Lesson 1:

Nature and Elements of Graphic Arts/Design

Objective
At the end of the lesson, challenge yourself to create a poster by applying the elements of
a good design using various graphical tools.

Introduction
Graphic artists use any combination of media and techniques to create their work as they
collaborate with writers, editors, managers, marketers and art directors across all graphic
design types. They’ll often have a foundation in fine arts, animation or architecture.
Overlapping skills and apps make it possible to find graphic designers who also work as
graphic artists and illustrators (and vice versa).

Graphic design is an ever-growing field, and the demand for specialized and skilled
designers is on the rise. When you’re looking for the right person to take on a design job,
knowing the different types of graphic design will help you identify the specialist you need.
Activity
Activity 1.
Briefer: This activity will test your knowledge on symbolism of lines, colors, shapes as
applied in arts.

Direction: Below are images of usual elements of a good design. In the space provided,
briefly describe your understanding of such element why it is significant and symbolic as
applied in arts. And after sharing your thoughts on its significance, write your insight why
lines, colors and shapes are important building block of arts certainly on graphic arts?

Shape

Line

Color
Write your insight here:

FEEDBACK | Are you done? Submit your output to your Instructor’s electronic
mailing address and into the WoW BiPSU LMS powered by Moodle.

Activity 2.
Briefer: This activity will test your research productivity and skills.

Direction: Below are photos of popular logos in the industry. Research the meaning and
history of each logo and write your findings in the spaces provided. At the end of the
activity, write your reflection or takeaways how these logos moved you as a future graphic
artist or designer.

Logo 1:

Findings:
Logo 2:

Findings:

Logo 3:

Findings:
Write your insight here:

FEEDBACK | Are you done? Submit your output to your Instructor’s electronic
mailing address and into the WoW BiPSU LMS powered by Moodle.

Activity 3.
Briefer: This activity will test your creative prowess!

Direction: Assuming that you are about to open a business in your hometown and one of
the requirements to commence your operation and market it to the public is your business’
logo. In a sheet of paper or through digital formats, design your business’ logo. Describe
the context or story of your design such as the color, lines, shapes, and other elements
included on it.

FEEDBACK | Are you done? Submit your output to your Instructor’s electronic
mailing address and into the WoW BiPSU LMS powered by Moodle.

Analysis
Direction: Answer the following questions.
1. Is it necessary for graphic designers to be rooted with culture and history? Why or Why
not?
2. The graphics industry today is one of the emerging markets in the society. Given by the
fact of their high-demand certainly in the commercial and movie industry, what could
be done for the population to balance the competition between professional graphic
designers and non-professional designers? Elaborate.

3. Photo Analysis and Reaction. Analyze the photo below. On the spaces provided, write
your reaction as to its design. Be constructive.

FEEDBACK | Submit your response for this section to your instructor’s

Facebook Messenger account or in BiPSU’s Learning Management System
powered by Moodle for consultation and feed backing.
How was the feedback? The following page will explain you further.
Abstraction

“There are three responses to a piece of design — yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the
one to aim for.” - Milton Glaser

Understanding Graphic Arts

A category of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of visual artistic expression, typically
two-dimensional, i.e. produced on a flat surface. The term usually refers to the arts that
rely more on line or tone than on color, especially drawing and the various forms
of engraving; it is sometimes understood to refer specifically
to printmaking processes, such as line
engraving, aquatint, drypoint, etching, mezzotint, monotype, lithography, and screen
printing (silk-screen, serigraphy).

Graphic art further includes calligraphy, photography, painting, typography, computer

graphics, and bindery. It also encompasses drawn plans and layouts for interior and
architectural designs.

Graphic Design
What is Graphic Design?
When you think of graphic design what come to your mind? A painting? A book? How about
a cool poster? These are just a few of the most common mental images evoked by people
when asked about graphic design. None of these images provide a true definition of
graphic design though. Paintings, books and posters are only “outcomes” or “mediums” of
graphic design. If you search for the definition of graphic design, you’ll most likely find a
generic unhelpful definition.

