Graphic design is not just a job—it’s an art form. It has the incredible ability to express emotions, ideas, and concepts in ways that words alone can’t. These ideas are visually presented in seven different types of graphic design. So, let’s dive in and explore each type one by one.
Before we dive in, let’s quickly cover some basics about graphic design.
What Is Graphic Design?
To understand the different types, you need to know what is graphic design. It is a combination of art and professional skills used to communicate ideas and messages. A graphic designer uses elements like colour, lines, shapes, photos, text, illustrations, and symbols to create visual representations of concepts.
Why Is Graphic Design Important?
Without graphic designers, our world would be way less interesting.
Graphic design is EVERYWHERE—from our homes to the workplace and beyond. It’s used in advertisements, websites, books, magazines, films, and television. Everywhere you go, you’re likely to come across some type of graphic design.
Graphic design is also incredibly important for businesses. It can help build brand recognition and trust among customers by creating a consistent visual identity that customers can recognise and remember.
Now that we have the basics out of the way let’s take a look at seven types of graphic design you should know about:
7 Types of Graphic Design
Each type of graphic design requires a specific skill set and knowledge base, so let’s go through each one individually. Sometimes, but not always, graphic designers choose to specialise in a particular type.
Brand Design
Startup businesses or businesses looking to rebrand often hire brand designers to help them create a unique visual identity. Brand design involves creating visuals such as logos, colour palettes, and fonts that accurately represent a company’s values and objectives.
Packaging Design
Every product needs a unique and eye-catching design on its packaging to stand out on store shelves. Packaging designers focus on shape, size, materials, printing and decoration in order to create attractive packages.
For instance, say there was a business that sells organic apple juice. The packaging designer would create a design for the bottle. The design would need to be chosen based on the shape of the bottle, the matte or glossy effect needed for printing, and any additional decorations (such as organic ingredient stickers or descriptive text).
Environmental Design
Have you ever walked in a public space and felt connected to the environment? Environmental designers are responsible for creating these types of experiences through design.
They focus on creating meaningful designs for physical spaces like public parks, airports, or other places where people gather in large numbers. Environmental graphic design can range from wall murals and museum exhibitions to wayfinding signs.
User Interface Design
User experience is very important in today’s place and age because most people use mobile devices or apps to navigate through everyday tasks. User interface designers help create an enjoyable and intuitive experience for users by creating interfaces that are easy to use, visually appealing, and efficient.
Graphic designers zoom in on buttons, menus, interactions, and different aspects of a user interface in order to create an optimal experience for the user. They usually don’t create the actual code, but they are responsible for creating user-friendly layouts.
Website Graphic Design
Not having a website today is like not having a phone number. We live in a tech-savvy world, and most people surf the Internet to search for information. Businesses need to have a website in order to reach their customers.
But before web developers begin their coding and web designers begin their creation, website graphic designers come in to develop the overall appearance of the site.
They are responsible for designing basically everything you see on a website. From fonts and images to colour schemes and layouts, they work to create a website that’s visually appealing, and that conveys the brand’s message.
Marketing & Advertising Design
This is, more often than not, the most popular type of graphic design. Most companies use visuals to get the attention of their target audience.
Marketing and advertising designers are focused on creating visuals that will help the company stand out in the market. Whether it’s a billboard, magazine ad, social media post, or email template, they create designs that will catch the audience’s attention.
Motion Graphics Design
Modern websites or advertisements are no longer static; they’re dynamic. This is where motion graphics come in.
Motion graphic designers use vector-based illustrations and animation to create an interactive experience for viewers. They create visuals that move, often with sound, to convey a message or story.
This type of design requires a different set of skills than traditional print graphic design, as it requires animators to create and animate the visuals.
Wrapping Up
Now, you’ve got a good grasp of the various types of graphic design out there.
Whether you’re a business owner looking to create visuals for your website or an aspiring graphic designer yourself, it’s important to understand the different types of design so that you can make an informed decision when selecting a designer.
If you want an experienced graphic designer to help you create a website or marketing materials, why not check out our graphic design services in Pretoria? We have a team of experienced designers who specialise in all kinds of graphic design, from logo design to motion graphics!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How Do I Know Which Type of Graphic Design Is Best For My Project?
The type of graphic design that is best for your project will depend on what you are trying to achieve. Layout your goals and objectives and then you can decide which type of graphic design will work best for your project.
2. What Is The Difference Between Graphic Design And Web Design?
Graphic design is used to create visuals that are meant to be printed while web design is focused on creating visuals for the digital space.
3. How Much Does Graphic Design Cost?
The cost of graphic design will depend on the type of project you are looking to complete, the complexity of your needs, and the scope of the project.