Identifying and solving problems is a desired capability in all departments, agencies and offices around the world. The same thing happens when it comes to the creative field. Graphic design, for example, is an area of infinite possibilities that exists to solve different types of problems in the field of visual senses.
There are basic principles for the profession.
It is essential, for a graphic designer, to show, at the same time, excellent aesthetic taste, talent, creative reference, technical mastery of computational tools and, above all, to know how to balance all these elements with one objective: to find the best way to present a certain solution.
Creation of brandings, presentations, websites or stationery materials.
It seems simple that the same professional develops all these services, right?
In practice, this may not be the case. We will explain that:
How graphic design adds value to brands
There is an imprecise common knowledge that graphic design is only about creating beautiful images and advertising pieces.
But that is a mistake.
The aesthetic appearance is just the result of a great job, which encompasses the idealization of the project, the brand values, the usability of the pieces, together with a rigorous study of who will consume this work so that, in fact, it could communicate well with such audience.
In other words, it communicates ideas assimilable to the public, aiming at the marketing objectives, whether they are commercial or institutional.
At the same time that the problems are diverse, so are the solutions.
That is why graphic design is a multiple field of action, which requires a deep understanding of techniques for each type of work.
Looks complex? Well, let’s make things a little easier to understand.
People should understand more completely the entire performance in graphic design, and why not every professional is able to solve everything involved in the area.
Visual identity
The visual identity represents the application of the brand in all media and formats, according to the characteristics of the logo.
Based on this, a visual identity manual is elaborated to present all the components and the best practices for your application.
This document is essential to maintain visual unity in all contexts.
Brand design
Brand management, or brand design, is another segment that deals with the creation and management of a brand.
After the naming was created by an advertising professional, the brand designer is, then, in charge of creating the logo and visual identity.
Logo
Logo is the graphic symbol that represents a company, a brand or a product.
Such creative intellectual work, however, is much more complex than you think, and involves a lot of knowledge, study and planning.
If done correctly, it manages to transmit the values and objectives of the company and, at the same time, establishes a communication channel with the ideal audience.
A good logo is memorable and conveys the right message about the company it represents.
It consists of a color chart, typography and graphic elements. In this way, it gives shape and life to an idea, a name and a slogan.
When all these elements are well balanced, there is the ideal representation that will be a guide for the creation of the visual identity and all the visual communication of the brand.
Web Design
Also known as digital design, web design is indispensable today.
After all, much of the world of advertising and commerce happens today within the dimensions of a cell phone or desktop screen.
The specialist in this field, therefore, deals with the fundamentals of design and programming languages to deliver digital solutions.
Your website is the main gateway to your potential customers on the internet.
Thus, the job of the web designer, with a focus on building websites, is to build a friendly layout in which the user could be confortable and have pleasure in navigating.
Connecting elements such as images, illustrations and texts, these professionals create pages that tell a story and lead to different goals.
The web designer can be specialized on two fronts in creating a website.
UI Design
User Interface is an expertise that analyzes and gathers all the elements of the website layout, aiming at the interaction with the user. Its goal is that the person who browses the site will be able to perform all functions in a very natural way.
UX Design
User Experience, on the other hand, is concerned with surprising positively whoever enters the site. It deals with the playful factors of design, and how they make browsing more enjoyable, creating an emotional bond with those who do it.
Social media
Leaving the sphere of the website a little bit, it is worth mentioning that the social-focused designer is the professional who creates pieces that can be used in any digital space.
Posts on social networks, profile and cover photos, pieces for paid media campaigns (as in Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Linkedin Ads), banners for blogs, websites, e-commerces.
There are hundreds of formats and technical specifications, and the job of this professional is to know how to use all of them.
More than that, it is necessary to have experience in finalizing files, so that images or videos are well displayed on smartphones, tablets or desktops.
Mobile application design, as it is also known, masters resources to produce good quality pieces that load quickly.
This last aspect is indispensable; after all, users’ attention is increasingly dispersed.
This means that almost no one has the patience to deal with things that demand waiting time. Ultimately, there is no lack of content to be consumed.
Print Design
Although much of the communication takes place in the dimensions of a smartphone screen, the production of graphic pieces, or print design, is still highly strategic for many segments.
