Week 3 - What is Graphic Design?

What is Graphic Design, and what process should designers follow?

• As a group, define graphic design using one sentence
  
• Create a list of rules, or principles that you feel designers should achieve in their work
  
• Create a list of elements that you feel designers should use when they design
  
• Create a list of steps each designer should follow when designing for a client
• Create a list of non-examples, (list what graphic design is not)
  
• Prepare a presentation for the class to share your ideas (5–10 minutes) --be creative!
• Include type and art in your presentation.
• All group members must speak.
  
• Other groups will take notes to compare and contrast findings
  
• HAND IN a copy to the teacher so you earn credit—Include names of group members present

 

Message and Audience

Remember this… always!

The Process

There is a process that most designers follow, or should follow in order to create great design. I know, and have known, many designers, and while they all seem to use a process that they have adapted for themselves— their processes seem to have similarities. This page outlines a six-step process (knowledge, message, audience, ideas, visualize, communicate) that has worked well for me over the years. I hope it will give designers a starting point as they figure out what process works best for them and their work.

Here are the six steps that I feel a graphic designer must carefully consider when creating design for a client. Each area has its own importance, and each area influences the others.

 

Research the industry you are designing for, as well as the other industries. You never know where you might find an inspirational typeface, art style, or layout idea. Designers should have a strong understanding of history too. This helps us learn form others' successes and failures. Look at: What has been done before? What is being done now? What has worked before? What hasn't? Also consider: What might the future look like?

Collaborate with others and talk about these issues.

 

What are you trying to say? Clarify and focus your message by stating it in one short sentence. If you don't understand it, neither will your audience. Your message can delivering a brand, a product or service's benefits, an idea or ideal.

Collaborate with others and your client to refine your message.

 

Who are you talking to? Define them as best as you can. What special insights into their lives and worlds do you have? What do they like? Dislike? Why would they want to hear your message? Will it benefit them? How?

Collaborate with others, your client, and your audience to learn more.

 

How can you best deliver the message to the audience? How can you do it cleverly? Interestingly? Surprisingly? Intelligently? Try to surprise them and show them something they haven't seen before. Begin by putting your ideas into words. Write down even the most zany ideas. Be open-minded. Reach them through their five senses.

Brainstorming

Learn more about developing your own creativity, creative environments, and brainstorming for ideas on the creativity page.

Collaboration

Collaborate with other designers, co-workers, your client, and your audience to develop new approaches to old problems.

Learn more on the collaboration page.

 

How can you best deliver the message to the audience using type, art, colors, photos, and layout? Sketch your ideas on paper, or on a computer. Use progressive sketching and thumbnailing to find new, fresh approaches and solutions.

Collaborate with others to share knowledge, experience and talent. Allow them to challenge your ideas. Develop and polish your designs to completion. WOW! your client and audience.

Concept (to deliver your message to the target market)

How can you best deliver the message to the audience?

How can you do it cleverly? Interestingly? Surprisingly? Intelligently? Try to surprise them and show them something they haven't seen before. Begin by putting your ideas into words. Write down even the most zany ideas. Be open-minded. Reach them through their five senses.

Collaborate with other designers, co-workers, your client, and your audience to develop new approaches to old problems.

Design Style

What style are you using to deliver your message? Which style is appropriate to deliver your message to your target audience?

Progressive Thumbnailing

Don't delete any ideas—save them by progressively sketching (thumbnailing) your ideas until you get what you want. By saving all of your ideas, you can go back and review past ideas and concepts that may still be worth using. It also helps to see where you have been—moving forward, you can prove old ideas right or wrong.

Learn more about progressive thumbnailing and see samples on the thumbnails page.

Typography

The foundation of any written communication, type helps designers deliver their messages more clearly, more focused, and with professional flair. Legibility is still the most important aspect of type, but it is fun to push the boundaries of type design, to create something visually new and edgy, yet still maintain readability. View the typography page to learn more about type and how designers can use it to their advantage.

Color

Learn valuable and practical information about color on the color Web page.

Layout Grid

Using a grid has been the mainstay of designers for ages. Go to the layout page to view the grid in use.

Art/Photography

Go to the photo direction page to learn more about it and how to use it in your graphic designs.

Visual Hierarchy

Visit the Visual Hierarchy page to learn more.

Design Principles (Unity, Emphasis, Balance, Rhythm)

Go to the design principles page to learn more.

Design Elements (Line, Shape, Texture, Space, Motion, Value)

Go to the design elements page to learn more.

 

Presenting Your Design Work

First, share your solution with your client. Show them and tell them why your ideas will deliver their message to their audience in a clear, clever and fresh way. Showing them is important. Show them examples of what the competition is doing. Then show them why your solution fits their needs.

Second, launch the campaign, upload the web site, print your marketing material, direct the photo shoot, record the tv commercial, etc., and deliver your client's message to the audience.

Now you are communicating—visually