by using it to create shapes and images.
Art, Illustration & Photography: a powerful image can make or break a design. Photographs, illustrations and artwork are used to tell stories, support ideas, and grab the audience's attention, so the selection is important. Graphic designers can create this work on their own, commission an artist or photographer, or purchase it at all price levels on many websites.
Texture can refer to the actual surface of a design or to the visual appearance of a design. In the first case, the audience can actually feel the texture, making it unique from the other elements of design. Selection of paper and materials in package design can affect actual texture. In the second case, texture is implied through the style of design. Rich, layered graphics can create visual texture that mirrors actual texture.
ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC DESIGN TOOL
There are several tools that are essential to graphic design. Below is a list of what is absolutely necessary to work in graphic design, as well as some things that are recommended.
In today's design world, a computer is essential. It will be both your design tool and your business tool. Using graphics software, you will create illustrations, work with type, touch-up photos and complete layouts. The major decision here is what computer to get, and this generally starts with deciding between a Mac and PC.
Graphics and business-related software are also a key to your success. Some products, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, focus on the creative end of design. Other packages, such as project management or time tracking software, will help you stay organized and manage the business end of design.
It's very helpful to build up your own small library of graphic design books. Some should be for inspiration, some for technical help, and others to assist you on the business side of design.
While you're most likely to use a computer to complete a design, you don't have to start with one. Sketching out ideas is a great way to begin a project and brainstorm, and can be much quicker than mocking something up on a computer. It's also important to always keep a small sketchpad or notepad handy, as you can forget a great idea as fast as you thought of it.
Other Creative Professionals
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While you may not think of them as a “tool”, knowing other designers, illustrators, web developers, photographers and other creatives is extremely important for three reasons:
It's not easy to critique yourself. Get opinions on your work and encourage constructive criticism to push your work to a higher level.
Having others around to brainstorm with can bring about the best ideas.
As you get projects that are more involved, you will need people to collaborate with. Find a group of people you can trust with different skillsets than your own so you can work on projects together.
These essential tools will help you get started, and grow, in a career in graphic design. All you need to do now is to combine them with your creativity!
THE GRAPHIC DESIGN PROCESS
When starting a new design project, there are steps of the graphic design process to follow that will help you to achieve the best results. Rather than jump right into a graphics software program to try to create a final version, you can save yourself time and energy by first researching the topic, finalizing your content, starting with simple sketches and getting several rounds of approval on designs.
Gather Information
Before you can start a project you of course need to know what your client needs. Gathering information is the first step of the graphic design process. When approached for a new job, set up a meeting to discuss the scope of the work. Be sure to gather as much information as possible:
Aside from the product your client needs (such as a logo or a website), ask questions such as:
Who is the audience?
What is the message?
How many pages is the piece?
What are the dimensions?
Is there a specific budget?
Is there a deadline for completion?
Can the client provide examples of design they like?
Is there an existing corporate brand that needs to be matched?
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Take detailed notes, which you can use later for the next step of the design process.
Create an Outline
Using the information collected in your meeting you'll be able to develop an outline of the content and goal of the project, which you can present to your client for approval before proceeding. For a website, include all of the major sections and the content for each. Include the dimensions and technical specifications for print or web work as well. Present this outline to your client, and ask for any changes. Once this is finalized, you know you are in agreement on what the piece will include and can proceed to the next step of the graphic design process.
NOTE: It is at this time that you would provide a proposal to your client as well, including the cost and timeframe for the work, but here we are focusing on the design process.
Harness Your Creativity!
Design should be creative! Before moving on to the design itself (don't worry, that's next) take some time to think about creative solutions for the project. You can use the client's examples of favorite work as guidelines for what they like and don't like, but your goal should be to come up with something new and different that will separate them from the rest (unless of course they specifically asked to fit in). Ways to get the creative juices flowing include:
Brainstorming: Get together with a group and throw out any and all ideas.
Visit a museum: Get inspired by the originals.
Read a book: Something as small as a color or shape in a graphic design book could spark a completely original idea.
Take a walk: Sometimes its best to get outside and watch the world...you never know what will spark your imagination.
Draw: Even if you're not an “artist”, doodle some ideas on a page.
Once you have some ideas for the project it's time to start creating a structured layout.
Sketches and Wireframes
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Before moving into a software program such as Illustrator or InDesign, it is helpful to create some simple sketches of the layout of a piece. This way, you can show your client some ideas without spending too much time on design. Find out if you are headed in the right direction by providing quick sketches of logo concepts, line drawings of layouts showing where elements will be placed on the page or even a quick handmade version of a package design. For web design, wireframes are a great way to start with your page layouts.
Design Multiple Versions
Now that you've done your research, finalized your content and gotten approval on some sketches you can move on to the actual design phases of the graphic design process. While you may knock out the final design in one shot, it's usually a good idea to present your client with at least two versions of a design. You can agree on how many unique versions are included in a job in your proposal. This gives the client some options and allows you to combine their favorite elements from each.
TIP: Be sure to keep even the versions or ideas that you choose NOT to present and that you might not even like at the time, as you never know when they'll come in handy.
Revisions
Be sure to let your client know that you encourage “mixing and matching” the designs you provide. They may like the background color on one design and the font choices on another. From their suggestions you can present a second round of design. Don't be afraid to give your opinion on what looks best after all, you're the designer! After this second round, it isn't uncommon to have a couple more rounds of changes before reaching a final design.
Stick to the Steps
When following these steps, be sure to finish each one before moving on to the next. If you conduct solid research, you know you can create an accurate outline. With an accurate outline, you have the information necessary to sketch out some ideas. With the approval of these ideas, you can move on to create the actual design, which once revised, will be your final piece. That's much better than having a client say “Where's the Logo?” after the work is already done!
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