In this case, it is necessary that the editor, the designer and the finalist – professionals involved in the process of creating and closing the files – have a good sense of what they are doing.
After all, print production involves the production of thousands of items. Therefore, mistakes are unacceptable!
In addition, each type of print has a different purpose, and this completely changes the production dynamics of the pieces.
Good print design professionals can create pieces for various formats, such as: stickers, banners, book covers, posters, catalogs, business cards, newspapers, magazines, folders, flyers, leaflets, labels and even billboards.
Labels and packaging design
One of the most original ways that design finds solutions, in terms of advertising, is the creation of labels and packaging to differentiate products and draw public attention.
Who has never been surprised by a peculiar packaging and had wanted to take (or even took) the product home just because of that?
The design of packaging and labels does more than present the technical information of a product: it enchants, instigates and differentiates it from the thousands of competing products.
Therefore, the specialized designer needs to know all the rules, standards and information that must appear on the labels of the product being worked on (and this varies in all segments, be it food, pharmaceutical, sports etc.), in addition to valuing the differential of the presentation.
This work is the result of the branding, values and objectives of the brand with that specific product.
Illustration
Now we have entered a point that can be a little confusing. After all, not every graphic designer is an illustrator.
This creative professional is responsible for bringing concepts and representations to life.
Prints, drawings, characters and even images.
The illustrator is the person who builds storyboards, digital paintings, concept sets, and vector illustrations, among many other elements.
It is also important to note that the illustrator does not always master all styles of illustration, which are diverse.
Animation
The difference between an illustrator and an animator is that the latter brings movement to his/her creation.
There are several types of animations.
Traditional animation
This is the animation done frame by frame and the animator needs to have advanced knowledge in illustration.
It is a very laborious job, in which the designer creates 12 frames to obtain 1 second of animation.
3D animation
3D animation is one of the most popular.
From the simplest to the most professional, such as film productions, this kind of work is extremely complex and often requires several people involved in the same project.
3D modeling
3D modeling is a step beyond 3D animation, but one job does not necessarily depend on the other.
You can find large-scale 3D modeling in the advertising market. This resource is much used in ads that shows packaging and products been handled.
Motion Graphics
Motion graphics, also known as motion, videography, or animation design is one of the simplest animation techniques.
From a two-dimensional image, effects such as rotation, scale, opacity and many others that generate perceptions of movement in the image are applied.
Stop Motion
Stop motion is very similar to traditional animation, but here we work with physical pieces, which are animated manually.
Game design
Game design works with a very specific product. It has the role of creating and developing games for different devices (electronics, video games, etc).
Here, the professional´s job is to create the script, the modeling of characters, the scenarios, and all the elements necessary, as well as creating and configuring the multimedia language.
Therefore, it is essential for this professional to know very well the characteristics of the audience that will consume the game.
After all, the acceptance of this audience is what determines the success, or not, of the game.
In fact, more than entertainment, games can have different purposes, such as educational, part of a product sales funnel or help people with special needs to develop and exercise certain skills.
Gamification
Gamification is a very well-liked expertise. It deals with the use of game techniques to engage, facilitate learning and motivate actions.
All of this can lead to learning.
3D Graphic Design
3D graphic design is also hugely popular. It creates designs with height, width and depth, which makes the products more realistic.
You can see a good 3D graphic design applied on billboards of large automakers and dealerships, for example.
It is a complex job that requires knowledge of techniques such as lighting and different effects, but that gives the image more realism.
Diversity in graphic design goes beyond technical skills
As explained, in the main areas of graphic design, specific knowledge and expertise are required.
There are an enormous number of tools for these professionals, such as the well-known Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, in addition to all the elements, concepts and principles that permeate their production, specifically.
On the other hand, the work of a professional in this area does not stop there.
When it comes to creation, all the knowledge a person has is essential. Therefore, all his references, what he studied, watched, read, heard and experienced, are important.
Even the culture in which such professional is inserted contributes to the work he develops.
Thus, considering that graphic design is a multiple and “colorful” area, the greater the diversity of professionals that the teams have, the better! After all, the more different contributions the more polished the productions will be.
So, the question remains: is it worth and is it possible to have so many professionals in my team? To answer this question, check out our post on “Outsourcing, and how it is the solution for marketing teams!”