Graphic Design
Graphic Design
Graphic Design
1 History
Main article: History of graphic design
While Graphic Design as a discipline has a relatively re-
Graphic design is the methodology of visual communication, and problem-solving through the use of type,
space and image. The eld is considered a subset of visual
communication and communication design, but sometimes the term graphic design is used interchangeably
with these due to overlapping skills involved. Graphic designers use various methods to create and combine words,
symbols, and images to create a visual representation of
ideas and messages. A graphic designer may use a combination of typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to produce a nal result. Graphic design often
refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which
are generated.
Page from the Book of Kells: Folio 114v, Decorated text. Tunc
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HISTORY
1.1
1.2
The signage in the London Underground is a classic design example[8] of the modern era and used a typeface
designed by Edward Johnston in 1916.
In the 1920s, Soviet constructivism applied 'intellectual production' in dierent spheres of production. The
movement saw individualistic art as useless in revolutionary Russia and thus moved towards creating objects
In 1849, Henry Cole became one of the major forces in for utilitarian purposes. They designed buildings, theater
design education in Great Britain, informing the govern- sets, posters, fabrics, clothing, furniture, logos, menus,
ment of the importance of design in his Journal of Design etc.
and Manufactures. He organized the Great Exhibition as Jan Tschichold codied the principles of modern typoga celebration of modern industrial technology and Victo- raphy in his 1928 book, New Typography. He later rerian design.
pudiated the philosophy he espoused in this book as beFrom 1891 to 1896, William Morris' Kelmscott Press
published books that are some of the most signicant
of the graphic design products of the Arts and Crafts
movement, and made a very lucrative business of creating books of great stylistic renement and selling them to
the public. Morris created a market for works of graphic
design in their own right to create a profession for this
new type of art for aspiring individuals who wish to earn
a living through these skills. The work of the Kelmscott Press is characterized by its obsession with historical styles. This historicism was, however, important as
it amounted to the rst signicant reaction to the stale
state of nineteenth-century graphic design. Morris work,
along with the rest of the Private Press movement, directly inuenced Art Nouveau and is indirectly responsible for developments in early twentieth century graphic
design in general.[5]
3
applied them to popular advertising and logo design, helping to create a uniquely American approach to European
minimalism while becoming one of the principal pioneers
of the subset of graphic design known as corporate identity; and Josef Mller-Brockmann, who designed posters
in a severe yet accessible manner typical of the 1950s and
1970s era.
The growth of the professional graphic design industry has grown in parallel with the rise of consumerism.
This has raised some concerns and criticisms, notably
from within the graphic design community with the First
Things First manifesto. First launched by Ken Garland in
1964, it was re-published as the First Things First 2000
manifesto in 1999 in the magazine Emigre 51[10] stating
We propose a reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication - a
mindshift away from product marketing and toward the
exploration and production of a new kind of meaning.
The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged
by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design.[11] Both editions
attracted signatures from respected design practitioners
and thinkers, for example; Rudy VanderLans, Erik Spiekermann, Ellen Lupton and Rick Poynor. The 2000 manifesto was also notably published in Adbusters, known for
its strong critiques of visual culture.
Applications
Color
From road signs to technical schematics, from interofce memorandums to reference manuals, graphic design enhances transfer of knowledge and visual messages.
From scientic journals to news reporting, the presentation of opinion and facts is often improved with graphics and thoughtful compositions of visual information known as information design. Newspapers, magazines,
blogs, television and lm documentaries may use graphic
design to inform and entertain. With the advent of the
web, information designers with experience in interactive
tools such as Adobe Flash are increasingly being used to
illustrate the background to news stories.
SKILLS
Skills
glyphs (characters) are created and modied using a variety of illustration techniques. The arrangement of type is
A graphic design project may involve the stylization the selection of typefaces, point size, tracking (the space
and presentation of existing text and either preexisting between all characters used), kerning (the space between
imagery or images developed by the graphic designer. two specic characters), and leading (line spacing).
