What is graphic design II Graphic design

What is graphic design

Graphic design is an art with a purpose. It involves a creative and systematic plan to solve a problem or achieve certain objectives, with the use of images, symbols or even words. It is visual communication and the aesthetic expression of concepts and ideas using various graphic elements and tools.

Elements of Graphic Design

Graphic design can use image-based designs involving photos, illustrations, logos, symbols, type-based designs or a combination of both techniques. These design can include various combinations of the following elements.

Lines : Straight, curved , wavy, thick, thin - when it comes to lines, the possibilities are limitless. Limit allows designers to divide a space or separate content in a layout. They can also be used to guide the eyes of the viewer, or make other elements follow a strategic path for added findability , to get the viewer easily from point A to point B.

Shapes : Shapes offer a variety of ways to fill spaces creativity, to support text and other forms of content, and to balance a design. Shapes can be created out of nothing , using white space to give a design structure and clarity.

Color: Color or the absence of color is an important element of any design. With a solid understanding of color theory, designers can amazingly influence  a design and a brand, seamlessly integrating color boldly or with brilliant detail.

Type: Type can transform a message from plain text to a work of art. Different fonts, combined with customized alignments, spacing , size, and colour, can add power to the point we are communicating to the world.

Texture: Even a smooth and glossy advertisement can seem tangible with texture. It gives a sense of a concrete surface through its visual appearance and adds a sense of depth, enhanced by selection of appropriate paper and material.

Graphic Design Software

Graphics design software refers to a program or collection of programs that enable a person to manipulate images or models visually on a computer. Some of the popular computer graphics software is listed below. We shall learn about Adobe Photoshop in this session.

Graphics software	Propose and use
Photoshop, Dreamwaver	To design and edit web graphics (Web sites)
InDesign, QuarkXPress	To design/edit page layout publications
PowerPoint, Keynote	To design and edit slide Presentations
Illustrator	To edit logos for t-shirts, coffee, mugs, etc.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC	To design and edit Interactive PDFs
Adobe Muse, Illustrator	To design graphics for Mobile devices