What is Graphic Design

Graphic Design was once known as "commercial art", which meant art created for business, advertising or commercial use. Although the name has changed the principal is still the same. There was a time when Commercial Artists didn't use computers, but now computers are a principle tool in the graphic design industry. The software graphic designers use these day is pretty standardised and include programs like Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Flash, Quark Express, Lightroom, etc. As for the word "graphic", it's a term that has come to be an umbrella term for "visual art". In other words, graphic design is different from Sound Design, Interior Design, architectual design or product design as the principles of Graphic Design unlike the other examples is that it is the combined use of text and imagery to convey a message, advertise or communicate somthing to a target audience as effectively as possible.

Today, graphic designers work on a variety of things including, brochures, logos, billboards, video games, film and television graphics, book illustrations, web design, product packaging...the list goes on. Even things you wouldn't expect. Go into a wellknown retail store and look . All the photos, signs, and even color scheme of the store itself was created by a team of graphic designers. We all are very familiar with the golden arches of Mac Donalds, the Just Do It slogan and Tick of Nike to name two, but there are millions of other Symbols, Brands and Slogans that we can recognise!! This widspread recocognition is the proof of successful and effective graphic design.

                                                                                      

The principles of design are, unity, Balance, Contrast, Economy, Direction, Emphasis, Proportion and Rythem.
The use of Typography is just as important as the imagery, infact a message can be communicated through the careful use of font design alone.

Graphics Design can be viewed in a multitude of different ways, from illustration, different printing methods, typography, computer generated imagery, photography, photomontage and collage to name a few...... !  These methods are used by Graphic Designers to create Brands, Logos, Symbols and Slogans to create campaigns, advertisments or simply to make a visual statement, which has been commissioned by a client and is intended to target a specific consumer group. 

Graphic Design- some definitions

What is Graphic Design?? - Some definitions

"Since prehistoric times, people have searched for ways to give visual form to ideas and concepts, to store knowledge in graphic form, and to bring order and clarity to information. Over the course of history, these needs have been filled by various people including scribes, printers, and artists. It was not until 1922, when the outstanding book designer William Addison Dwiggins coined the term ‘graphic design’ to describe his activities as an individual who brought structural order and visual form to printed communications, that an emerging profession received an appropriate name."
MEGGS. Philip, B.A - History of Graphic Design

1) "Graphic design is a popular art and a practical art, an applied art and an ancient art. Simply put, it is the art of visualizing ideas."
Jessica Helfand - AIGA What is graphic design?#

2) "The practice or profession of designing print or electronic forms of visual information, as for an advertisement, publication, or website."
Dictionary.com

3) "The process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication. Today's graphic designers often use desktop publishing software and techniques to achieve their goals."
About.com

4) Graphic design is the most universal of all the arts. It is all around us, explaining, decorating, identifying; imposing meaning on the world... Without graphic design's process and ingredients - structure and organisation, word and image, differentiation - we would have to receive all our information by the spoken word. We would enter another Dark Ages, a thousand years of ignorance, prejudice, superstition and very short lifespans.
Quentin Newark - What Is Graphic Design?

The Work of Others

Ashling literally added another dimention to her graphic design by actually making ceramic pears and photographing them for her campaign image. I think combining model making into a graphic design scheme could be a good way to make it a more approchable subject then it is a the moment, especially when considering the younger age groups.

This is also a good example of a work space.

Andrews atmospheric photography accompanied by witty captions makes for a memorable campaign, if a little obscure.

Above are a few illustrations from one of Suzannes prelim sheets about the threat of invasive species. The sheet displays a few ideas and development. There is also an emerging continuity with the colours used.

Anne designed a bag, badge and rubber intended to generate awareness about the preservation of woodland that includes diciduous Yew Trees. Her slogans were simple and catchy, appealling to adults and children alike and her imagery is very inviting even bordering on christmassy! Also her use of hand made paper was very appropriate considering the theme and again added to the appeal of her design giving it a tactile quality.

Stacy's campaign to promote Limerick Bike Week is finished to a very professional standard and it is very interesting to view how her ideas and designs evolved from initial concept to various ideas and

finally her finished design. Her work oppitimised in my view, how graphic design is executed and finished in the proffessional world but fairly unattainable in the classroom environment.

Gillian used a van template, which ment she had to take into consideration and work within the constrates this created. I think the idea of using a template like this wether it be for some kind of vehicle or a format for something more simple like a postcard could make a graphics project in school more relevent to the pupils.

Davids Mc Grath's design demonstrates an effective use of stenciling, layering the images one on top of the other giving the image depth. I think his choice of colours is also relevent and eyecatching.

            

David was another designer who made effective use of stencils. His image comprises of recognisable symbols and simplified cutouts creating a very graphic and understandable image through the use of his negative and positive single colour scheme. Although i did wonder did he forget to put in a door?

 

Micheals poster communicated a very clear and direct message minimising the chance of

mis- interpretation by the viewer. Also his choice and rendering of typography was bold and appropriate.