How to Use Graphic Design for Different Projects
Posted by: Brad
Tags: graphic design, graphic design jobs, using graphic design
Think about this for a second: everything you can purchase or have ever purchased was at one point devised by someone. All holiday decorations, furniture, movie covers, cereal boxes, car interiors, microchips, window decals and buildings were the result of someone’s creative endeavors. That’s a lot of stuff, isn’t it? Most people don’t comprehend that the artistically-pleasing logo or magazine layout they see and frequently take for granted was envisioned and constructed by an artist who work hard to land a graphic design job.
Placement is an integral part of any kind of artsy configuration. On book covers, artists must not only determine a font selection, but they must also figure out how large to make the title, how close together the letters should be, where on the cover to put the title, how big the title should be compared to the author’s name, what color the title should be, and how much the title should obstruct the cover artwork. That’s a lot of thought to go into some words on a book cover! But it has to be there; certain arrangements magnetize the eye and artists must know how to exploit these in order to get people’s attention and hopefully get those people to buy the book.
Another huge part of any design is the color. You’d never see a Skittles bag that was fully gray scale, would you? Of course not! How can you taste the rainbow when there isn’t one to be seen? That red Skittles bag is made to grab your attention straight away, and no color is louder than a primary red. Different colors have different meanings and they have to be used accordingly in most cases. Vivid colors are repeatedly used when selling to children because they love and are attracted to pretty colors (that’s why candy comes in brightly-colored containers). Women are alleged to be attracted to advertising involving pastel colors or shades of pink. Blue, green, silver and black are used to promote products to men.
And what about fonts? You wouldn’t ever see a pamphlet on bereavement that was done up in energetic colors and Comic Sans font, would you? No, because that sends a confusing signal; it says “happy” and “sad” at the same time, and even if the design is otherwise great, that text is going to throw the whole thing off. Elegant, sinuous fonts are habitually applied to advertise to women. Solid, bulky text is used to market to men. Simple cursive tends to denote compassion and gentleness, which is why it is used for nursing home logos. “Cool” fonts are needed to appeal to younger folks, like the logo on the Monster energy drink can.
Packaging is also crucial. Ever see shampoos or cosmetics made for women that come in smooth, curvy bottles? It’s because most women want or have smooth curves and the shape of the bottle just visually charms them because it either is something they desire or mirrors what they already have. Toy box designs have to be loud to get attention and designed in such a way as to allow maximum viewing of the toy itself so there’s a higher probability of it being purchased. Seeing a picture on the box is one thing, but most people need to see the product before buying, like those people who have to open a box of underwear to make sure they look okay and then ask for a discount because the item was opened.
Knowing this stuff is the very core of graphic design jobs. You can’t just know how to draw…you have to know how to say things through the art, with or without words. This is what separates fliers nailed to telephone poles from advertisements in magazines.