Online dictionaries define graphic design as the art or skill of combining text and pictures
in advertisements, magazines, or books. This definition is true, but it doesn’t provide much
context. Graphic design is a skill, but it’s not limited to advertisements, magazines, and
books. Graphic design can be physical, digital and anywhere in-between. Because of this
abstractness and versatility, graphic design goes far beyond simply combining text and
pictures.
Graphic design focuses on communicating a message visually. Each project a graphic
designer works on will have a unique message and a desired result from that message.
The message may be to provide information, invoke thought, sell a product or even
stimulate meaningful conversation. Graphic design is all around you. It’s about expressing
an idea in the best way using visual story telling. This may sound simple, but it requires
problem solving, communication, attentiveness, patience, and most importantly a good
grasp of the project’s desired result.

The popularization of social media and the advancements in technology have sparked
curiosity about graphic design. The ability to easily share information is leading to an
increasing number of artists looking to share their work and engage with new audiences.
Technology provides opportunities for the most novice of art lovers to share their artwork.
Unfortunately, the ease of sharing information has led to an over saturation of artwork
throughout the design community. The over saturation of artwork makes it difficult to stand
out and gain recognition; making the study of graphic design essential for success. This
series will serve as an overview of graphic design and the elements of good design To start,
we’ll go through a few of the major historical advances and inventions leading to modern
graphic design.
The History of Graphic Design
The earliest forms of graphic design were found in the cave paintings created around
15,000 BC. These paintings were created to tell stories, keep records of events and
provide information. Cave paintings started as basic line figures, but expanded to detailed
artwork as the years progressed. In some parts of the world many original cave painting
are still visible. Cave painting were useful, but they lacked a way to transport that
information to other locations. This was resolved in 105 AD when Ts’Ai Lun invented paper.
This made transporting and distributing written documents and various types of artwork
easier than it had ever been. It also added more variety to the types of ink, paint, and other
tools that could be used to create artwork. Finally, with the creation of Movable Type by
Johannes Gutenberg in 1450, we had all the key components needed for modern graphic
design

William Addison Dwiggins pioneered modern graphic design. He was a typeface designer
in the 1920’s. His most famous fonts include: Caravan Metro, Electra, Caledonia,
Eldorado, and Falcon. Dwiggins continued creating and innovating in the design
community until his death in 1956. Less than a decade after Dwiggins’ death, Douglas
Engelbart invented the mouse. This invention of a precision pointing device paved the way
for what would be the greatest innovation in design tools of this generation: the Macintosh.
Apple presented the Macintosh in 1984. This was the first computer with a user friendly
interface. Shortly after the invention of the 1984 Macintosh graphics applications such as
Photoshop and and Illustrator were introduced to the world. Since the invention of these
applications, designers have been able to create amazing works of art across a variety of
mediums.
2010-2019: The Evolution of Design Trends in the Last Decade
A lot of things have happened in these years. The current design situation hasn’t always
been like that. In fact, trends come and go. They adapt to changes and undergo
transformations encouraged by technological developments and social narratives.

This means that the message delivered by designs is in constant change.

The design trends of the last decade go from minimalism and flat design to a much more
risky approach characterized by abstract and impossible compositions. So, as you can see,
we can’t deny that evolution is real and evident

2010: Minimalism, vintage & social media boom

Technology experienced rapid growth since the beginning of the century. In 2010,
machines were already an essential part of our lives, and we were constantly interacting
with the Internet. Thus, as a reaction against the world ruled by technological
developments, understandable and simple trends take hold in graphic design.

Minimalism became the top trend in 2010. Combined with neutral colors, minimalism
aimed at offering a clean and simple design, running away from chaos and details.

Retro and vintage styles proved that old is the new gold. These trends became popular this
year and never left the design sphere throughout the decade. Hipster designs were also
popular during this year.
Apart from minimalism, other designs opted for powerful compositions with colors and
playful patterns.

The emergence of new devices, like smartphones and tablets, generated new needs. Also,
the increasing importance of social networks, like Instagram, and other platforms, like
Dribble, offered a new way of visual communication that motivated designers to create
new stuff.

2011: Responsive design, ribbons & diagonals

The top trend of 2011 was responsive design, a trend that aimed at creating different
models suitable for diverse interfaces. It forced designers to reinvent themselves and think
out of the box to come up with designs that fulfill the needs of responsive design.

Besides, Adobe launched this year Creative Cloud, offering a whole new world of
possibilities to designers.

This year, geometric and simple shapes gained popularity.

