A Crash Course on Graphic Philosophy 101

Novice and professional graphic designers, we are aware that you know the basic principles of graphic philosophy. But then, as workers of art ? though digital and graphic art already borders in commercial arts, there's no harm in continuously improving our craft through constant study and practice, is there? Really great graphic designers I know have come to their status because of painstaking application and study of their past works.

We'll review the theoretical concepts of graphics and graphic forms as a foundation on how we have to go about our graphic designs. To begin with, a graphic form is the shape that embodies a certain idea. We can take a tree and use it as an example. How many ways can we depict a tree? We can depict by a photo of a tree, or the silhouette of a tree, or even its outline. By having these forms that represent a tree, we are therefore conveying the idea of a tree.

A word of caution, though, the effectiveness of which the idea is communicated depends upon many levels of context.

The abstraction of an idea into a flat space, to make it a graphic form, is an integral part of Graphic Design. Usually, the goal is to communicate the idea as clearly as possible. So why not depict the apple as close to reality as possible with a photo? This clearly depicts an apple and leaves no room for misinterpretation. So why not use photos of everything?

The idea is usually not as simple as just an apple. The graphic form is merely a component of an entire design. In a design of a poster for example, the existence of multiple forms and large amounts of text can compete with one another for the reader's attention. To increase readability, graphic forms are usually simplified into basic shapes, and flattened into a limited amount of color. They are made to work with type more harmoniously and further refined to convey the layers of information with clarity.

The concept of contrast also defines the graphic form of an idea. In a field of 10 squares and 1 triangle, the form that will be noticed is the triangle. A design placed on a wall, on a billboard, or on the internet, are usually lost in a field of other designs. In order to help define your idea over the others, forms that contrast those around it are effective. Basic factors such as typeface, color, scale, and form are elements that can easily help get a design noticed.

The representation of an idea goes beyond its place on the page or its place on a wall. There is the larger context to consider the audience. The ability of the audience to interpret your design is based on the ability of the audience to understand the forms in which an idea is embodied. Preferences of form, and the ability to understand form, can change by age group, location, and through time. We all understand the representation of dollars by a symbol: $. Though symbols universally communicate, they are become ordinary by usage. As the audience becomes visually educated and aware of these forms, the visual language of graphic design expands. However, the evolution of forms must also take place in order to keep interest.

In the overall scheme of things, fresh ideas and interesting graphic forms have always been able to attract attention. New ways of representation strike curiosity. But the goal is to communicate and the form is part and parcel of visual communication.

Lala C. Ballatan is a 26 year-old Communication Arts graduate, with a major in Journalism. Right after graduating last 1999, she worked for one year as a clerk then became a Research, Publication and Documentation Program Director at a non-government organization, which focuses on the rights, interests and welfare of workers for about four years.

Book reading has always been her greatest passion -- mysteries, horrors, psycho-thrillers, historical documentaries and classics. She got hooked into it way back when she was but a shy kid.

Her writing prowess began as early as she was 10 years old in girlish diaries. With writing, she felt freedom ? to express her viewpoints and assert it, to bring out all concerns -- imagined and observed, to bear witness.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.graphicdesignsunlimited.com

---

The Psychology of Color in Web Design

Persons engaged in website design, here's a scoop for you!... Read More

A Landing Page is Not an Order Page (and why it matters)

To explain my point I need to first confuse the... Read More

10 Profitable Ways To Recycle Your Content

1. Repackage your web site content in to different products... Read More

Make it Clear What Your Website is About

Just about every list of the "Top 10 Web Design... Read More

3 Tips You Can Use Right Now to Improve Your Web Sites Usability

Studies done by Jakob Nielson the man touted as the,... Read More

Ten Steps to a Winning Home Page

There's no doubt about it - the first page your... Read More

Do You Hate Your Website? Web Site Sales To Hit $316 Billion Over The Next 6 Years

What dollar amount does your web site contribute to this... Read More

Love at First Site: Giving Your Website Visitors the right Impression

Think of the people who visit your site as blind... Read More

Website Design Considerations

Q: Should I build and maintain my business Web site... Read More

Got Web Traffic but Still Low Sales? Ten Ways to Selling Success - Part 2

Part one of this article is available at ... Read More

You Had Me At the Search Engine

You've likely heard of the movie, Jerry Maguire, with its... Read More

Breathe New Life Into Your Half-dead Website By Using Words That Sell

This article may come as a surprise to you.Especially since... Read More

Website Design: Color Me Blue

Chris, a new consulting client, asked me to help him... Read More

7 Benefits of HTML Validation

You may not bother with html validation or writing simple... Read More

Simple Lines and Shapes for Your Logo Design

Geometric designs come in all shapes and sizes? and lines.... Read More

Long Copy Sales Letters on the Web: Hype or Not?

I have written before about long sales copy on the... Read More

Website Design Mishaps - How to Avoid Costly Errors That Can Crush Your Chances of Success

Designing your website can be a difficult task especially if... Read More

Quality Web Copy is the Key to Success

Many websites make the mistake of being all flash and... Read More

Drupal Modules

There are plenty of Drupal Modules that you can install... Read More

Give People What They Want And Watch Your Profits Soar!

Do you know why the majority of people use the... Read More

Does Your Homepage Work?

All websites have a homepage. It is the most important... Read More

Sell Yourself First...Your Key To More Sales

Selling on the internet is a challenge. There is no... Read More

Do You Want To Save Time With Your Web Design?

It starts off simply; a few HTML pages, a few... Read More

Concentrate On Web Content Instead Of Search Engine Optimization

For many webmasters the title of my article may seem... Read More

Web Publishing Guide for the Beginning Entrepreneur (Part 1)

The best things don't come easy. - QuotedThe finished web... Read More

How to Make Effective Use of Web Fonts

Writing for your web site is not the same as... Read More

What to Ask Your Web Designer

If you need a web designer, but have no clue... Read More

How To Create A Professional Website In Less Than A Week

Here's a really simple way... any novice can create a... Read More

The Proper Way to Use Images

Most people will agree there is nothing more annoying than... Read More

The Monster Garage of eLearning

Have you seen Jesse James on the... Read More

The Secrets of The Shriekers

I am constantly bombarded with all sorts of advertisements, single-page... Read More

Web Page Building for Beginners 2

A search engine robot actually reads the wording on your... Read More

Top 10 Web Design Mistakes

As a webmaster, you want to keep your visitors content... Read More