10 Things you need to know about Graphic Design

G r a p h i c D e s i g n10 thingsy o u n e e d t o k n o w a b o u t

T h e r e i s n o d e s i g n w i t h o u t d i s c i p l i n e - M a s s i m o V i g n e l l i

T h e r e i s n o d i s c i p l i n e w i t h o u t

i n t e l l i g e n c e

P a n t o n eC o l o u r m a t c h i n g s y s t em

Pantone 68-16 U

Pantone is an accurate system of every colour that has been made. The purpose of this is so designers, manufacturers etc. can refer to it and be assured that they get the right colour

when work is printed - even if the colour may not look right on the screen.

Each Pantone colour system uses a unique coding scheme. This key helps you to find which system a particular pantone number of name is assosiated with. The letter suffix within the codes referes to the paper stock on which it is

printed -C for Coated or Gloss, U for Uncoated and M for Matt.

Pantone Black 7 CP

L o o k H e r eThe level of attention a specific element can demand from a user is often refered to as ‘Visual wieght’. Hevier stokes, bright colours, and more exaggerated fonts all carry hiegher levels of visual wieght.

F i n a l l y h e r e . . .T h e n h e r e

T h e n h e r e

V i s u a l H i e r c h y i s t h e a r r a n g e m e n t o f e l e m e n t s i n a g r a d u a l s e r i e s i n o r d e r o f i m p o r ta n c e . C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s s u c h a s s i z e , w i e g h t , s t y l e , c o l o u r a n d l o c a t i o n h e l p t h e a u d i e n c e r e a d t h r o u g h e m p h a s i s .

Typographical emphasis comes into play when designing a higher priority to one element over another. This emphasis is giving type a treatment that contrasts with that of type around it, in order to call more attention to it.

M a y b e o v e r h e r e ?

V i s u a l H i e r a c h y

Metaphor Synecdoche Metonymy

V i s u a lA visual metaphor is used to transfer certain meaning from one image to another. Although the images may have no close relationship, a metaphor conveys an impression about something relatively unfamil iar by drawing a comparison between it and something famil iar.

The term visual

synecdoche is applied

when a part is used to

represent the whole,

or visa versa. In more

simple terms, the main

subject is substituted

for something that is

inherently connected to it

in some way.

A visual metonymy is a

symbolic image that is

used to make reference

to something with more

of a literal meaning.

By way of assosiation

the viewer makes a

connection between the

image and the content.

Metaphor Synecdoche Metonymy

L I T E R A C Y

se

mio

tic

s

Sem i o t i cs , o r Sem i o l o gy , i s t h e s tud y o f s i gns , symbo ls and s i gn i f i ca t i o n . I t s i s t h e s tud y o f h ow mean i ng i s c re a ted .

S i gn - t h e sma l l es t un i t o f mean i ng ( any th i n g th a t can be used to commun i ca te . )

S i gn i f i e r - t h e fo rm the s i gn takes .

S i gn i f i ed - t h e con cep t t h e th e s i gn i f i e r r e f e rs to .

Symbo l - s i gns where th e re l a t i o nsh i p be tween the s i gn i f i e r and th e s i gn i f i ed i s p u re l y conven t i o na l and cu l t u ra l l y sp e c i f i c .

semiotics

As consumers of v isua l a r t , we have become h i gh l y soph is t i ca ted

readers of s i gns and symbo ls .

We decode mean ing f rom images w i th

subcons i ous ease .

- Dav id C row

a n a t o m yo f t y p e

Within Typography and design, it is very important to be able to understand and know the components

that make up all the typographical characters.

Typography StemLoop DescenderCounterSerifTerminal

Bar Bowl Shoulder Ascender Body

Baseline

Ascender line

Descender line

X-hieght

negative

s p a c e

The use of negat ive space is important as i t can def ine the content that exisi ts in the posi tve space - i t is a major structura l p layer wi th in layout design. To summarise i t , negat ive space is the wh i te spacing between e lements; whether i t is between the actual sect ions of the page, or r igh t down to the space between the lettters .

Negative space works best when there is a balance between that and the positve, Focusing on the negative can give you a more accurate, aesthetically pleasing design, with balanced composit ion, drawing the viewers eye to the subject.

CM

YK

P r i n t i n g o n s t o c k c r e a t e s c o l o u r s b y m i x i n g i n k s w h i c h a b s o r b l i g h t - C y a n , M a g e n ta , Y e l l o w , a n d K e y ( B l a c k )W h e n y o u m i x a l l 4 c o l o u r s t o g e t h e r a n d y o u g e t b l a c k . T h e m o r e i n k a p p l i e d , t h e l e s s l i g h t i s r e f l e c t e d , d a r k e n i n g t h e c o l o u r . T h e r e f o r e C M Y K i s a s u b t r a c t i v e m o d e l .