However, we could affirm that ribbons were actually the dominant trend of 2011.
Suddenly, web pages and other designs were filled with these types of shapes. Ribbons
were generally used to frame a logo, the name of the brand, or an important part of the
composition.
Although minimalism was still present, other trends emerged this year, such as diagonal
design. The use of diagonals contributed to bringing particular chaos to the composition,
keeping at the same time a sophisticated look.

Designs with a folded paper effect also stood out. We could see a lot of web sites
incorporating this effect, which created a sense of reality, in an attempt to bring realism to
the screen.

2012: Typography, simple shapes & Bauhaus

Notable in 2012 was the appearance of a great variety of typographic styles as a reaction
to the neutrality and lack of different fonts on the web.
Handwritten typography and calligraphy received growing attention, and designers started
to create their own fonts looking for authenticity and uniqueness.

Apart from handwritten style, another font trend that made its way through 2012 was DIY
fonts, which were generated by using modular construction kits. These fonts allowed
designers to create letters with different weights and colors. Typographies made of real
objects also became a trend this year.

Simple shapes played a leading role, too, as a response to the excess of information.
Following minimalist trends, the moiré style was used by many designers to create simple
designs recreating an optical illusion.

It’s not surprising that the Bauhaus aesthetic made a return performance in 2012. This
style uses color as an element of communication. It’s all about simple shapes and angular
edges. Bauhaus style also evolved into a typographic trend using the basic features of this
movement.
In the field of technology and tools, the arrival of HTML5 and CSS3 offered designers a
whole new world of possibilities.

2013: Flat design, infographics & white space

Responsive design was increasingly popular and encouraged the emergence of other
trends, like flat design. Little did we know then that it would turn out to be one of the most
relevant trends of the decade.

Flat design became mainstream in 2013 after brands like Microsoft changed its approach
and adopted the flat style for its brand-new Windows 8 operating system. One of the
reasons why this flat trend took the world by storm is that it’s formed by simple and two-
dimensional elements that offer users an optimal and streamlined experience.

White spaces were also significantly utilized this year, as well as minimalist portraits.

2013 was also the year of infographics. The advantage of infographics is that they’re easier
to understand and can compile a lot of information in a limited space by combining text
and images.
Apart from these trends, designers also strived for uniqueness and authenticity by
using hand-drawn fonts and designs. In terms of typeface styles, retro designs remained
in the top ranks through 2013. Also, this year we could see a predilection for sans serif
fonts, which were modern and bolder.

We can’t leave 2013 without making reference to Instagram and the increasing popularity
that retro filters got this year. This trend eventually influenced designs as well, especially
in the following year.

2014: Low poly, neon colors & long shadow

We continued to see some of 2013’s leading trends, such as responsive design –which
took up most of the designers’ projects– flat design and minimalism.

Typography was in constant change and evolution. 2014 designs opted for sans serif and
bigger fonts, sometimes combined with handwritten typefaces.

The design field was influenced by Instagram’s retro filters. Many designs adopted
this retro look inspired by the funk, pop, and jazz covers of the 70s and 80s.

Colorful geometric designs (low poly) and neon colors emerged timidly, breaking with the
scheme of recent years and becoming the starting point for the following years.
In design, most trends are born as a reaction to current trends. Thus, it’s not surprising
that flat design was also a victim of this desire for change. That’s the case of the long
shadow effect (later known as Flat design 2.0), fostered by the launching of
Google’s Material Design in 2014.
2015: Double exposure, pastels & lettering
2015 was a time of change. New and revolutionary trends emerged and paved the way to
a modern understanding of design.

Innovative and original techniques entered in the design sphere this year, like the double
exposure effect. Illustration began to receive growing attention and replaced stock images

One of the most groundbreaking trends of 2015 was the integration of videos as a
background for web pages. This achievement contributed significantly to the conception
of web design.

Paisley pop effect gave a retro look to the year 2015. In terms of colors, bright
pastels became the favorite choice for designers.

As for typography, it is in this year when free fonts such as Google fonts or Typekit
appeared, making many different styles available for everyone. Lettering emerged as a
new way of including text in designs, while handwritten typefaces and font combos were
still trendy in 2015.
2016: Flat design 2.0, risograph & motion
Flat design 2.0 had a growing staying power. It arrived as an extension of flat design and
then evolved into this new version incorporating depth, motion, and color plays. An
example of the transition of flat design is the Monument Valley-inspired designs.

