What are the Basics of Graphic Design?
Quick Tips and Advice on the Essentials of Design
Jan 14, 2009
Graphic Design can be broken down to a few basic elements that a Graphic Designer uses to produce end designs that will draw people in. Some general information on these elements is discussed here with links at the end showing some simple demonstrations of the principles.
The basic elements can be broken down into fonts, color scheme, pictures and graphics and layout, the combination of the included elements and the remaining space, know as as negative or white space. There are other factors such as the format that the final design will be presented in and the type of media, such as choice of paper stock, but the basic elements are always present.
In many cases, the options for how the basic elements are used may be restricted by the requirement to include specific elements or a fixed amount of text that may seem excessive for the space available.
Fonts
There are huge numbers of fonts available now and these can be grouped into many different types. The font used will have a marked effect on the way that the design's message will be communicated.
The type of font chosen may also be affected by the amount of text that needs to be included in the design. For example, serif fonts used at a small size in newsprint can lose their serifs and small text reversed out of a solid color may need to be set in bold as ink spread can fill in the text a little.
Color Scheme
Clients will often have strong feelings on this and logos or corporate branding guidelines may also restrict how color is used.
The use of color can have a dramatic on how a design works. Strong primary colors will grab the attention, but such schemes will often lack the sophistication of subtler or more muted color schemes.
Pictures
There's a lot of truth in the saying that 'a picture says a thousand words'. A strong picture can make life much easier for a Graphic Designer as the image alone can draw a viewer into the piece.
Unfortunately many Graphic Designers will be working on projects that don't have a budget that will stretch to dedicated photography and there may not be any suitable pictures available at any of the usual stock photography sites at a suitable cost.
In those situations, the interplay of text and imagery becomes much more important and more creative solutions are likely to emerge.
Layout
It's easy to focus only on the elements that make up a design, but the unused negative space that surrounds the text and pictures can require as much consideration to ensure a balanced design
It's not unusual for a client to want everything but the kitchen sink included in a design, in which case the concept of negative space becomes less important as there may not be any, but white space can be used to give a sophisticated and elegant design.
The links below lead to some practical examples designed to demonstrate these principles in different types of design. Each one is for a logo and menu cover design for a wholly fictional food outlet called Newbys.
The results are undoubtedly cliched, but they show how certain market segments use design cues to convey a non-verbal message. When a Graphic Designer understands the basics of this design vocabulary, they can add their own twist and produce work that stands out from the crowd without compromising the message.
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