Amazing graphics can be produced even without a degree in graphic design. The only thing you need to know is some basics graphic design. Across a range of media, including print, digital and physical, graphic design is a creative process that involves creating visual content. Graphics communicate a message or idea to an audience using fonts, images, and colors.
Creating logos, branding materials, websites, posters, brochures, book covers, and packaging are just a few examples of the diverse projects that can be included in graphic design. The purpose of graphic design is to effectively communicate a message or idea to a target audience in a way that appeals to them visually.
Researching and understanding the target audience, coming up with ideas, sketching and generating concepts, refining designs, and delivering the finished product in an appropriate format are all common steps in the graphic design process.
Graphic designers use many different tools and programs.to produce their designs, such as Sketch and Figma, Adobe Creative Suite Photoshop, Photoshop, and InDesign. To keep their work creative and current, they must stay relevant to the current design trends and methods.
You Need to Know These 4 Fundamentals of Graphic Design
- Color theory
- Imagery
- Typography
- Composition
Color Theory
Your designs must be color perfect. It is used to attract interest, convey information, and of course, for aesthetic purposes. Unfortunately, we often make snap judgments about objects based on their color alone, assessing whether they are attractive, professional, pleasant, ugly, or even strange without giving the colors we see a second look.
When using colors, your primary concern should be the contrast between them. The ability of a color to stand out from others is known as its contrast. For example, if you want the text to stand out from the background, use different colors in one image. The most substantial difference between colors is created by opposite shades, such as yellow and purple or blue and orange.
Additionally, the difference can guide people’s actions and ensure they understand what you want them to do. Make sure your call-to-action button and the rest of your design stand out to increase click-through.
A color wheel can be used to evaluate color comparisons. You can see the visual connection between colors in the color wheel. For example, pigments are opposite each other on the color swatch.
In addition, colors convey meaning through images. For example, a green button usually indicates a positive action such as OK or Accept. However, if you are about graphic design, a big red Accept button can confuse the user, and the results can even be dangerous in some situations.
- Red is proper in sales because it can stimulate positive and negative emotions to create a sense of need. It also stimulates hunger, which is why the fast food industry is something that it does.
- Another warm shade, orange, is perceived as playful and bright, so it works well for businesses that don’t feel overly corporate. Autumn is known for darker orange shades, for which more “earthy” brands are better suited.
- In addition to being pleasing to the eye, green promotes health. As a result, it is often used by companies promoting health products, including drug or food manufacturers. Additionally, it can be associated with growth or power, as in trade or the military.
- On the other hand, blue is used so often because it has a calming effect on the mind and is associated with reason, strength, knowledge, and confidence. It’s a safe way for brands, but they must consider whether it will make them stand out in their industry.
- Barbie and Glamor Weekly are just two examples of how pink has long been associated with beauty. However, many well-known companies, such as Uber, are now using it, regardless of who their target market is. Youth is depicted, but simultaneously provides comfort and embodies optimism. Many businesses have used pink to break the mold successfully.
Imagery
Images are great for digital media, as we’ve seen, but there are broader issues to consider. First, people-centered photos create positive reactions from viewers. Because ads are designed to reach real people, your images must match that. This helps build a sense of connection.
In addition, graphic design image quality is essential. Online shoppers who are considering a purchase want to be able to examine photos that show the item in great detail carefully. Product image quality often causes users to leave an e-commerce website before purchasing. They may have a negative product image, and you will lose the sale.
Make sure your photos are high quality (HD) and suitable for the devices your audience will use when selecting them as part of the design. For example, both bending and compression artifacts are incorrect.
Additionally, remember that much of your website traffic comes from mobile devices, so testing your visuals on mobile to ensure they still display well at small sizes is essential. If not, consider creating a unique version of the visual that is targeted to viewers who are using mobile devices.
- The banner image should be 2000 pixels wide and 800 pixels high
- This slider has a width of 1920 pixels and a length of 890 pixels
- The icon should be 300 pixels wide by 300 pixels high
- The post/event should be 425 pixels wide and 220 pixels long
- It has a width of 1920 pixels and a length of 768 pixels
Typography
When choosing a font for your graphic design, it’s important not to try anything drastically different. The Arial, Futura, and Roboto system types are examples of user font types. You only need to use a maximum of two to three font types per web page and even less for your ads and images. Localization is another thing to think about. It cannot be automatically translated because the text is fixed. For example, Google Translate solved the website you see here into Hungarian. As you can see, calls to action are images that contain text rather than HTML, so the reader cannot be translated. Pairing a photo with your message, how it’s worded, and even the fonts you choose can make the difference between success and failure in targeting your audience.
Composition
The best way to combine colors, graphics, and fonts is through composition after choosing your chosen palette. The design should be as simple and beautiful as you can make it. The user can focus on one task at a time by eliminating visual clutter and noise. It shows that your images, buttons, colors, shapes, and text layout is logical and clear.
A simple design should not be boring but highlight one element as the page’s primary focus. Another helpful example is Instagram. Everything else is removed in the name of the main goal, viewing photos. HubSpot selected 32 unique websites.