WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN? PART 1

As a prospering designer the ongoing question that I will constantly ask myself through the three years on this BA program and also throughout my practice as a professional designer is ‘What is Graphic Design’. In order to help me understand Graphic design through the three years I am on this BA program the PPP module will give me a better understanding of this question. Shown below are my lecture notes that I have gathered from the ‘What is graphic design’ (PART 1) lecture, along with a short summary of what has been learnt. 

Summary of lecture notes:

• Graphic design is in the present (NOW)

Although learning about the past is important as being a prospering designer is even more important to learn about content of graphic design now as it’s the contemporary culture that ultimately drives graphic design. By learning about the present it will help you in the future.

• Graphic design briefs

Design briefs, which are given to an individual or a client, are ultimately a visual question, which is raised by an individual and given to a graphic designer to visually answer/solve, in essence a solution to a problem and an effective delivery of a message.

• Rules within graphic design

In order to be a successful graphic designer you must understand the code/conventions/rules set within graphic design in order to be able to use and apply these to work. After understand how to use and apply you can challenge them to make-work more interesting and tailor work which is personal however most importantly more aseptically different to others.

• Graphic design is: Commercial/ Creative / Ethical / Independent

Graphic design can be labeled under these categories depending on the design, which has been produced, and the content/message, which is being outputted to the audience. However in some cases pieces of design can overlap into different categories for example something may be commercial as it is published however the content may be ethically debatable.

• Image and type

One could say that ultimately graphic design is type working with images and image working with type (vise-versa). The collaboration of these two elements creates a strong piece of graphic design if constructed in the correct manner.