Everything
IS Graphic DESIGN A look at a world without Graphic Design.
This is a little book for all you prospective Graphic Design Guru’s to give you a few reasons for the importance of Design in society. You will get the usual questions from your flatmates, friends and family about your degree, such as “So do you just draw all day?”,and these points should help explain what you do and why. Everyone has their own reasons for doing graphics and ways they like to shrug off the ‘Haters’ however it’s always good to be prepared in the event of sudden questioning. and it’s always good to remember...
“Graphic Design is at the core of everything.” James Flanagan, 2011
CONTENTS 3&4
//
Nothing would be user friendly.
5&6
//
Nothing would be sold effectively
7&8
//
No system of writing
9&10
//
No visual hierarchy
11-16
//
These things wouldn’t exist
17&18
//
Nothing would have identity
19-22
//
These brands wouldn’t be successful
23&24
//
These jobs wouldn’t exist
25&26
//
No form of visual communication
27&28
//
The World would be a dull place
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
Nothing
WOULD
BE USER
FRIENDLY
Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Windows, Mac OS, firefox, Safari, magazines, Instruction manuals... you name it. If it’s meant to be used for anything at all, it will have been designed in a way that makes dealing with the information in it as easy as possible. For example interfaces on computer programs are designed using a huge amount of symbols and minimal written language so that they can be used quickly and effectively by anyone due to visual aid as opposed to written. This means that it can be used by people regardless of language etc. Also the interfaces are designed so that it is as easy to navigate as possible and and will only require basic instruction to use. Even books, including this one, are designed in a manor that is recognised as the easiest to navigate, with contents at the front and sections clearly split using title pages and so on.
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
NOTHING
WOULD
BE SOLD
EFFECTIVELY
Selling things basically relies on its visual appeal, how good it is made to look or how well whatever it does is communicated to the consumer by a designer. These things rely on graphic design as the product or concept itself often isn’t enough. To aestheticise a product in order to make it eye catching and to design the method in which it is being sold in a way that communicates fully what it is about is the job of the graphic designer. Without this, It would just be tough luck, and the product would have to speak entirely for itself.
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
There
WOULD BE NO
SYSTEM
OF WRITING
Systems for reading and writing have been entirely developed by designers and using various methods of design over a very long period of time. Despite a lot of developments in the implementation of this system pre-dating the term ‘graphic design’, everything within it has been done for a reason. This includes; - Writing from left to right. - Writing from top to bottom - The design of the characters - The format they are displayed. e.g sentences, paragraphs, chapters. - The format in which they are delivered e.g. books, magazines. These are all in place because they aid the reader in dealing with the information by allowing it to flow, like a conversation. This is why writing is known as the visualisation of language.
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
NO visual
HIERARCHY
Without visual hierarchy the difference between high and low end graphics and products in general would be non-existant. This means we’d never be able to tell what quality of product we’re buying and using. Although this may seem minor, the design of a products packaging is the first thing that people will look at and is a very powerful tool for selling. If a products graphics make an impact it’s bound to be a winner. Difference in graphics also helps people to form opinions and be visually engaged. Without this difference in visuals there would be nothing to differentiate products or peoples opinions.
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
These
THINGS
WOULDN’T
EXIST
3
3 These wouldn’t exist without Graphic Design.
55
NUMBERS
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
These wouldn’t exist without Graphic Design.
the Scotch egg (This should soon become clear)
These wouldn’t exist without Graphic Design.
Thinking outside the box
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
These wouldn’t exist without Graphic Design.
ideas
i-de-a
noun ideas (plural)
1. A thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action - they don’t think it’s a very good idea
2. A concept or mental impression
- our menu list will give you some idea of how interesting a low-fat diet can be
3. An opinion or belief
- nineteenth-century ideas about drinking
4. A feeling that something is probable or possible - he had an idea that she must feel the same
These wouldn’t exist without Graphic Design.
GD
letters
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
NOTHING
WOULD
HAVE
IDENTITY
Similarly to visual hierarchy, companies identities help people to differentiate between them and make an appropriate decision on the service they want to use. Logos and companies identities are also designed purposefully to be memorable, allowing customers to remember a company from something as simple as the logo. Brands like Nike have gained prestige over the years and anything with their logo can be sold at much higher prices than average because of the branding. This system of branding companies has also produced some really brilliant pieces of design that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
These
BRANDS
WOULDN’T
EXIST
These wouldn’t exist without Graphic Design.
Coca Cola
Nike
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
These wouldn’t exist without Graphic Design.
Shell
Life’s Good
Apple
These wouldn’t exist without Graphic Design.
MacDonalds
Adidas
Woolmark
VolksWagen
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
tHese Jobs
WOULDN’T
EXIST
- Graphic Designer
- Design Support
- Print Desinger
- Web developer
- Middleweight Designer
- Brand Packaging Designer
- Artworker
- Software Engineer
- Motion Graphics Designer
- Mobile Visual designer
- Events Promotion
- Head Of Studio
- Illustrator
- Marketing
- Retail Designer
- Front End Developer
- Associate creative Director
- Creative Producer
- Creative Studio Manager
- Web Programmer
- Flash Designer
- Digital Graphic Designer
- Digital Marketing Executive
- Media Producer
- Design Manager
- Software Developer
- Desktop Publishing Operator
- Print Manager
- Interface Designer
- Technical Artworker
- Print Technician
- Web Creative
- Retoucher
- Senior Designer
- 3D Visualiser
- Visual Design Consultant
- Art Director
- Editorial Designer
- CGI Producer
- Freelance Designer
- Editor
- Photographer
- Marketing Designer
- Junior Designer
- Online Content Editor
- Digital Art Director
- In House Designer
- Application Developer
- Mac Artworker
- E-Mail Designer
- Design Lecturer
- Design Engineer
- Packaging Designer
- Assistant Artworker
- Catalogue Designer
- Exhibition Designer
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
AND PLENTY MORE...
NO
Form of
visual
COMMUNICATION
Visual Communication is very much one of the base principles of graphic design. Somethings ability to communicate entirely from visuals. This is incredibly important because it is the only form of communication that can be understood internationally. It completely surpasses any language barrier in place. Every piece of design in the environment is supposed to catch a persons eye, and communicate visually what it’s about. Without graphics, visual communication wouldn’t exist, and in theory, NOTHING could be communicated effectively. Road signs are the perfect example of visual communication in action, using only very simple graphics to communicate incredibly important information, very quickly.
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
THE W
WOUL
DU
WORLD
LD BE
ULL EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
EVERYTHING IS GRAPHIC DESIGN MAX GREGORY