Artistic pieces can be incorporated in both traditional and Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors,
digital form, which involves the use of visual arts, typog- typographers, graphic artists, art directors, and clerical
raphy, and page layout techniques for publications and workers. Until the Digital Age, typography was a spemarketing. For example, a newspaper story begins with cialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography
the journalists and photojournalists and then becomes the to new generations of visual designers and lay users.
graphic designers job to organize the page into a reason- [13]
able layout and determine if any other graphic elements
should be required. In a magazine article or advertisement, often the graphic designer or art director will commission photographers or illustrators to create original
pieces just to be incorporated into the design layout. Or 3.3 Page layout
the designer may utilize stock imagery or photography.
Contemporary design practice has been extended to the Main article: Page layout
modern computer, for example in the use of WYSIWYG
user interfaces, often referred to as interactive design, or The page layout aspect of graphic design deals with the
multimedia design. Another aspect of graphic design is to arrangement of elements (content) on a page, such as
have good research skills, analyzing a work of art and si- image placement, and text layout and style. Beginning
multaneously seeing it in new ways. Graphic Design need from early illuminated pages in hand-copied books of the
skills such as power to convince the audience and selling Middle Ages and proceeding down to intricate modern
the design. Communication is a key part in graphic de- magazine and catalogue layouts, structured page design
sign. The process of graphic design include the process has long been a consideration in printed material and
school which is an approach to the subject that is con- more recently in electronic displays such as web pages.
cerned with the actual process of communication; it es- Elements usually consist of type (text), images (pictures),
pecially highlights the channels and media through which and (with print media) occasionally place-holder graphics
messages are transmitted and by which senders and re- for elements that are not printed with ink such as die/laser
ceivers encode and decode. Semiotic School on the other cutting, foil stamping or blind embossing.
hand, is message as a construction of signs which through
interaction with receivers, produces meaning; communication as an agent. The process school is the like the way
in which a message is brought out to society.
3.4 Printmaking
3.1
3.2
Typography
4.1
Tools
5
and methods. Some designers explore ideas using pencil
and paper.[14] Others use many dierent mark-making
tools and resources from computers to sculpture as a
means of inspiring creativity. One of the key features of
graphic design is that it makes a tool out of appropriate
image selection in order to possibly convey meaning.[15]
5
5.1
6 OCCUPATIONS
5.2
Occupations
and corporate identity development. They are often expected to interact more directly with clients, for example
taking and interpreting briefs.
7
mains such as graphic design, crowdsourcing architec- [16] Designtalkboard.com,
topic
1030
and
Designtalkboard.com, topic 1141.
retrieved 3-18ture, apparel design, writing, illustration. Tasks may be
2007
assigned to individuals or a group and may be categorized
as convergent or divergent. An example of a divergent [17] Jann Lawrence Pollard and Jerry James Little, Creative
task is generating a large number of designs for a poster.
Computer Tools for Artists: Using Software to Develop
An example of a convergent task is selecting one poster
Drawings and Paintings, November 2001 Introduction
design.
[18] Jacci Howard Bear, desktoppub.about.com Retrieved 319-2008
See also
7.1
Related areas
7.2
Related topics
References
9 Bibliography
Fiell, Charlotte and Fiell, Peter (editors). Contemporary Graphic Design. Taschen Publishers, 2008.
ISBN 978-3-8228-5269-9
Wiedemann, Julius and Taborda, Felipe (editors).
Latin-American Graphic Design. Taschen Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-3-8228-4035-1
10 External links
Accessible Design HOW Interactive Design Conference Washington 2014
Graphic Design Statistics
The Universal Arts of Graphic Design Documentary produced by O Book
SEGD The Society for Experiential Graphic Design
11
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11.1
11.2
Images
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Guidefortech, Technokar, KH-1, Niloyrahman10000, Kaileygeary and Anonymous: 1372
11.2
Images
11.3
Content license