An introduction to graphic design

Graphic design is almost everywhere. Crammed into our homes, all over our cities and dotted around the countryside, its images, letters, colours and shapes are consciously put together to perform all sorts of functions. Its roles range from directing travellers to the right check-in desk at an airport, to organising the layout and style of a magazine so that it catches that travellers eye and makes them buy it to read on the plane. Graphic design on the ticket they buy for the car park may advertise other products or services. The carton of juice they take for the flight has information organised so its appealing and understandable. The safety instructions aboard the plane are designed so they are clear and accessible, even to people who dont speak English. Graphic design art is also emblazoned across the hull and tail wing of the aircraft itself. In short, graphic design is visual communication. It employs lots of different techniques and modes, but is very seldom purely decorative: graphic design has a job to do and graphic designers are in the employ of their clients. The graphic designer may be briefed to create a piece of work which catches a customers eye in a busy supermarket, or they may be required to herald the formation of a new business. Their client may want their work to impart cultural knowledge at a museum or help foreign tourists find their way to the bus station. Or graphic designers could be employed for something as run of the mill as creating a new look for the company stationery. Using an array of visual elements including type, colour, shape, photography, illustration, painting, digital imagery and so on graphic designers work with their clients to deliver the required message in the most effective way.

A definition of graphic design

An exact definition of the term graphic design is difficult to come by. a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas We asked graphic designers including Neville Brody, Graphic Thought Facility and Quentin Newark how they define graphic design. Watch more. More graphic designers talking about what they do and the process they use Design is to make a synthesis of needs and information and colors in order to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

The origins of graphic design

While it can be hard to find an exact definition of graphic design it is equally hard to pinpoint its origins: some say the invention of the mechanical printing press in the 15th

century, while others point to the work of commercial artists in the 19th century or illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages. And although most graphic design is undertaken as a commercial service, visual art is sometimes included in its definition. The discipline, already wide and varied, is also changing and expanding. Traditionally concerned with print, graphic design now includes other media, notably design for digital screens, as well as being a vital component in other specialist disciplines such as branding, packaging and information design. Well look at these in more detail later when examining the different ways graphic design can help businesses. And to put the ideas into reality, we will also turn to some specific examples of how graphic design has helped various organizations achieve their objectives. But to start with, here is a small selection of designs to offer a feel for the many and varied areas in which graphic designers work. They span a wide range of industries, media, styles and objectives. In this set we have album artwork, the editorial design for a newspaper, a magazine layout, a corporate logo, road signage, a visual identity for an awards scheme, a transport map, packaging for bread, brochures for an arts centre, a poster and title sequences for a film and a mobile phone application. All draw on the skills of graphic designers and all meet commercial or functional, as well as aesthetic, needs.

Graphic design: Great examples

Some of these designs may appeal, others may not. But bear in mind that here they are all shown out of their context and with almost no information about the processes and objectives behind their creation. Its important to remember that all graphic design is created as part of a process between the client and designer, with particular objectives (and probably a few limitations) informing the final outcome.

11 Reasons Why White Spaces are Good in Graphic Design

Ads Graphic designing is an avenue for ones creativity. It is a creative process which may be called as visual communication through the use of typography, visual art, layouting techniques and others. This involves logo designing, advertisements, publications like magazines, product labels, business cards and web designing. In this genre, there is oftentimes a communication between a client and the designer. Putting into consideration the clients preference on designs is therefore important without sacrificing the quality of your outputs. When looking at a design, one client might say oh, there is so much wasted space! or some might say, the colors are great but I think we need to put something to make it look lighter for the eye. Both of them are referring to one thing: White Space.

Oftentimes, white spaces are overlooked. It is even known as a negative space which refers to the open space between design elements. These are the spaces not occupied with text, images or other visual elements. But it doesnt mean that negative spaces are all white in color. If we go back to the description, it refers to a SPACE regardless if it is white or not.

There are two types of white spaces.

1.Active White Space: Space intentionally left blank for a better structure and layout. It also gives emphasis to the content area. It leads a reader from one element to another. 2.Passive White Space: Empty space around the outside of the page or blank areas inside the content which is the by product of the layout process.