Subtractive colour

RG

BC o m p u t e r m o n i t e r s p r o d u c e a n i m a g e b y

m i x i n g l i g h t u s i n g t h e 3 p r i m a r y c o l o u r s -

R e d , G r e e n a n d B l u e .

I f y o u m i x a l l 3 c o l o u r s t o g e t h e r y o u w i l l g e t

w h i t e , t h e r e f o r e R G B i s a n a d d i t i v e m o d e l .

Additive colour

u s i n g g r i d sThe use of Grids as an ordering system is the

expression of a certain mental att i tude in as

much as it shows that the designer concieves

his work in terms that are constrcutive and

orientated to the future.

- Josef Muller Brockman

Gr ids are in important mean of posi t i on ing and conta in ing the e lements of a design in order to fac i l i tate and ease dec is ion making . They he lp to resul t in a more considered approach to the layout of a design . They a l low greater accuracy in the p lacement of e lements , in terms of physica l measurements or proport iona l space .

Gutter

Margin

Column

Margin

Flowline

t h e

c o l o u r

w h e e l

t h e

c o l o u r

w h e e l Prim

ary

Colo

urs

- Re

d Ye

llow

Blu

e

In t

radi

tiona

l col

our

theo

ry, p

rimar

y co

lour

s ar

e th

e 3

pigm

ent

colo

urs

that

can

not

be m

ixed

or f

orm

ed b

y an

y co

mbi

natio

n of

oth

er c

olou

rs. A

ll ot

her

colo

urs

are

deriv

ed f

rom

the

se 3

hue

s.

Seco

nda

ry C

olou

rs

-

Gree

n O

ran

ge P

urpl

e

The

seco

ndar

y co

lour

s ar

e fo

rmed

by

the

mixi

ng o

f pr

imar

y co

lour

s.

Tert

iary

Col

ours

-

Yell

ow o

ran

ge,

Red

oran

ge,

Red

purp

le,

Blue

pur

ple

, Bl

ue p

urpl

e,

Blue

gre

en a

nd

Yell

ow g

reen

Thes

e co

lour

s ar

e fo

rmed

by

mixi

ng t

he p

rimar

y an

d se

cond

ary

colo

urs,

hen

ce t

he t

wo

wor

d na

mes

.

l e g i b i l i t yL e g i b i l i t y i s co n c e r n e d w i t h h ow e asy i t i s to d i s t i n g u i s h

i n d i v i d u a l c h a ra c te r s . T h e s imp l e r a t y p e d es i g n i s , t h e

mo r e l e g i b l e i t i s . Wh i l e i t i s g e n e ra l l y b e t t e r to u se a

l e g i b l e t y p e fa c e , t h e r e a r e t imes wh e n d i s t i n c t i v n es s

may b e mo r e imp o r tan t t h an l e g i b i l i t y .

Legibility is concerned with how easy it is to distinguish individual characters. The simpler a type design is, the more legible it is. While it is generally better to use a legible typeface, there are times when distinctivness may be more important than legibility.

r e a d a b i l i t y

Readability refers to the ease with which a reader

can scan over text - in other words how easy it is to

read. While legibility is basically dependant on typeface

design, readability is dependant on the manipulation

or handling of the type. A highly legible type can be

made unreadable by poor typographuc design. Factors

which will affect readability include line lenght, point size,

leading, typeface selection, spacing, type alignment and

background.

Re ad ab i l i t y r e f e r s to t h e e ase w i t h wh i c h a r e ad e r can s can ove r

t ex t - i n o t h e r wo rd s h ow e asy i t i s to r e ad . Wh i l e l e g i b i l i t y i s

b as i ca l l y d e p e n d an t o n t y p e fa c e d es i g n , r e ad ab i l i t y i s d e p e n d an t o n

t h e man i p u l a t i o n o r h an d l i n g o f t h e t y p e . A h i g h l y l e g i b l e t y p e can

b e made u n r e ad ab l e b y p o o r t y p o g ra p h u c d es i g n . F a c to r s wh i c h w i l l

a f f e c t r e ad ab i l i t y i n c l u d e l i n e l e n g h t , p o i n t s i z e , l e ad i n g , t y p e fa c e

s e l e c t i o n , s p a c i n g , t y p e a l i g nmen t an d b a c kg ro u n d .