Graphic design – what is it?

29 Jan Graphic design – what is it?

And more importantly for your business, how can hiring a graphic designer help your bottom line?

Graphic design is the discipline of creating designs and artwork that (normally) have a commercial focus. That is; it is designed to have a purpose, some function, and usually that function is to sell, publicise, invigorate, demarcate, warn, or educate others.

Here at Filament Design we are passionate about making sure your business or organisation looks its best. Great looking graphic design can elevate your business’ standing in the marketplace, energise your reputation, build brand awareness, and gain your customers and sales. Much like with web design (where if you aren’t online, you aren’t anywhere!), graphic design enables your business to be seen and to stand out.

True graphic design follows a process of iteration: research > thinking > gathering > ideation > development > prototyping > evaluation > analysis > final design. It takes years of practice and “getting it wrong” to get it right. At a very literal level, visual design is like a cake. Each cake is composed of ingredients, similar to how each design is composed of elements. Ingredients in a cake may include things like flour, sugar, eggs, and cocoa (because it has to be chocolate!). When we think about the elements in a design, that could mean the typography/text, photos, illustrations, colours, and textures. Just as with a cake, all the pieces must be brought together in the right way to make a specific recipe successfully. The elements of a design can be crafted into thousands of different end results, resulting in vastly different visual design – some of which are more successful than others. How they are brought together, and how successful, is due to the skill and practice of the designer wielding the spatula. Due to the subjective nature of design, success is measured relative to adherence to the design brief, audience response, client appreciation, and peer review.

A core element to the success of any graphic design project is that of communication. A clear and honest line of dialogue needs to occur so that the designer can determine what should be in scope for the project. Setting clear and achievable goals for each project ensures each client gets the result best suited to them. Here at Filament Design we enjoy working one-on-one with our clients to figure out solutions using visual design. One size does not fit all and we will tailor our process to fit the needs of the client. Consider the client who would like a new logo: what is the logo for? who does it need to be seen by? what industry or marketplace does it need to sit within? A good designer should engage you in conversation to work out the answers to these questions, thus enabling her to create the perfect solution for you.

If you have a visual design project, such as:

• branding or re-branding
• logo design
• business cards
• brochure design or flyers
• poster design
• book layout and design
• signage design
• typeface design
• custom typography

then chat with us today.