Graphic design, also sometimes known as communication design, is the art of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content. It may include images, words, graphics. The graphic design or a brand can be recognised in an instant or over a period of time. It can happen at any scale, from the design of a single postage stamp to a national bill board moving graphic, or from a company’s logo to content of a newspaper. It can also be for any purpose, whether commercial, educational, cultural, or political.
Graphic Design comes in many forms the easiest to recognise being a simple sign, so a road sign for example or signage on a building. For over a hundred years, designers have arranged type, form, and image on posters, advertisements, packages, and other printed material, as well as information visualisations and graphics for newspapers and magazines. Motion graphics are also in the graphic design bracket, such as for the opening credits of a movie or an online video. Commercial websites, exhibition displays, digital displays, brochure design to book design are all fall under the graphic design bracket.
Design a brand is where the designer brings value. Similarly, business brand items, such as a business card, sign, logo, or an advertisement are all expressions of design, how those are experienced together and over time is the design work. All parts of the brand identity have been created considering the each part and thinking through how a target customer will encounter and then develop a relationship with that brand.
Designers are also responsible for interactive designs where the content is fluid, sometimes changing minute to minute, as well as interfaces that help users navigate through complex digital experiences. Editorial design for web and mobile is the most tangible example of content-driven work in this area, including publication websites, mobile apps, and blogs. Some design involves the presentation of streaming information, also known as data visualisation. Other designers work on digital products, which are digital services or platforms that can be brought to market. Product design for web and mobile is related to software design. Sometimes different designers work on the user interface design (UI), which mostly refers to the individual layouts of pages, and the user experience design (UX), or the total experience of the user as they move through a website or app.
