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What is Graphic Design?

Why Graphic Design?

I first sparked an interest in graphic design when I took a graphics design class in high school, where I learned how to use computers to create logos, designs, magazine flyers, and business cards.  In the following graphics class, I had learned about the more physical side of graphic design, like how to create advertisements and signs for businesses, how to create vinyl stickers, how to use a typesetter, how to create shirts in many different ways such as screen printing and heat transfer paper.   I don’t really know yet if I want to become a designer, or just do it in my free time as a hobby.

What Draws You to the Brand and Logo side of Graphic Design?

Possibly my favorite part of graphics is being able to design logos for companies, and creating a corresponding overall image of the company itself.  I’d love to be able to create a logo that reflects the company in an appealing, yet fitting way.  For example, a famous designer by the name of Milton Glaser created the “I Love NY” logo.  This wasn’t for a company, but for the state and city of New York itself.  The logo is simple, easy to read, and attractive, it was designed to help attract tourists back to the city at a time that the city wasn’t looked at in a good light. And the logo was successful, 40 years later and the logo itself generates $30 million in merchandise a year, and helped bring back tourists to New York City. Being able to accomplish something like this is insane, although possible and actually occurs all the time with all sorts of different companies and the effect their logo can create on others.

Links: Logo and Identity Design   |   Milton Glaser   |   What Make’s a Great Logo

What Draws You to the Advertising side of Graphic Design?

I personally feel that advertising design goes hand in hand with brand and identity design and are quite similar. While brand and identity tends to focus more on the logo itself and how it reflects the company or organization as a whole.  Advertising design focuses on the ads themselves. Take the company Budweiser, their logo itself hasn’t changed much at all over the past century, but their advertisements themselves are constantly changing to remain appealing and modern, while still sticking with the same overall theme.  Their ads are manly or appealing to men and thats because they’re targeting the audience that has proven to be the most profitable for them, but they still change it enough to stay in style.  This is what I find thrilling, being able to create an advertisement that sends messages through visuals that evokes certain feelings and emotions in people.

Links: TV Advertising   |   Advertising Design   |   Advertising Industry