Definitions of Graphic Design

Graphic design is the process of combining text and visual images to communicate. Books, magazines, websites, advertisements and movies all use graphic design. Advertisements use graphic design to attract the audience to their piece of literature, while technical manuals use graphic design to help illustrate their piece of communication. Regardless of the reason for combining the text and visual image, graphic design is essential for the effectiveness of literature.

History

People have always used graphics to communicate, beginning with writings on cave walls. The invention of the printing press increased the need for graphic designers who could manipulate text and graphics in an appealing way.

Typography

Typography describes the way the type appears on the page. This includes font selection, alignment and spacing.

Visual Arts

Visual arts include any graphic used in a graphic design. These include photos, drawings or icons.

Page Layout

Page layout is the overall view of a page. This includes the interaction between typography and visual arts.

Interface Design

With the increasing use of the Internet, graphic design has become an important part of interfaces for websites. Graphic designers merge text and graphics seamlessly to help navigate users through a website.