Designs with bright colors combined with pastels popped up in 2016, leaving behind the
original neutrality of minimalism.

Typography never stops evolving. Designers wanted to differentiate through typography

and go original. Tools like Glyphs made it easy to generate new fonts. In 2016, there’s a
preference for bold typefaces and font combinations. Surprisingly, serif fonts began to
appear in some designs.

As an attempt to take back traditional techniques, print-inspired designs developed into a

trend in 2016. These designs imitated the risograph effect-a conventional printing process-
and incorporated striking and neon colors and textures.
Designers also experimented with motion, thanks to 2D animation. In fact, adding
movement to images and illustrations proved to be an effective way to catch users’
attention.

In contrast to clean and minimalist compositions, playful illustrations (even childish for
some people) made their way through the design sphere. A clear example of this is the
refreshed brand image adopted by Dropbox this year.

Retro designs were still there, but they experienced some updates in 2016, borrowing the
aesthetic of the 80s, 90s, and the Memphis style. As a result, retro compositions were
filled with bright colors, geometric shapes, and pixel art.

2017: Duotones, geometry & retro wave

2017 was an interesting year. Although some of the 2016’s trends materialized into this
year, the design sphere experienced new influences that gradually grew popularity into the
following years. These changes were mainly favored by new technological achievements,
like screens’ improved resolution, that had an impact on the use of colors.

All of a sudden, designers turned on the color mode in their compositions, creating bright
and vivid combinations. Duotones and gradients were the main influencers in 2017. In
fact, well-known brands like Spotify or Instagram updated their image using lots of colors.

Geometric shapes, patterns, and lines gave a modern look to 2017. This step towards
more modern compositions was also influenced by 3D designs, which fostered the
appearance of abstract compositions in the upcoming years.
Font combos remained as a trend, although this time, designers went beyond the limits,
and started combining fonts with images in order to get unique compositions.

It seemed that minimalism was already left behind. There was a preference for chaotic
designs that exceeded the limits and were filled with details. Images combinations led to
the appearance of collages, vivid and dynamic compositions that were happily adopted by
a lot of poster designs of 2017.

Retro style also made its way through this year. 2017’s retro designs, though, presented
a modern look. This old trend materialized into designs inspired by retro wave and
brutalism. Retro wave is a style that combines 80’s elements with neon colors and
backgrounds with palm trees evoking Miami style. On the other hand, brutalism recovered
the aesthetics of the early 90s, especially web pages’ features.

2018: Glitch, papercut & chaotic compositions

This year’s trends reveal that designers just wanna have fun. 2018 welcomed new and
innovative trends and techniques that introduced chaos and a futuristic vision. The hottest
design trend this year was experimentation. Designers opted for fun compositions
combining different elements, like fonts, images, and designs.

Effects like glitch and double exposure gained popularity in 2018. Beyond being trends,
these styles challenged designers to play around with concepts and let their imagination
fly.

The chaos that ruled 2017’s compositions was also present this year and spread
to typography, leading to dynamic and vivid compositions. Another trendy typography style
of the year was the arty style that allowed designers to play around with fonts and make
them look broken, fragmented, or in movement.

It’s in 2018 when we first saw metallic elements in designs. This metallic effect usually
was combined with vivid colors and 3D effects. It’s also a clear example that trends were
moving away from simple and flat designs and evolved into more complex and detailed
compositions.
Styles such as papercut or isometric design were also present in this year’s designs. And,
of course, the retro style evolved into a modern look, becoming one of the designers’
favorite trends.

2018 showed its more artistic side with designs that combined hand-drawn illustrations
with images. The union of these elements gave rise to impossible compositions that
allowed designers to break with traditional concepts of design and photography.
2019: Antigravity, liquid effect & gen Z yellow
Experimentation is on the rise. 2019 witnessed the arrival of design trends that sought to
differentiate from the rest and innovate.

3D effect played the main role this year and paved the way for new effects. Designers
prefer chaotic and open compositions, challenging users’ imagination.

The metallic effect was also a trending style in 2019 and evolved into other forms
like iridescent, antigravity, and liquid effects. All these innovations demonstrate that
design adapted to social narratives of the moment, opting for dynamic and chaotic
compositions in the search for freedom.

