Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Gei006 Notes - New
Gei006 Notes - New
PRELIM
GRAPHIC DESIGN
WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN?
• The process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography
and illustration. The field is considered a subset of visual communication and communication design, but
sometimes the term "graphic design" is used synonymously.
• Graphic designers create and combine symbols, images and text to form visual representations of ideas
and messages. They use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to create visual compositions.
• Common uses of graphic design include corporate design (logos and branding), editorial design
(magazines, newspapers and books), wayfinding or environmental design, advertising, web design,
communication design, product packaging and signage.
• The term graphic design was coined by William Addison Dwiggins in 1922.
• The term "graphic design" first appeared in print in the 1922 essay "New Kind of Printing Calls for New
Design"
Applications and Usages
• Graphic design is applied to everything visual, from road signs to technical schematics, from interoffice
memorandums to reference manuals.
• From scientific journals to news reporting, the presentation of opinion and facts is often improved with
graphics and thoughtful compositions of visual information - known as information design.
• Newspapers, magazines, blogs, television and film documentaries may use graphic design. With the
advent of the web, information designers with experience in interactive tools are increasingly used to
illustrate the background to news stories.
• Information design can include data visualization, which involves using programs to interpret and form
data into a visually compelling presentation, and can be tied in with information graphics.
CANVA ACCOUNT SETUP
• There are three ways to set up an account, depending on the type of app you wish to access. You can
choose between the desktop or mobile apps on Apple or Android products.
• On the desktop app, you can easily access the sign-up page by accessing Canva’s homepage.
• For the mobile apps, you first need to download the apps from the App Store or Google Play. After
downloading the app, the sign-up screen should be the first thing you see.
• Choose from the options to sign up with Facebook, Google, or your email.
• Choose to sign up with your SPCBA email, fill up the fields.
• Click Get started.
• Select from the options on what you’re planning to use Canva for.
• Complete the onboarding process.
• Confirm your account by clicking on the Confirm my account button from an email you’ll receive.
SELECT A TEMPLATE
• After the Canva editor loads, the first thing you’ll notice on the side panel is the Templates tab. The
Templates tab shows all the available templates you can use for your design.
• Scroll through the available templates until you find one you’d like to use. You can also click on All to
expand a template category. Once you find a template you wish to use, simply click on the thumbnail to
apply it on your canvas.
• Feel free to replace the initial template you used by clicking on the thumbnail of the other template from
the side panel. Just a warning though, any changes made to your initial template will be completely replaced
by the new one.
• Once you’re happy with the template you chose, you can then customize and format any of the existing
elements on it.
EDITING TEXT
• Start customizing your chosen template by editing the text. To do so, click on the text box you wish to edit
its content. You can type in new text or delete existing content on your keyboard. You can also paste in text
content from other sources like Word documents or websites.
• If you wish to add new text, you can do so by clicking on the Text tab from the side panel. Select between
Add a heading, Add a subheading, or Add a little bit of body text to add a new text box to your page.
• Once you’ve changed the text content, you can format it to better suit the designs you have in mind. You
may notice that clicking on any text box will make the text editor toolbar show below the status bar.
ADDING PHOTOS
• If your chosen design has images, you are free to edit them or add more. You can add photos or
illustrations from our media library, or you can upload your own.
FORMATTING PHOTOS
• Just like with text, you can also format photos or illustrations. Clicking on any of these elements will also
make the editor toolbar appear.
• Formatting options on the editor toolbar for photos or illustrations may not be the same as the ones
appearing for text. The formatting options that will appear will depend on the type of photo or illustration.
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Graphics designer job description and salary
Job description
• Graphic designers use color, illustrations, fonts, and layout to visually communicate a message or present
a product.
• They design logos, product packaging, print materials, and websites, among many other things.
• Graphic designers are found in a variety of industries and in different capacities.
• For instance, a designer might be employed as in-house staff for a company to work on promotional
materials for the organization, or a designer might work for a design agency with many clients and projects.
• Most graphic designers specialize in one or two areas, such as print, web design, poster design, or
corporate identity.
• Graphic designers are not always required to have completed any specific education, though it is common
for designers to hold degrees from an art school or other undergraduate institution.
• They must have knowledge of design elements, such as color, typography, and composition, as well as the
artistic sensibility to effectively use these elements.
• Graphic designers need excellent communication skills and be able to effectively present ideas visually
and verbally to internal stakeholders, clients, and intended audiences.
• Since most graphic design is created using software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign,
graphic designers must possess technical skills.
Career path
Employment opportunities
• Opportunities for graphic designers exist in advertising agencies, design studios, printing and publishing
companies and the packaging industry. Lecturing posts in the universities and institutions is another option
that may be considered. Graphic Designers can work independently as freelance artists.
Industries served
• Graphic Designers may be employed in the following industries: Manufacturing; Construction; Wholesale
and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods; Transport,
Storage and Communication; Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities; and Other Community, Social and
Personal Service Activities.
