What is Graphic Design ? : Blog 1

Sarah Galea Blog 1:                                                                                      05/10/2014

Unit 3: History of Graphic Design:

What is Graphic Design ?

Graphic design is a skill that one adopts, to pass on information to others through a combination of images and text. It is a means of communication understood by the majority of people, which includes a function.

The function of Graphic Design is usually to pass a message, important information and facts. One has to be able to identify the meaning and value of a design, in order to make complete understanding of the work. This activity is combining Typography, illustration, photography and printing for purposes of persuasion, to pass on information or to give instructions and directions.

Graphic Design is just a term that has only been used for the past 92 years. The art of graphic design was already being done before that. William Addison Dwiggins was the first person that starting using the term ‘graphic design’ to explain this particular skill.

Graphic Design is constant visual communication, which is found all around us now days. It has started being widely used after World War two, mostly as means of propaganda. One can choose to advertise or use propaganda through graphic design. The difference is that when using propaganda, it means that you are selling an idea. It can be a good and innovative idea like for example the contemporary propaganda being used in favour of the environment. On the other hand as for advertising, one uses it to sell something, a product or service. The art of persuasion is crucial; a piece of art has to be persuasive enough to encourage people to like it. Persuasion is not obligatory in graphic design as something that just needs to pass on information or instruct does not need to be liked by everyone.

The creative procedure of combining art and technology is indeed graphic design. The designer has to work with various tools to communicate with a particular audience and also in order to make a client satisfied by the messages conveyed. I think we do not imagine how powerful an image can be. A poster or a piece of art created by a graphic designer has power. The amount of power depends on the image and words chosen. An image does not only convey information or facts, it expresses emotion and mood. One picture can make someone happy or sad, it can make someone think of consequences, and also puts someone in a position to stop and think about experiences. An image can be drawn, painted, a photograph or graphically made.

There are various types of designs, it can be image based, text based, image and type or just symbols and logos. All have a purpose, and a particular situation which all can be useful and after all fruitful. Graphic design is a communication which will never die; it is being used in everything from packaging to advertising to traffic signs. Every person get in touch with at least one and even more uses of graphic design every day and every moment, and without even knowing it is affecting us constantly, and it is determining our thoughts and actions.

Bibliography

Poggenpohl, S. H., 1993. Aiga. [Online]
Available at: http://www.aiga.org/guide-whatisgraphicdesign/
[Accessed 02 10 2014].