As a result of experimentation, designs that combine realism with flat design emerged,
and concepts like augmented reality entered the design world.

Illustrations of 2019 also presented some differences from previous years. Think
about noisy compositions, playful, with exaggerated proportions and dynamism. Another
design trend that we are already familiar with is the nature theme. Lots of designs and
illustrations include flowers and leaves in different styles.

Design is changing, and also does society. New generations are transforming current
conceptions and establishing rules that previous generations didn’t explore. That’s the
case of gen Z yellow, a bright and bold color that had a leading role in lots of 2019’s
compositions and fashion trends.
Types of Graphic Arts
Graphic design uses visual compositions to solve problems and communicate ideas
through typography, imagery, color and form. There’s no one way to do that, and that’s why
there are several types of graphic design, each with their own area of specialization.

Though they often overlap, each type of graphic design requires specific set of skills and
design techniques. Many designers specialize in a single type; others focus on a set of
related, similar types. But because the industry is constantly changing, designers must be
adaptable and lifelong learners so they can change or add specializations throughout their
careers.
1. Visual Identity Graphic Design
A brand is a relationship between a business or organization and its audience. A
brand identity is how the organization communicates its personality, tone and
essence, as well as memories, emotions and experiences. Visual identity graphic
design is exactly that: the visual elements of brand identity that act as the face of
a brand to communicate those intangible qualities through images, shapes and
color.

2. Marketing and Advertising Graphic Design

Marketing designers work with company owners, directors, managers or marketing
professionals to create assets for marketing strategies. They might work alone or
as part of an in-house or creative team. Designers can specialize in a specific type
of media (vehicle wraps or magazine ads, for example) or create a broad
assortment of collateral for print, digital, and beyond. While traditionally print-
centered, this type of design has grown to include more digital assets, especially
for use in content marketing and digital advertising.

3. User Interface Graphic Design

A user interface (UI) is how a user interacts with a device or application. UI design
is the process of designing interfaces to make them easy to use and provide a user-
friendly experience.

A UI includes all of the things a user interacts with—the screen, keyboard and
mouse—but in the context of graphic design, UI design focuses on the user’s visual
experience and the design of on-screen graphic elements like buttons, menus,
micro-interactions, and more. It’s a UI designer’s job to balance aesthetic appeal
with technical functionality.

UI designers must be team players backed by both serious graphic design skills and
an excellent understanding of UI/UX principles, responsive design and web
development. In addition to graphics apps, they need knowledge of programming
languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

4. Publication Graphic Design

Graphic designers that specialize in publications work with editors and publishers
to create layouts with carefully selected typography and accompanying artwork,
which includes photography, graphics and illustrations. Publication designers may
work as freelancers, as creative agency members or in-house as part of a publishing
company.
5. Packaging Graphic Design
Packaging designers create concepts, develop mockups and create the print-ready
files for a product. This requires expert knowledge of print processes and a keen
understanding of industrial design and manufacturing. Because packaging design
touches so many disciplines, it’s not uncommon for designers to find themselves
creating other assets for a product such as photography, illustrations and visual
identity.

Packaging designers may be a jack-of-all-trades or specialize in a specific type of

packaging (like labels or beverage cans) or a specific industry (like food or
children’s toys). Their work requires top-notch conceptual and problem-solving
skills in addition to a strong working knowledge of print and industrial design. They
must be flexible to meet the demands of clients, marketers and manufacturers and
be aware of current trends.

6. Motion Graphic Design

Motion graphics are graphics that are in motion. This can include animation, audio,
typography, imagery, video and other effects that are used in online media,
television and film. The medium’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years as
technology improved and video content became king.

“Motion graphics designer” is a somewhat new specialty for designers. Formally

reserved for TV and film, technological advances have reduced production time and
costs, making the art form more accessible and affordable. Now, motion graphics
is one of the newest types of design and can be found across all digital platforms,
which has created all sorts of new areas and opportunities.

Motion graphics designers begin by developing storyboards and then bring their
concepts to life with animation, video and traditional art. Depending on the industry,
a strong working knowledge of marketing, coding and 3D modeling can be definite
assets.

7. Environmental Graphic Design

Environmental graphic design visually connects people to places to improve their
overall experience by making spaces more memorable, interesting, informative or
easier to navigate.

