Category Archives: DISCUSSIONS

Video responses and other topics

What is graphic design?

What is Graphic Design (Video)

Graphic design should be able to interpret to the audience. It’s not as simple as i first thought it was. Logos, texts over pictures? No. There’s more to it. A design means nothing without a meaning. Graphic design has being underestimated more often than not. Quick example, Gorilla glue and Moco de Gorila. These two products have almost the same colors on their labels, same names too. If both were in the same cabinet, i bet most people would always choose wrongly depending on they’d be using them for.

This is a clear example of graphic design. Two different products, two different companies, two different graphic designers. But they came up with almost the same idea. Their designs communicate differently to the audience but it now depends on the audience to now be able to tell what each design means.

The Process of Graphic Design

The Process of Graphic Design (Video)

The graphic design process is a tedious one. The beginning stage could be very difficult depending on the type of project. A client might come in with everything in hand or the graphic designer would have to start from scratch. Choosing colors, fonts, size, etc. The design should be able to tell a story so the graphic designer creates more than one design and compares them to the story or project at hand. If it doesn’t capture the audience was the process really worth it?

Showing your work to close associates also is part of the design process. Putting your work up for criticism helps know how well to go about it and also if any changes need to made, you make them before handling over to the client. Once the design is able to speak visually to the audience, i then believe that the process was worth it. Its not a beautiful one, but a fulfilling one.

What is graphic design?

What is Graphic Design (Video)

Graphic design has many facets. As it is showed in beginning of the video, books, posters, websites, t-shirts, subways maps, and many other object we use daily are the result of a process. The goal of that process is to impact the audience in a particular way. It is the client that has to explain to the designer what message or emotion he wants his audience to get. Most importantly, graphic design is about visual communication. The job of the graphic designer is to understand the material he is trying to communicate and make an appropriate and unique design. It is a creative process as the graphic designer wants to create something unique, which has never been seen before.

Now that I have a better understanding of what graphic design is, I realize that it is absolutely everywhere, and I am becoming more critical of it. For example, I will be using an app on my phone and think that it is not easy to navigate, and that there is probably a better way to design it. I also notice when posters or logos are especially well done, or smart. I actually never noticed that the Fedex logo formed an arrow between the E and the X. I wonder if it was meant to be obvious, or if they wanted people to figure it out after years of seeing this logo. It’s like the hidden bear in the Toblerone logo, which is hidden in the mountain. Obviously this one is meant to be hidden, and you have to know that it is here to notice it. I love this logo because it’s almost like a guessing game, and it gives a stronger identity to the brand.

The process of Graphic Design

The Process of Graphic Design (Video)

The first step when creating a design is to understand what we are working with. The graphic designer needs to clearly understand who is the client, what he wants, who his target audience is. It is important that not only the client is satisfied with the piece, but also the people who will be seeing or using it. That is the big difference between an artist and a designer. The artist makes his art for himself, while the designer creates material for others to see and use. Certain types of graphic design will use scenario planning to give the users the best experience possible, by simply pretending to be in their shoes. The next step after understanding what the client wants and what is best for his audience is to start brainstorming initial ideas and concepts for the piece of work. Another important element to take into consideration are the constraints, whether they be time, budget, or production method.

This process doesn’t really sound close to anything I have ever done, but I like the problem solving part of it, and the fact that it requires a lot of communication. I think problem solving and communication would be my bigger assets if I were to become a graphic designer, and I would probably struggle a little more on the creative aspect of it.

What a graphic designer does

What A Graphic Designer Does (Video)

Initially, i did not know what graphic designer did. If you asked me, I’d say they make posters. Logos too. I thought their job was just to put text over pictures. I never thought that there was more to their work.

A graphic designer tells a story through their works and making them meaningful. Their works serves as a visual message. They are able to get their message across with whatever projects they’re working on, be it website UX design, logos etc. They also help their clients achieve their goal by reaching an audience with their art. Graphic designers could also be called commercial artists. Before the computer, graphic designers worked with what they had, paint brushes and paint, canvas, papers, etc. The emergence of the computer has given them an easier space to work and bring has put all the old ways of designing into one place.

When I first took this class remember we worked on a few projects. One that stood out to me was when we were asked to create an invitation card for an art museum. An invitation card that would let people in on what was happening at a particular museum. We all shared ideas as young designers and critiqued each other’s work. It really helped us churn out beautiful works. This is what I believe it means to be a graphic designer. Now I know it is not limited to creating logos and putting texts over pictures or creating party flyers. One thing bothers me still. Is every graphic designer okay being criticized, or some really take it to heart?  

What a graphic designer does

What A Graphic Designer Does (Video)

Before reading the book and watching the video, the first thing that came to my mind when thinking of graphic design are logos. Now I get that there is much more to graphic design, as it is a visual language that serves a purpose. A graphic designer manipulates text, images, shapes, colors and a multitude of other elements to make a project look good. The project can be anything, such as a magazine, a restaurant menu, or a website. The goal of the graphic designer is to help people (clients, brands) to convey a certain message or emotion. A good example of that is the amazon logo, with its distinctive yellow arrow, pointing from the a to the z, showing that Amazon has absolutely everything, and making a comforting smile at the same time. On the other hand you have the logo of Metallica, with its well known lightning bolt-like M and A, which perfectly matches the music they play.

On top of the message, the graphic designer makes sure that the project, whether it be a logo, a poster, or anything else, looks good. For that he is going to use color, fonts, images, shapes and more, that work together to give an identity to the project. But isn’t the concept of “looking good” subjective?

The Process of Graphic Design

The Process of Graphic Design (Video)

The process of a graphic design is first to make a sketch in which the client’s ideas are implemented, to what type of audience is it going to be directed, among others. then the graphic designer is he begins to use different elements to develop what has been implemented in the brainstorming. Then, it is when it is established if the design complies with the established norms and if it is really aimed at the audience that is established, keeping the essence of the client’s ideas with the designer’s work. When the agreement is reached, it is already taken to the public.

The Process of Graphic Design

The Process of Graphic Design (Video)

The first task for a graphic designer is to understand what it is that s/he is asked to do and consider the possible solutions. The project always starts with a brief, where you are asked to do something. You can’t really start until you understand who the audience for that piece of communication is going to be. A good strategy to go about your initial planning would be what’s called a scenario planning, where the scenario puts the user at the center of the design, not what the design looks like. The next stage is coming up with initial ideas/concepts for the piece of work. Then look at all the constraints that you have: of time, of budget, of production method. The last step you go through before you come up with a final design is prototyping. It is the trial and error stage where you test both the functionality and aesthetic of the design.

What is Graphic Design?

What is Graphic Design (Video)

Graphic design is all about communication, which is done so through the use of images and text. The job of a graphic designer is to understand what it is that needs to be communicated. For example, if they’re to design a dust jacket, they would have to understand the content of the book in order to come up with a design that communicates the idea/content presented in the book. Graphic design is all over the place, you see it when you pick up your phone (someone had to come up with the design that would work best for that phone), or when you get on social networking websites such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. (the layout for those websites and apps was designed by somebody). These designs not only serve to please your eyes, but also serves to make life easier for you. If it’s your first time visiting a place, you pull out your phone and open your wayfinder app, so you don’t get lost. That app was designed to be easy to use, so that the only thing you’d have to worry about is getting to your destination, not how to navigate through the app.