The profession, art or skill whose activity consists of combining text and imagery in order to project visual communications with messages intended for specific social groups. This is graphic design and is often, if not always, a key part of logo & brand design. Understanding the main principles and how they apply to effective examples today can aid in the creation of a more rounded and purpose-driven product for the brief.
This is because the objectives of the designs vary but are all based on the principle of ‘form follows function, which can be applied in advertisements, magazines, books and more. In graphic design, the following aspects need to be considered and incorporated appropriately:
- Emphasis
- Balance and Alignment
- Contrast
- Repetition
- Proportion
- Movement
- White Space
Let’s take an example and analyse it according to the list above to see how the aspects can be employed.
I chose this from a selection of graphic design portfolio examples. Even if Mary isn’t a graphic designer herself, her opening page makes great use of the main principles. The light blue blocky letters and pink circles are all laid out around her picture, putting emphasis on the fact that it is the focal point. This can also be seen through scale (the elements are bigger than the text on the right) and contrast (the style and colour all pop from the dark blue background). This also ties in with movement, which is an overlooked aspect of graphic design. Our eyes are naturally drawn to certain sections of a design and depending on the layout, we travel to and from these elements in different ways. By putting the imagery to the left and emphasising it with the blue letters of her name, Mary affirms the focus is first on her photo and name and then on the welcoming intro. We naturally look from left to right, exploring the first thing that catches our attention – the larger, more bold thing – before moving on to reading the smaller text. It’s a subtle technique but works great for an introductory page since the key information is automatically transmitted first, mostly because of the graphic considerations but also because we usually read from left to right anyway.
These aren’t the only aspects that can be seen, however. The use of proportion is employed by making all of the light blue letters the same size, even if they don’t look like they are at first glance. This is done largely for appeal but it also has to do with balance and alignment; if the letters weren’t the same size, they would need to be positioned in a different way to maintain the balance. By having them all scaled the same, arranging them interestingly is far easier.
Notice also, that the centre of the cross is exactly at the centre of her face. All of this hints at careful consideration of every visual factor, which is the essence of graphic design. Everything is purposeful, even what we would consider, ’empty’ space! In almost every creative subject, this is called negative or white space and it also plays an important role in a design: it holds it together. It augments the object and brings it into focus. Micro negative space is used for clarity – the small gaps in between text and other less noticeable elements of a design. Macro negative space gets all of the attention since it makes up the space between larger, more core elements of the design. In this case, the deep blue of the background is the negative space, and its abundance and cool, contrasting tone provide breathing space for the main elements. The lack of clutter serves to bring more attention to the information in the middle as well as add to the colour palette for more dynamism and contrast.
But how did graphic design come to be like this? Historians in fact trace its origins to early cave paintings from about 38,000 BCE! Earlier forms of cave painting served the purpose of providing messages and stories for future generations, with subjects featuring animals, handprints, weapons, and other references to hunting. Communication has always been at the footnote of our species, which is why graphic design has evolved alongside us throughout history.
The above timeline ranges from 1830 to the present day and outlines 14 different styles of historical graphic design. Not every style is included (there are a lot) but important and seminal periods are touched upon, some of which I will be looking into in more detail.
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪ Art Nouveau
This ornamental style of art flourished between 1890 and 1910 throughout Europe and the United States and is well known for its use of long, sinuous, organic lines. Most often, its influence could be seen in architecture, interior design, jewellery and glass design, posters, and illustration as a deliberate attempt to create a new style, free of the imitative historicism that dominated much of 19th-century art and design. The distinguishing characteristic of Art Nouveau, its undulating asymmetrical line, was generally expressed within delicate, natural objects. Insect wings, vine tendrils, flower stalks, buds and other beautiful forms were enhanced and infused with elegant and graceful line work, or at times with a powerfully rhythmic and whiplike force.
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪ Art Deco
Also known as “style moderne”, Art Deco originated in the 1920s and grew to become a major style in the following decade, particularly in Western Europe and the US, much like its earlier predecessor. The purpose of this style was born from a desire to artistically symbolise wealth and sophistication, constituting Art Deco’s representation of modernism turned into fashion. A sleek and anti-traditional elegance emerged with mass-produced wares and individually crafted luxury items alike, with simple, clean shapes becoming all the trend. The ‘streamlined’ look, ornamented with geometric and stylized forms, was one of the distinguishing features of the style, reflective of the growing admiration for the modernity of the machine.
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪ Kitsch
American Kitsch (1940 – 1960) comes from the German word: “kitsch”, meaning “in bad taste”, used to describe art that is pretentious, vulgar and displays a complete lack of sophistication. Illustrations and designs used exaggerated lines and themes synonymous with comic strip adverts and the infamous ‘diner’ of the 1950s, often aiming to look cheaply made. Clashing palettes and a number of different aesthetics built up the style, for example, ‘Cute Kitsch’, which included feminine and sugary graphics such as quaint cottages, pink colours and sweet children being naughty. ‘Luxury Kitsch’ used a lot of over-the-top decorations such as velvet and animal print with the aim to imitate wealth. There are many more, including ‘Movie Kitsch’, ‘Tourism Kitsch’ and ‘Macho Kitsch’.
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪ Swiss
Another significant style appeared during the 1950s, one from Switzerland and Germany that is known to designers as ‘Swiss Designs’ and to historians as the International Typographic Style. It was a major force during the 50s through to the 80s and still holds much power today, particularly in corporate communications. Swiss is comprised of a visual unity, achieved by asymmetrical organization on a mathematically constructed grid. Information is presented in a clear and factual manner, in stark contrast to much of the propaganda and commercial advertising that made up previous styles.
The social philosophy behind this design movement rejects personal expression and eccentric solutions and embraces a scientific approach to design.
Although all of these art movements were heavily inspired by one another and took elements from each period to blend together new and interesting visual infographics, their position in the timeline of graphic design showcases their roots all the same. We see the basic principles listed at the start exemplified in different manners through the posters, adverts and architectural creations that made up the rise and fall of each design style. In other words, humans always instinctively know what looks good and how to best present information – the way in which this is done has changed but techniques like contrast, negative space and emphasis shine through with almost every single new style, and I plan to utilise them in my brand development.