Environmental graphic design is a multidisciplinary practice that merges graphic,

architectural, interior, landscape and industrial design. Designers collaborate with
people in any number of these fields to plan and implement their designs. Because
of that, designers typically have education and experience in both graphic design
and architecture. They must be familiar with industrial design concepts and able to
read and sketch architectural plans.

8. Art and Illustration for Graphic Design

Graphic art and illustration are often seen as being the same as graphic design,
however they’re each very different. Designers create compositions to
communicate and solve problems, graphic artists and illustrators create original
artwork. Their art takes a number of forms, from fine art to decoration to storytelling
illustrations.
Elements of a Good Design

Creating beautiful design is about more than inspiration or a great idea, it’s about
understanding the fundamentals of the subject. Although it’s possible to spend years
studying the nuances of design and the many varying takes on how to be successful at it,
there are a handful, or two, of basic elements that every designer should know before
beginning any project. Even amateurs in the field who maintain personal blogs or only
make a hobby of it can utilize these following ten tips to create professional looking pieces,
and anyone who intends to earn money from the endeavor must know them. Rules were
made to be broken, of course, but you have to know what they are first.

1. Line.
The first and most basic element of design is that of the line. In drawing, a line is the
stroke of the pen or pencil but in graphic design, it’s any two connected points. Lines
are useful for dividing space and drawing the eye to a specific location. For example,
think about how a magazine uses lines to separate content, headlines and side panels.

2. Color.
Color is one of the most obvious elements of design, for both the user and the designer.
It can stand alone, as a background, or be applied to other elements, like lines, shapes,
textures or typography. Color creates a mood within the piece and tells a story about
the brand. Every color says something different, and combinations can alter that
impression further.

3. Shape.
Shapes, geometric or organic, add interest. Shapes are defined by boundaries, such
as a lines or color, and they are often used to emphasize a portion of the page.
Everything is ultimately a shape, so you must always think in terms of how the various
elements of your design are creating shapes, and how those shapes are interacting.
4. Space.
Negative space is one of the most commonly underutilized and misunderstood aspects
of designing for the page. The parts of the site that are left blank, whether that’s white
or some other color, help to create an overall image. Use negative space to create
shapes as you would any other element.

5. Texture.
It’s counter-intuitive to think about texture when the piece isn’t ever going to be
touched. Websites and graphic design do rely on the look and impression of texture on
the screen, however. Textures can create a more three-dimensional appearance on
this two-dimensional surface. It also helps build an immersive world.

6. Typography.
Perhaps the single most important part of graphic and web design is typography. Like
color, texture, and shapes, the fonts you use tell readers you’re a serious online news
magazine, a playful food blog or a vintage tea tins shop. Words are important, but the
style of the words is equally essential.

7. Scale (Size).
Playing with the scale and size of your objects, shapes, type and other elements add
interest and emphasis. How boring would a symmetrical website with all similarly sized
ingredients be? Very. But the amount of variation will depend heavily on the content
within. Subtle differences suit professional content, while bold ones prefer creative
enterprises.

8. Dominance and Emphasis.

While you can talk about emphasizing one thing or another, the element of emphasis
has more to do with an object, color or style dominating another for a heightened sense
of contrast. Contrast is intriguing, and it creates a focal point.

9. Balance.
There are two schools of balance: symmetry and asymmetry. While most designers,
artists, and creative folks much prefer asymmetry for its eye-catching nature, symmetry
does have its place. Sometimes.

10. Harmony.
Harmony is “The main goal of graphic design,” according to Alex White, author of “The
Elements of Graphic Design.” So, you know it must be important. Harmony is what you
get when all the pieces work together. Nothing should be superfluous. Great design is
just enough and never too much. Make sure all the details accord with one another
before you consider the project complete.

There are hundreds of rules and many more elements when it comes to creating beautiful
designs on and off the web, but these ten are the basic essentials that will ensure anything
you create is appealing, professional and perfect.
Applications for Graphic Design
In essence, graphic design is the art or skill of combining text and pictures in
advertisements, magazines, or books.

Also known as visual communication, communication design, and commercial design,

modern-day graphic design was birthed in the early 20th century. The touchstone is the
1936 signage created for the London Underground, considered a masterpiece of the
modern era. It used a typeface specifically developed for the project by Edward Johnston,
and is still used today.