Most people would consider white space as merely a waste of printing materials which makes them opt to have a full-colored page thinking that printing with begative spaces will just squander their money. But if we try to consider the Gestalt Principle which discusses the way humans interpret the visual stimulus, we have the so called parsimony which means less is better. This means that the human eye would prefer to look at things which are not crowded and heavy to the eyes. The use of white space paves the way to a better understanding, clearer communication of ideas and effective graphic designs. Let us consider some advantages of using white spaces in designing.

1.It Signifies Space for More Creativity.

Painters would spend some time staring at a blank canvass, so eager to see a new work of art that would fill the white space in front of them. White spaces manifest the conception of another unique design. It implies another opportunity for new designs.

2.White Spaces Attract the Eyes.

Consider the poster below. This is a poster used by a group of young people to boycott USA products. But the purpose of the ad doesnt matter here. It is the design that matters. With the use of a plain background, it attracts those who could see it even in a distance.

3.There is Always a Positive Response Towards a White Space.

First impressions are never given second chances. So make sure that your designs could make good impressions on the first look. To do that, try using white spaces for it can easily attract the eyes. It also creates a clean and relaxing visual effect.

4.Used to Create a Balanced and Harmonious Layout.

Spaces create a balance in your output. Without white spaces, your design or the texts you use will seem to create unsteadiness in the eyes. Imagine reading a magazine or an advertisement with no spaces between letters and images. You wouldnt want to read that anymore! These spaces could also show the relationship of one element to another. Look at the layout below. Despite the use of full colored pictures, the designer used negative space for the text and this balances the entire layout not making it look so crowded.

5.Increases your Layouts Appeal.

Of course, the entire layout of your work will give a visual impact. Negative spaces are important aspects for interesting and operational designs. Take a look at the different layouts below and see how white space creates a huge difference. A layout in full page. A layout using a little white space.

6.Improves Readability.
We can observe that books and other printed materials always have white spaces in order to allow the reader to read and understand the text well. The same is true with online reading and designing. A research shows that more white spaces give more reading comprehension.According to the research entitled Reading Online Text: A Comparison of Four White Space Layouts,the use of more white space between each lines in a writeup is more favorable to readers. It reccomends for designers to be aware of the influence of white space in reading performance. See Research

7.Creates Professional, Sophisticated and Elegant Designs.

Generous white space is used in the luxury market. Advertisements of expensive and branded items usually come with white spaces. Most of the time, cosmetics use posters that have more white spaces to show that their products are of high quality and expensive. If you are observant, most local and cheap products come in colourful packages but expensive ones use minimal colors.

8.Gives Focus and Emphasis to an Object.

Go back to the USA Products Ad poster. This uses a generous white space for emphasis. Another way of doing that is to use white or other colors as a border for your pictures so that the viewer will look inside the border, thus emphasizing your subject.

9.Directs a Viewers Eye.

Eye flow is very important. The use of white space directs the reader or the viewer as to where he could view next. Consider the picture below. It used a huge space in order for the reader to look directly into the text. This is catchy for anyone would be curious as to what the long vertical line of words is trying to say.

10.Acts as a Separator.
It separates unrelated elements in the design.Take for example the magazine layout below. It uses white space thus separating the images from each other and giving emphasis to the pictures.It also separates the images from the black background used by the artist.

11.Signifies Location, Movement, Importance and Relationship between Objects.

Negative space works in a manner that it gives a different meaning on the content depending on its usage in the layout. Take a look at the pictures below. Observe how the object is placed. As you look at it, you would see the difference on how white space can affect your designs.Here is Fred Showkers Demonstration for Negative Space location and movement. See Negative Space Demonstration White space is as important as content. Visually, white spaces give an intelligent organization of our layouts. It gives a visual relief to the viewers and readers. Although, there are some instances when lesser white space are needed for your designs, still take into consideration into using even just a little space which serves as a breathing room. But the excessive use of this could make your designs look boring while the generous and proper usage of white spaces could be effective and impressive. What is important is the proper incorporation of negative space in your designs. So, when you are working on white spaces, bear in mind that nothing says a lot. It may be an empty area but it will never make your design look empty. We hope that this article will help you in your own graphic designs and web designing. We will be giving you more valuable inputs that could be your guide in your works.