Advertising/Marketing
This category really captures why I love graphic design. The idea of creating an eye-catching label in order to promote a brand, product, or service is what really started my passion. In high school, I was the Graphic Design Manager for our school store. There, I began creating posters, business cards, flyers, and designing the store. While doing this, I realized that I enjoyed looking at a product, and thinking of a way to promote it using words, colors, prints, etc. I love the idea of someone telling me details of what they are promoting, the look they are going for, and be able to expand on it and create something that fits and suits each product. Nothing is ever the same with graphic design, and that makes everything more fun and unpredictable.
Type
Type would be a great field of Graphic Design to get into because of the importance. Type is everywhere and most of the time, the most important factor of the design. All of the different font faces, serifs, hooks, etc. of a word can really create a personality. Being able to master the ability to make the fonts come alive, and tell the story without reading it yet, is an amazing talent and really intrigues me. Ever since I was little, during classes I would just draw my name over and over in different colors, styles, and layouts. I also love playing with words and designs, because I love English and writing. Being able to do both of those studies in Graphic Design is ideal.
Brand and Identity Design
The idea of creating a single logo for a specific product and being able to incorporate the feel of the product, as well as make it visually appealing and eye catching is a true talent. Having a single logo represent a product, and make it memorable for the customer to identify every time he/she sees it truly incorporates design. I personally would love to make a logo for a clothing company. I love the idea of working with shapes and color schemes to create a design that can all come together and tell a story.
Dragon Fly Marketing
I found dragonfly marketing to be incredibly inspiring. This website provides examples of great designs in the field of advertisements. Each advertisement has the ability to grab attention and tell a story.
CMYK
CMYK is a great magazine to get inspiration and ideas for color combinations, layouts, and portfolios.
Print Magazine
PrintMag has great examples of different texts, styles, and prints. I like this website because the “image of the day” is always eye catching and makes you think. The images are always fun which provide a personality for the designs.
Shutterstock is a website that provides thousands of forms of designs. Usually, the designs are a logo or a way to represent an object. This is a great way to get ideas to connect a design and a product together. Here, you can find a lot of logo inspiration.
WebDesignerMag provides great examples of work. I really liked the “Hot 100” spread. The work is beautiful and can inspire a lot of work.
Even though CommArts focuses on the communication aspect of design, it still shows examples of beautiful work. This website helps me think of ways to connect with the design by using words and layouts.
DigitalArts provides examples of colorful, vibrant, pieces of work.
ComputerArts provides web design specific to graphic design.
Luke Lucas is an artist that has great examples of type, spacing, lines, and visual relationships.
Research
Jorge Pardo does an amazing job using space, layout, and colors. His art is visually appealing and makes your eye wander all throughout the page rather in one spot.
