Discovering the Different Types of Graphic Design: A Comprehens…

A world without design? — How would the earth function without design? Growing up in the digital age, I had no idea about the importance of art, the little creative pieces of detail that we see all around us. For example, the wildlife painting at a local store, the graphic outline of my favorite blog post, the body of a bar soap, the local newspaper, the architecture of my home, and the list goes on. Of course, these are not limited to their physical features alone but also the capability to functionality. Let’s dive deep into what a design is;

According to the International Council Of Design, “Design is a discipline of study and practice focused on the interaction between a person — a ‘user’ — and the man-made environment, taking into account aesthetic, functional, contextual, cultural and societal considerations. As a formalized discipline, design is a modern construct.” There is no design if it doesn’t satisfy a need, if it doesn’t have a function and if it is not pleasing to one’s eyes. Good designs play a crucial role in capturing the attention of the audience and conveying information effectively. Whether it’s creating a stunning website, designing a captivating logo, or developing an engaging user experience, digital design has become an essential skill in every industry and will forever be timeless.

But first, why design? Whether you are a budding designer or simply interested in understanding the creative process behind digital creations, this article will guide you through the fundamentals of digital design and inspire you to create visually impactful experiences.

The design aims to talk without speaking, to guide with no manual, and to amuse and inspire. Communication is an important part of our day-to-day lives. Good designs aim to ease the process of communication and eliminate confusion by conveying messages quickly and ensuring effective and efficient delivery which can be done through the use of images, colors, Typography, etc.

Designs always have a role to play, it helps to define and shape a product to meet a user’s needs. Ever wondered how frustrating life would be if you went home after a long day at work just to end up sleeping on a hard rock for a mattress? Or a home with no roofing structure? Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be you either. The design process includes studying and researching to improve the quality of living while ensuring it is aesthetically pleasing to its target audience.

After meeting the needs of the consumer, a good design is persuasive, it leaves you coming back for more. It makes one yearn for the experience, thereby attracting loyal customers due to its ease of use. Let’s imagine an insecticide in the construct of a body wash, how would that even work? This is exactly the power a good design holds.

Design is a broad and diverse field that encompasses a wide range of disciplines and specialties. From graphic design to industrial design, countless types of design play a vital role in shaping the products and services we interact with every day. Understanding the different types of design can not only help professionals in the field enhance their skills and knowledge, but it can also provide valuable insights for individuals seeking design services or considering a career in the industry. Now that we’ve established what a design is and its relative importance in our day-to-day lives. Let’s explore the dynamic world of digital design and how to identify them.

According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, “Graphics Design is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content.” It is an art as much as it is a science and is calculated. Graphic design focuses on the display of different elements to mold a user’s experience visually. Using a human-centered approach aims to solve problems and communicate ideas by focusing on the user or target audience.

As the heading says, this is all about using a defined set of elements to capture the company/Organization/Brand’s unique identity, goals, mission, and vision to portray the best image possible to its customer. A brand’s identity is what makes them instantly recognizable, it pledges loyalty from customers thereby creating a life-long partnership. A brand’s design is also a great form of marketing and advertising. For example, McDonald’s; An American multinational fast food chain with its symbolic “Golden Arches” logo and word mark of “I’m lovin’ It”.

It is the responsibility of the brand designer to convey the company’s feelings and image through visual elements in collaboration with the marketing team and the client(s). The designer is in charge of:

Making qualitative and quantitative research on the company’s target audience and their competitors

Exploring User Personas and picking a focus.

Choosing a color palette and graphic elements

Designing Brand logos and marketing materials.

Brand designers start with rough drawings using a pencil and a sketchpad or make use of Sketch, a software that enables you to sketch your original ideas digitally and then convey these ideas to other digital software like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, and Affinity Designer. Though having the skill set in the aforementioned software is not a necessity, it does give you an edge above others, a complete package.

Illustration is a form of art that is used to convey and communicate emotions through digital designs, it is used to explain complex concepts and ideas in vector forms. With illustration design, there is no limit to how far you can go as a creative individual whether it be for fun or considering a career in it.

In the commercial feed, illustration design is a highly sought-after skill in the fields of comics and graphic novels, storyboarding, cartoons, etc. Illustration designers aim to expose their minds and make the world see from a different point of view. They use software such as Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, Inkscape, and Krita which are built for this purpose.

Motion design can be simply put as the process of using graphic elements and illustrations to create movement. It aims to communicate with the audience to pass a message. Motion design came to be as a result of digital technology innovations over the years, from dimension motion (Length only) and Two-dimensional motion perspective (Length and Width) to Three dimension motion (Length, Width, and Height), and Four dimension motion (Length, Width, Height and Time) it has become one of the rapidly growing fields in the world of design and entertainment. It is very calculated and very precise.

Motion design adds depth to our everyday life from company branding and advertisement to creating awareness with storytelling. It is a form of media outlet, captivating its audience with words, voice-overs, music, and simple or complex interactions.

Starting with an elementary tool, Adobe PhotoShop for all designers, a motion designer strides comfortably between Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Cinema 4D, and Maya.

User interface and experience design is a design path that focuses on website and mobile applications solely but can be found traced to our everyday lives. The User interface design is everything you can see, it is the first point of interaction between a user and a digital device or product to guide the user. It encompasses all visual interactive elements of an interface such as buttons, icons, typography, color, spacing, and overall, a responsive design while the User Experience Design focuses all on the user, it defines the experience of the user creating a user flow that is simple, unique, captivating and accessible.

The user interface and user experience design go hand-in-hand and individuals who decide to go down this path have a huge role to play in creating a user-centered design that is accessible, enjoyable, and persuades and communicates, they use software such as Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD, InVision and ProtoIo. Ui/Ux Designers conduct research using user personas, user journey maps, etc, to further allow them to understand the users’ needs and priorities.

Life is run by principles and designs are no exception, Graphic design runs on some basic principles like Contrast, Balance, Emphasis, Proportion, Hierarchy, Repetition, Rhythm, Pattern, White space, Movement, Variety, and Unity.

Design is a broad and diverse field that encompasses a wide range of disciplines and specialties. From graphic design to industrial design, countless types of design play a vital role in shaping the products and services we interact with every day. Understanding the different types of design can not only help professionals in the field enhance their skills and knowledge, but it can also provide valuable insights for individuals seeking design services or considering a career in the industry.