Good graphic design is a way of conveying a message through artfully arranged words and images. At its best, it will rivet the attention, get across the message you are trying to communicate, and hopefully leave an impression on the viewer. While the principles behind graphic design are quite simple, using the principles effectively takes a good deal of practice. In this first installment, we’ll discuss design concept and choosing artwork. The second part will cover typography, contrast, and white space.
Choosing an Overall Design Theme
The first thing you should ask yourself when starting project is, What is my overall concept going to be? The concept or theme of the piece is what gives the work its focus, the final “look” or impression that viewers will take away from it. It almost goes without saying that the theme should be appropriate to the subject matter; if you were designing stationery for an architectural firm that specialized in sleek, ultra-modern office buildings, you would probably want a design that reflected this, perhaps with bold, clean lines and geometric shapes, and maybe a cool, metallic color scheme. This concept would obviously not work for a hip espresso bar, which might prefer a loose, funky look with lots of texture and earth tones, or an ice-cream shop, which might want fun, cartoonish artwork in bright candy colors.
Researching Design Themes and Art Styles
Research is key in establishing the parameters of the look you’re trying to achieve. Research the company you’re doing the designs for, certainly; but it is also helpful to familiarize yourself with the art, architecture, and even clothing styles of various historical eras and subcultures. By doing this, you’ll build up a large pool of referents to draw upon, whether your design recalls ancient Rome, medieval tapestries, fifties retro, or modern hip-hop.
Choosing Photos and Illustrations
Once you’ve settled on a concept, begin looking for images that convey the idea you have in your head. Pictures are great attention-getters; large artwork draws the eye and stimulates interest in the message. Keeping your theme in mind, you’ll want to decide whether to use stock photos or photo collages, or whether your message will be better conveyed by using illustration or abstract artwork. It’s a good idea to keep art styles consistent throughout the piece, though of course there is no hard and fast rule about mixing art styles if you think the varying looks compliment each other.
Placing Images in the Layout
Once you have chosen the art, experiment with placing it in the layout. Do you want the image to be the main focus of the design, large and prominent? Or do you want it small, a detail in service to another element like a large headline or a big block of text? Or do you simply want it as a background? A good rule of thumb is that one large image looks better than several small ones scattered around a layout. If more than one image is necessary, try to group them together so that they read as a single element.
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