What is Graphic Design?

An introduction to the basics of graphic design and its different applications.

About the Color Model

The CMYK color model is used in printing. Although computer monitors display color in RGB, final printed pieces will be in CMYK, and so it is important to understand this model and the printing process.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Life style desgin

Time to get educated...
Although there may be some that make it to the industry just by talent alone, most, if not all of us (I'm talking you and me here) need some sort of certificate or degree to land a job as a graphic designer. Employers won't even bother to look at you if you lack the piece of paper that shows that you have been trained and seasoned by some sort of graphic design related program. Getting a degree or certificate doesn't reflect your talent, but it does show that you have a good firm base of knowledge and you take the industry seriously. So what are your training options?There are many graphic design schools and colleges across North America, Europe, and abroad that offers graphic design related degrees and programs. The range and scope of these programs all depend on what you want, and where you want to go. There are programs in multimedia, graphic design, visual communication, advertising, animation, web development, and so on. All have much of the same principles and structure at work, but they all can have a different slant. Often people lump these categories together into "graphic design". A multimedia program for example may focus more on the TV industry. Other programs may focus more on print or website development. Often there is some overlap with all of these kinds of programs, but they can be quite different. It's important though to know what slant the program has, and if you're happy with that slant.
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Logo Design

There are so many corporations, products, services, agencies, and other organizations that use a logo to represent their image that the uniqueness and recognizability of a logo becomes a very important element. A logo is what helps customers remember the company or product, and is often what brings them back. The right logo can be one of the strongest marketing tools as it is a consistent image that consumers become familiar with, and that provides clarity to consumers and suppliers as to what the brand or product is. Examples of good logos are those that can be easily differentiated form other logos, and ones that are easily recognized due to their unique typography or distinctive coloring.
Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to update and implement their logos, and to keep them fresh and innovative. Many companies will hire in house logo designers to design their logos, but most will turn to local graphic design firms or advertising agencies to design their logos for them as that is where most experienced logo designers work.
What kind of program?
Short term certificate programs are a good start, but don't expect high end job right off the bat. Expect an entry level position where you will have to work your way up. There is NOTHING wrong with this approach. These programs are often 1 or 2 years. Just know what to expect when you walk out with your certificate in hand (or on wall). Longer term programs like a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree are often 3-4 years, and offer a more in-depth base to work from. Graduating from these programs give you a better chance of landing higher end jobs, but don't guarantee this result. Both short and long term programs most often offer a work placement into a related business/studio during or after your studies. This is very important for gaining experience which is often required for landing your first job. Some students get lucky, and get hired from the place they are doing their work practicum. Other students might even get hired before they even finish their program. Often schools will have good relationships with the industry in their area, and keep these businesses informed about their students. Sometimes schools will mention the businesses that they keep in contact with.It's also important to know what percentage of grads get hired after graduation. A low hire rate can often reflect a poor program, and should bring up a red flag.

Texture in Graphic Design

Texture can refer to the actual surface of a design or to the visual appearance of a design. In the first case, the audience can actually feel the texture, making it unique from the other elements of design. In the second case, texture is implied through the style of design. Rich, layered graphics can create visual texture that mirrors actual texture.

pencil to check figure

pencil to check figure

Figure Drawing

A common problem in figure drawing is getting everything in proportion. While there are lots of sutbtle differences between individuals, human proportions fit within a fairly standard range, though artists have historically looked for idealised standards against which the rest of us don't always measure up! In figure drawing, the basic unit of measurement is the 'head', which is the distance from the top of the head to the chin. This handy unit of measurement is reasonably standard, and has long been used by artists to establish the proportions of the human figure.


The proportions used in figure drawing are: -

An average person, is generally 7-and-a-half heads tall (including the head). - An ideal figure, used when aiming for an impression of nobility or grace, is drawn at 8 heads tall. - An heroic figure, used in the heroic for the depiction of gods and superheroes, is eight-and-a-half heads tall(beware of creating a 'pinhead!') Most of the additional length comes from a bigger chest and longer legs.
For most figures, the standard proportions are a safe bet, and lightly placing your seven horizontals at the very outset can be a helpful way to ensure your figure will fit on the page. Then more careful measurements can be taken according to your individual subject. Remember that these proportions are for a basic standing figure, and changes in pose will affect the height.

Have you ever wondered what artists are actually doing when they peer at something over an outstretched pencil-top? Now you know: they are measuring up the model (or object). Ok, so a pencil-top is a pretty rough measure, but it is an immense help in getting down the proportions of your subject.
Using this method, it is important to stand in the same place, and to keep your head as still as possible when measuring, and to extend the arm fully with elbow straight, each time a measurement is made. You should not be too close to the model.
Remember that the basic unit in figure drawing is the model's head, from top to chin. Holding your pencil in a fist with the thumb upwards, and arm stretched out fully, close your non-master eye and align the top of your pencil with the top of the model's head, and slide your thumb down the pencil until it aligns with the model's chin. There you have your basic unit of measurement on the pencil. Repeat this step whenever necessary.
Now, to find how many heads tall your model is, drop your hand slightly so that the top of the pencil is at the chin. Observe carefully the point on the figure that aligns with your thumb - this should be roughly below the breastbone. (2 heads - you count the head itself). Drop the top of the pencil to that point, and so on, down to the feet.

Pencil angel

Pencil angel

web design

We all know the value of having a Web site rank well in search engine outcome for searches on particular keywords/phrases. If the Web site doesn’t have a page appearing in the top 10 search engine result positions the probability of someone clicking on the listing, and actually visiting the site, drop dramatically. Although one person can maintain small websites, larger sites require a group of personnel filling a variety of roles. The line can be blurred between the roles, and ofcourse many aspects of site design require more than one head to solve a problem. The following roles are examples of the types of talent necessary to build a larger, well-conceived site.

Tips for Effective Web Design


. Neat and Easy Navigation: Navigation of links on your site plays a big role in determining the stickiness of your site (how long your visitor stays and explores your site). Ask yourself this, What do visitors do as soon as they open your site? They would probably read the content of the present page and then look around to find any other page that interests them. Read our article on Web site Navigation Tips.

. Clean Layout Design: A clean layout that uses a lot of white space enhances a site's looks. Try to keep the focus on your content, use a template for this. Use fonts that will be available on all computers to prevent your site looking messed up.
Optimum Load Time: Make sure your load time is low. For this you must: Minimize Graphics, Flash and scripts: They hugely increase your file size. Optimize your HTML & script code: Make sure that your site doesn't have any unwanted tags or unused scripts.Use Server Side Include (SSI) files where ever possible. SSI files once called from the web server reside in its cache so on subsequent requests they load faster. Read our article Tips for a Fast Loading Site for more.

Design for all Screen Resolutions: A site that is easy-to-use always encourages visitors to stay and read your content. For site with long pages of content this is very crucial as the amount of scrolling required is reduced. Suppose your site doesn't look good for a particular resolution it is very probable that the visitor will close the browser window feeling that the web page is not for their viewing. Designing stretch layouts that fit any screen resolution ensures that you know all your visitors see a visually appealing and professional site. Read our article Designing for all Screen Resolutions for more.

. Ensure Web site scalability: Make sure your code and design is scalable. As technology advances and configuration of computers & their monitors keep increasing and varying it is impossible to test your site in all screen sizes and platforms.

. Cross Browser Compatible: Make sure you check your site for Internet Explorer 5+, Mozilla Firefox 1.0, Opera 7.0 and Netscape Navigator 6+ as they constitute 95% of the worlds browsers.