Look around you. Graphic design is everywhere, from the wrappers on candy bars to the
logo on your favorite coffee mug. In fact, you see hundreds of examples of graphic design
every single day, and most of the time, you don't realize it.

Graphic design can serve many functions. Just a few of the uses of graphic design include:

 Signage
 Corporate identity/branding
 Packaging (from water bottles to appliances)
 Printed materials (books, flyers, magazines, newspapers)
 Online art (banners, blogs, websites)
 Album covers
 Film and television titles and graphics
 T-shirt and clothing designs
 Greeting cards

Graphic artists applying for positions in today's job market are expected to be familiar with
computers and a variety of software programs to create the most appealing, up to date
designs.

Graphic art software includes applications such as:

 Adobe Dreamweaver – a tool that facilitates the creation of webpages and dynamic
internet content
 Adobe Illustrator – a software application that allows artists to manipulate vector
graphics
 Adobe InDesign – desktop publishing software used for layout and design
manipulation
 Adobe Photoshop – a bitmap graphics software including powerful graphics editing
tools that provide a large variety of editing functionality
 CorelDRAW – similar to Adobe Illustrator, it is another vector graphic manipulation
tool
 PhotoImpact – a digital photograph editor
 QuarkXPress – similar to Adobe InDesign, it is another computer publishing
software tool

Designs Can Simplify or Disrupt

On some occasions, such as signage design, graphic design must provide very clear and
easy ways to convey information. The New York City subway map is a prime example of
this. The design simplifies something quite complex, making it easy to navigate and get to
your destination. If the design were overly complex or artistic, it would impede the function
of the map, rendering it useless.

In other instances, design can go in the opposite direction. It can be jarring, hard to read
or make a statement that takes a while to understand. This is often seen in the artwork on
album covers, as well as poster designs, greeting cards, and other forms of disruptive
design.

Design in a Digital World

Increasingly, graphic design and web design go hand-in-hand. Magazines must have an
online presence, and so do newspapers, grocery stores, hospitals, and other kinds of
businesses and institutions. Therefore, graphic designers must create and maintain a
consistent look and feel across many disciplines. Most often, the digital design guides how
the rest of the identity is created and executed.

Graphic design is not just pretty or for pretty's sake. It is a crucial part of commerce and
life.

Five Notable Graphic Designers

It's impossible to consider graphic design without referring some of the greats of the
industry. While there are hundreds of talented designers over time, the following five men
created work that defines the industry:

1. Saul Bass: If you've ever seen a Hitchcock film, it's likely you know the design skills
of Saul Bass. His work on North by Northwest and Psycho was truly exceptional, as
was other work for directors including Billy Wilder, Stanly Kubrick, and Otto
Preminger. Bass is also responsible for some of the most famous logos in brand
history, including Bell System, AT&T, Continental Airlines, and United Airlines.

2. Paul Rand: Best known for his work on the IBM logo, Paul Rand (born Paul
Rosenbaum) was a creative powerhouse that gave many brands their identities.
Perhaps the most famous story about this revolved around the late Steve Jobs, and
his company NeXT. Jobs approached Rand and asked for a logo, expecting him to
come up with several options. Rand said "No, I will solve your problem and you will
pay me. You don't have to use the solution. If you want options, go talk to other
people." Jobs did not talk to other people and paid Rand $100,000 for his work.

3. Milton Glaser: Glaser is famous for two iconic pieces of graphic design: the I ❤
NY logo, and the psychedelic Bob Dylan headshot poster, which he did in 1966 for
Dylan's Greatest Hits album. In 2009, Glaser was awarded the National Medal of
Arts by President Barack Obama. Glaser's work continues to influence designers to
this day.

4. Alan Fletcher: As one of the founding partners of Pentagram, Fletcher is not only
considered one of the greatest designers of his generation but of any generation.
His work spans decades and is an exercise in simplicity, smart thinking, and
understatement. His work on London's Victoria and Albert Museum—the world's
leading museum of art and design—looks as good today as it did in 1989 when he
first created it.
 5. Herb Lubalin: If the name sounds familiar, you have almost certainly used the
Lubalin font at some point in your career. Herb Lubalin was an exceptional designer
and typographer who created many fonts that are still widely used today. His font
creations include ITC Avant Garde, Lubalin Graph, and ITC Serif Gothic. His logo
for Mother & Child magazine is considered a masterpiece.

