When we hear the term graphic design, each of us has a different association. Some first thoughts are of web design and mobile applications, some think about business cards and brochures, and some think about packaging design and brand identity. Because graphic design as a communication skill focuses on the visual interpretation of the message.
It can be psychic, digital, or anywhere in between. In today’s competitive world, graphic designing has become an integral part of every business. It plays an important role; by combining technology, aesthetics, and creative thinking, you can communicate your message, which will remain etched in the minds of your audiences.
What Type of Skills are Required Graphic Designer
But there is one crucial thing to point out. Each type of graphic design requires a specific set of skills and design techniques. Many designers specialize in a single type; others focus on a set of related, similar types.
Although often overlapping, designers usually focus on a specific design area and build their skills for years. So don’t expect the web designer to do the top job of video editing as someone who has been doing this for years. This was just an example, but you get the point.
Below we highlighted 8 types of graphic design to understand each design area better and to help you choose the designer with the right skills for your job. So, let’s start.
Visual Identity Graphic Design
Every business, whether it’s small, medium or large, has a different story to tell. In order for their audience to hear their story, there is brand identity.
Visual identity graphic designers must possess a general knowledge of all types of graphic design to create design elements that are suitable across all visual media.
They also need excellent communication, conceptual and creative skills, and a passion for researching industries, organizations, trends, and competitors. Visual identity graphic designers usually have their skills upgraded in the field of marketing and advertising graphic design. When creating the visual identity, he should always consider how it will fit on later in marketing and advertising.
Marketing & Advertising Graphic Design
As we have already mentioned, marketing & advertising design can be divided into the printed advertisements that we see in the form of posters, billboards, flyers, catalogs, packaging, cardboard stands, and all printed materials that pass through the printing machine.
And it can be divided into digital advertisements which we see on TV ads and phones in the form of banners, video ads, promotional posts on social networks, and radio commercials.
Web Design
The mobile industry is growing very fast. Companies have started delivering their content and services through apps. With great mobile app design, you are not only responsible for making a product look beautiful but also for building a relationship between the app and the user. Professional App designers are aware of the latest trends. They know how to design an app with an elegant interface, perfect icons, and excellent art.
Publication Design
Graphic designers who specialize in publications work with editors and publishers to create layouts with carefully selected typography and accompanying the artwork, which includes photography, graphics, and illustrations.
Publication designers may work as freelancers, as creative agency members, or in-house as part of a publishing company. Publication designers must possess excellent communication, layout, and organizational skills. In addition to graphic design expertise, they need to understand color management, printing, and digital publishing.
Packaging Graphic Design
The packaging has a dual role, to protect the product while storing, distributing, and selling and also to communicate directly to consumers, which makes it an extremely valuable marketing tool. Packaging designers create concepts, develop mockups, and create print-ready files for a product. This requires expert knowledge of print processes and a keen understanding of industrial design and manufacturing.
They have to keep track of trends and competition. Imagine that a product is found in a retail store next to its competition in the same color and shape; it doesn’t stand out at all, and the consumer will find it harder to spot it or not notice it at all. Packaging must be innovative, must stand out, and must “call” consumers to choose this product.
Motion Graphic Design
Motion graphic design has become a real trend; there is a growing demand among companies to display their products and services with short animations. Except for marketing purposes, animations are used in video games, applications, banners, animated texts, subtitles, and much more.
The huge popularity nowadays has a gif that is eminently spread among young people. “Motion graphics designer” is a somewhat new specialty for designers, and can be found across all digital platforms, which has created all sorts of new areas and opportunities.
Environmental Graphic Design
Whether you are talking about office branding, public transportation navigation, or retail store interiors, environmental graphic design visually connects people to places to improve their overall experience by making spaces more memorable, interesting, informative, or easier to navigate. We are not even aware of how environmental graphic design actually affects our everyday lives.
Environmental graphic design is a multidisciplinary practice that merges graphic, architectural, interior, landscape, and industrial design. Designers collaborate with people in any number of these fields to plan and implement their designs. Because of that, designers typically have education and experience in both graphic design and architecture. They must be familiar with industrial design concepts and able to read and sketch architectural plans.
Illustration
There is a difference between a graphic designer and a graphic artist. Graphic designers create compositions to communicate and solve problems, and graphic artists create original artwork. Graphic artists use any combination of media and techniques to create their work as they collaborate with writers, editors, managers, marketers, and art directors across all graphic design types.
They’ll often have a foundation in fine arts, animation, or architecture. Overlapping skills and apps make it possible to find graphic designers who also work as graphic artists and illustrators.
Conclusion
Graphic design skills are the creative skills for designing and story telling in visuals. However, there are various types of graphic design that are utilized to convey the message. We have mentioned the details of each skill to learn and start a career with it. Whether you want to specialize in single or multiple niches.