Tasks
• Meet with clients and clearly understands what they are requesting, what the final project would look like;
• Create and develop new and unique ideas to represent an idea;
• Use various computer programs to generate final projects for client's approval;
• Modifiy, revise and edit projects as required by the client; and
• Stay within timelines and deadlines for completion dates for projects.
DO'S
• Do opt for a professional design.
• The design of your business card should be consistent with the design of your other printed
materials. Do not settle for a generic business card design if you want to stand out from the crowd.
A professional graphic designer will help you with a business card that reflects your personal or
professional brand.
• Do prioritise readability over creativity.
• This point applies mainly to fonts. As tempting as it may be to introduce a ‘new’ font; decorative
fonts can be hard to read. One of your main priorities is the readability of your card. Make sure
your font size is not too big and overwhelming, as well as not so small that your potential clients
have to squint to be able to read it.
• Do make wise layout decisions.
• The standard business card size is 3.5 x 2 inches. If you’re going with an unconventional design
and size, it will stand out amongst other cards but may be difficult to store.
• Your business card has two sides. Take advantage of having that extra space by filling it out with
only the most vital information.
• Do choose appropriate color schemes.
• Aside from the legibility of the typeface, your color scheme and any other visual content will
determine the success of your business card design. Bright, bold colors may grab attention, but are
they necessary?
• Keep your business in mind when considering the visual content and color schemes as, once
again, consistency is key. Choose colors that won’t distract from your logo or key business
information.
• Do include only the most important content.
• This is not a powerpoint slide; don’t cram information.
• The objective of your business card is to provide key information about your business and
contact details.
• This includes your name (and/or your company name), website and email.
• Your potential client should be able to answer the basic questions (Who? What? Where? Why?)
with a single glance.
• DON’TS
• Don’t use random visuals.
• If you’re not sure what visuals to use, it’s best to not use any if they contribute nothing to
informing your clients about you or your business.
• Don’t use ANY of these fonts.
• This point is self explanatory. Generally speaking, you should try to avoid irritating your future
clients with a poorly chosen font.
• Don’t use UV or other glossy coating.
• Glossy finishes may look nice, such as in this example, but glossy paper has several
disadvantages. You probably haven’t considered this, but people write notes on them. They will
also have to stand there and read your card avoiding direct sunlight as the light bounces off of the
design.
• Don’t cram information.
• If your card ends up looking like this one, chances are you will scare your potential clients away
or simply annoy them to the point of discarding it.
• Don’t cram information.
• Although a clear attempt to include white space can be celebrated in this design, note how
unappealing crammed information can be.
• Last word of advice: The most unfortunate thing that can go wrong with your business card is a
typo. Do double check your content before sending it off for printing.
MIDTERMS
COLOR THEORY
"COLOUR IS LIFE; FOR A WORLD WITHOUT COLOURS APPEARS TO US AS DEAD." — JOHANNES ITTEN
COLOR
• Color immediately attracts attention. It is one of the first things we see.
• Very young children will group objects by color instead of size or shape.
• An interior designer may use rose -red walls to increase emotional warmth or use blue walls in a
daycare to encourage calm.
• Bright Yellow and Magenta may make an poster more eye -catching with contrast.
• Color is a very complex but powerful Element of Art & Design
COLOR THEORY
• Color theory is the art and science of color interaction and effects.
• In The Art of Color, Johannes Itten lists the following approaches to color theory.
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Physiology
• Psychology
• Color theories create a logical structure for color. For example, if we have an assortment of fruits and
vegetables, we can organize them by color and place them on a circle that shows the colors in relation to
each other.
JOHANNES ITTEN
• Johannes Itten was one of the first people to define and identify strategies for successful color
combinations.
• Through his research he devised seven methodologies for coordinating colors utilizing the hue's
contrasting properties.
• These contrasts add other variations with respect to the intensity of the respective hues; i.e. contrasts may
be obtained due to light, moderate, or dark value.
APPROACHES TO COLOR THEORY
• The physicist studies electromagnetic wavelength in order to measure and classify color.
• The chemist works with the molecular structure of dyes and pigments, and seeks to produced highly
permanent colors and excellent paint consistency.
• The physiologist investigates the effects of color and light on our eyes and brain
• The psychologist studies the expressive effect of color on our mind and spirit.
COLOR INTERACTION
• Color interaction is the way colors influence one another.
• Colors are never seen in isolation.
• Depending on the associations we have with a color, lighting, and the surrounding colors, our perception
of the color is affected.
• A blue sheet of paper may remind us of the sky or the ocean. Incandescent lighting may create a warm
orange glow.
• A blue sheet of Paper next to an orange sheet seem more vivid. Simultaneous contrast refers to how the
perception of a color is altered by a surrounding color.
Each Pair of Boxes have the same color in the center, but the colors appear different due to the surrounding
colors.