Careers
One of the most common career paths for a graphic artist today is web design. With the
popularity of the World Wide Web, the demand for web designers is immense. Graphic
artists use their creativity with layouts, typography, and logos to market the products or
services of the client's business. In addition to creating graphical designs, graphic artists
also need to understand hypertext, web programming, and web page maintenance to
successfully create a web page. The responsibility for effective communication also falls
under the auspices of the graphic designer.

Application
Exercise 1.
Direction: Let’s apply what you have read in the abstraction section. Assuming you are a
practicing teacher in Technology and Livelihood Education in the Senior High School
department in a specialization of your choice (can it be in Garments, Handicrafts,
Metallurgy, Ceramics, etc), create a poster highlighting a particular lesson of your choice
vis-à-vis to the specialization to be used as an instructional tool. The poster must contain
salient elements of a good design and contextualized with educational texts accorded to
the lesson of your choice.

FEEDBACK | Are you done? Submit your output to your Instructor’s electronic
mailing address and into the WoW BiPSU LMS powered by Moodle.

Test your understanding

General Instructions:
1) The assessment seeks you to create a poster by applying the elements of a good
design using various graphical tools.
2) The theme of the poster is “Free Tuition Law in the Philippines”. Therefore, content
must emphasized everything about the theme accorded to legit sources.
3) Since this is a poster, coherence and relativity of the main idea must be
communicated properly vis-à-vis application of elements of good design.
4) And finally, submit the poster in the BiPSU Learning Management System.
5) Submit the link of your output and raw copy to your instructor’s e-mail address. You
are advised to practice online decency and decorum.
Grading of Output:
1) Text Layout and Content. 30 points
Students provide comprehensive analysis and presentation about the theme with
coherence and relativity. The output is free from all sorts of grammatical errors.
Hence, the output should convey and facilitate communication.
2) Visual Layout and Appeal. 70 points
The output is published or posted that is appealing and appropriate for the intended
audience accorded to the elements of good design. Student selects and inserts
 high quality graphics and multimedia when appropriate to enhance the content’s
visual appeal and augment readability or sustain interest.

Highest Possible Score: 100 points

Readings
The following websites are the extensive teacher resources. You are requested to read it
in your most convenient time for the purpose of enhancing your foundational knowledge
of the lesson. You are also asked to write two key points on what you have
learned/observed in the given reading material.

1. This site presents an article regarding making a good design written by Maydee Laquite
Read the article and write on the spaces below your takeaways.
Link:
https://visme.co/blog/elements-principles-good-design/

Takeaways:
A.

B.

2. This site presents an article regarding the future of graphic design. Read the article
and write on the spaces below your takeaways.
Link:
https://www.futureofeverything.io/future-graphic-design/

Takeaways:
A.
 B.

In a Nutshell
Many things can happen in a decade. Retrospectives are always good for understanding
evolution.

The last decade has been influenced by technological developments, which have changed
the discourse of graphic design, especially in the first five years. In the second half of the
decade, we see how design becomes more experimental, leading to impossible
compositions. These changes can be appreciated both in web design and other types of
graphic representations.

What is clear is that design and trends aren’t something isolated and that they respond to
the changes happening around us. Reinventing yourself is essential to keep up with new
trends. So, it seems that it’s time to take risks!

References
Cann, Mila (2018). The 8 Types of Graphic Design. Retrieved from
https://99designs.com/blog/tips/types-of-graphic-design/

Duncan, April (2019). An Introduction to Graphic Design and Its Applications. Retrieved
from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-graphic-design-38532

Eryn Stubblefield (2016). An Introduction To Graphic Design: What Is Graphic Design?

Retrieved from https://www.freepik.com/blog/introduction-graphic-design-part-1/
Rubio, Amelia (2020). 2010-2019: The Evolution of Design Trends in the Last Decade.
Retrieved from https://www.freepik.com/blog/2010-2019-the-evolution-of-design-
trends/

Taheri, Maryam (2020). 10 Basic Elements of Design. Retrieved from

https://creativemarket.com/blog/10-basic-elements-of-design