Graphics Designer 101: Learn The Basics To Becoming A Graphics Designer

A graphic designer, or graphic artist as they are also known, is a
person who places together images or motion graphics (or both) with
typography in order to produce their work. They will primarily create
such work for printed, published or electronic forms of media
(newspapers, magazines, TV, film, internet) for use in advertising.
However, there are some graphics designers whose work makes
them responsible for illustration, typesetting and web design. But as
these are speciality subjects within the field of graphic design, only
someone who has taken training in this particular field will work on
such projects as these.
The main responsibility of a graphic designer is to present information
in such a way that, not only can it be easily accessed, but also it
looks pleasing to the eye.
Most of the work you will see done by graphics designers is that
which they produce for their clients in order to promote, publicise or
advertise a certain product, service or topic.
Although there are a lot of graphic designers today who have
obtained their degrees through going to college, or one of the many
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Graphics Designer 101
credited trade schools, there are others who have not. In fact, in
some cases, there are businesses where a degree is not considered
to be essential, and these positions are filled by those people who
have been in the business for a number of years, and so have vast
amounts of experience.
But what is essential if you wish to get on as graphics designer, is to
produce a good portfolio. It is this portfolio which will show off your
talents to their fullest, and will normally require that you update and
change things within it throughout the rest of your career.
Today, most portfolios compared to 20 years ago have now been
digitized, and so will often be available to prospective clients either
through the internet, on a CD or a DVD. Whereas 20 years ago, a
graphics designer would have had to carry all their work around in
either a big black book or binder. So as you can see, with the
invention of the computer and the way technology is progressing, so
does everything else, including the role of the graphics designer.
Through this book, we will show you what you will need to do if you
wish to take up a career in graphics designing.
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Graphics Designer 101
Chapter 1 –
The Role of the Graphics
Designer
The main roles of a graphics designer (graphics artist) are to plan,
analyze and then design a visual answer to a communication
problem.
It is up to them how they get the message across, and it can either be
through the use of print, film or some form of electronic media using
various different methods. The methods that they will use in order to
convey this message will be through the use of type, photography,
animation, illustration, color and certain print and layout methods.
It is the graphics designer who develops the overall layout and design
of magazines, journals, newspapers, corporate brochures or reports
and many other kinds of publications you see today. There are even
some whose main role is to design promotional displays, marketing
brochures, packaging or the logos for products and businesses.
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Graphics Designer 101
But today, there are an increasing number of graphics designers
whose sole role in their field is to design web pages for the internet,
interactive media and multimedia schemes.
While there are some graphics designers whose role is to produce
the credits you see at the beginning and end of all those movies and
television programs that you watch.
So certainly, when it comes to being a graphics designer, there are
plenty of options and different ways in which their talents can be
used.
However, the first step a graphics designer will need to take in order
to develop the design for their client is to determine what they actually
need. They will need to know what it is that the message he is trying
to convey will portray, and how to make it more appealing to the
customer or user of the product or service.
When developing a design for their clients, a graphics designer will
look at several different factors in order to plan and execute their
design at their target audience. The factors that they will take into
consideration in order to achieve this include the following:-
1. Cognitive
2. Cultural
3. Physical
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Graphics Designer 101
4. Social
In order to get the relevant information they need to produce a piece
of work which will do everything that the client requires, is to meet
with the client, as well as their own creative or art directors (if the
company has them). Plus, they will carry out their own research on
the subject matter as well.