Design Styles.

There are a lot of different styles in Graphic Design.

Let's talk about the most iconic ones.
 Art Nouveau.

Identifiable for its flat, outlined illustrations and hand-drawn typefaces Art Nouveau was born at the edge of XIX and XX centuries.

Confused often, with Art Deco, but there is a clear distinction between the two. Art Nouveau looks hand drawn and lacks the

highly geometric shapes that define the Art Deco style.

 Art Deco.
Uses comparably sharp, aero-dynamic shapes, Egyptian zigzags, motion lines and an airbrushed / grainy look. Perfect examples

include original comic books editions, old car show posters, etc. This style has, become increasingly popular over the last two

years. Unlike the Early Modern style, Art Deco highly exercises its use of illustrations and graphic representations of everyday

objects.
 Mission Style.

Focuses heavily on textures and illustrated initials. This style has remained unpopular for some time, except in family crests and

wedding invitations. Nowadays more and more designers explore their works using this retro-looking style for eco-friendly craft-

driven look.
 American Kitsch.

Characterised by its script fonts, informal shapes, and cartoon-like illustrations. From this style arose the popularity of caricatures

and advertisements of the 50s. Now it used for cool comics-like designs.
 Contemporary.

Exemplifies simplicity plus structure. Often, visual metaphors and conceptual imagery are used. Tend to fall into minimalistic and

symbolic approach.
 Grunge.

Most recent in the design evolution, this emerged only within the last decade and is easily recognised by its extensive use of

distressed textures, unrefined edges, and a seemingly nonsensical approach to layout.

 Early Modern.

Geometrically based, minimalistic approach, this style is dominated by clean type and photos, less illustrations.
 Late Modern.

Known for, distorted geometric shapes, and informal layouts. The only aspect of this style that isn’t informal is the type, which was

devoid of decoration.
 Post-Modern.

This mixed up style is characterised by a tilted axis, collage-like illustrations, overlying figures, and impulsive decoration. This style

has been used in varying degrees since its first uses and, if used correctly, can give projects a unique expression.
 Psychedelic.

Use of abstracted curvilinear shapes, clashing colors, hard-to-read fonts. Rarely used in today’s designs, the trippy posters of the

60s are the most easily recognisable contribution of the Psychedelic style.
 International.

Best recognised for its complete lack of embellishment, this style employs the use of negative space and could appropriately be

labeled as very “clean.”

 Victorian.

Symmetrical layouts, heavy ornamentation and decoration. This approach has seen a revival with its heavily ornamented type, &

detailed illustrations.
Approaches to Design.
 3D.
The three-dimensional artwork gives the opposite illusion of a flat design. It is characterized by the illusion of volume and mass,

therefore looking like it occupies space. 3D design is commonly used to create  skeuomorphic designs, the idea of creating

something to resemble a real-life object.

 Abstract.
Abstract is the approach of creating a piece of art that is independent from the way it looks in the real world. An abstract design

style is achieved by a combined composition of colors and shapes usually based on the individual interpretation of the designer,

the client or both.

 Minimalist.

Minimalism is an approach or technique that is characterised by spareness and simplicity. It is the opposite to lavish and highly-

decorative styles and leaving its most basic form to communicate the message.
 Conceptual art.

Conceptual art is a sub-category of illustration, and is a metaphorical depiction of a visual idea. Consider it as the fictional section

of illustration, as it doesn't necessarily feature likeness to the real object it models after.
 Feminine.

The opposite of masculine design, feminine approach is usually characterised by details that stereotypically attract female

attention such as soft color palettes, florals and cursive writing.

 Masculine.

Masculine design is stereotypically appealing to men. Details in masculine design may include simple lines, monochromatic

theme (black and white) and "rugged" texture.

 Flat.

This approach could be considered as a subcategory of the minimalist  look: it employs minimal use of colors and shading for

a visually-pleasing aesthetic.
 Playful.

A design approach that inspires fun and usually gives off an informal, rather than rigid, impression. Commonly used to create

cartoons, it can be non-realistic or semi-realistic artistic style of drawing.

 Geometric.

Derived from the idea of geometry, this approach is characterized by heavy use of straight lines and shapes. The typical geometric

design can comprise of rectangles, squares and triangles.

 Luxurious.

The luxurious design approach evokes the idea of indulging in extra comforts or pleasures additional to the necessary standard of

well-being. The use of rich colors such as gold helps achieve this idea of luxury.
 Organic.

Organic design takes the flowing natural forms of a reality and characterized by continuous lines and dynamic curves. Organic can

also feel rustic by adding weathered and texturised effects.

 Photorealism.

Photorealism is a form of illustration where the designer closely matches it to the original image or photo as much as possible.
 Corporate.

The professional design is usually characterized by muted colors, and minimal details to represent conservative ideas. This

approach is typically employed by organizations who want to make formal impressions on their target audience.
 Typographic.

The typographic approach utilises the modification of fonts. It is the design of the written words to evoke response in its target

audience. For logo, fonts need to be uniquely modified.

 Vintage.
Vintage or retro (short for "retrospective") approach is built on trends from the recent past. Some popular vintage styles include

Victoriana (inspired by decorative styles of the Victorian era), steam punk (an ode to the industrial revolution of the late 19th

century) and Bauhaus (the minimalist style movement between the 1920s and the 1930s). 
See you next week.