Graphic Design School

The Principles and Practice of Graphic Design

David Dabner, Sandra Stewart, Abbie Vickress

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781119647263
• Topic: Design
• Subtopic: Graphic Design
• Edition: 7

From understanding graphic design fundamentals, to developing original concepts, to creating finished designs— Graphic Design School develops design students' core competencies and provides practical advice and tips for how these fundamentals translate into new and evolving media. This Seventh Edition offers all new examples from web, app, social media, magazines, websites and books, presenting a comprehensive overview of the visual communications profession. This updated edition includes guidance and media examples using the latest in grahpic design software, and traditional printing techniques such as risograph and screen printing are revisited. Pedagogical tools throughout the text focus on the growth of interdisciplinary learning and collaborations between design specialists, as well as highlights on key players in the past and present of graphic design.

Topics covered include: color, typographic rules and typefaces, coding requirements, information architecture, file organization, web design and layout, mobile device composition, app design, CMS, designing for social media, and SEO. Graphic Design School, 7th Edition includes full-color illustrations throughout, as well as case studies, designer biographies, and student assignments for testing skills and concepts.

PART 1
Principles

The first part of this book is concerned with design principles, the building blocks that connect the basics of all good design. Every discipline has its own set of rules, methods, technical requirements, and specialized technologies. Each one is rooted in the interactions of its history, theory, and practice, but unlike learning law or biology, the language of design is visual. It involves the need for a highly developed awareness of visual relationships, proportion, the perceptions of visual principles, and of the modern world and its complex events and practices. A good designer can filter this information and create relevant, engaging, visually eloquent design that responds to multiple problems, needs, and contexts. While a design student needs to develop the research, concept‐development, compositional, and organizational skills associated with design, he or she also needs to be engaged with the world, and interested, aware, and sensitive to the changing contexts in which design plays a part.

Chapter 1 introduces the primary and secondary research skills needed by designers, followed by an introduction to theories of image, the importance of audience, and of organizing your work and time. In Chapter 2, the idea of form is spotlighted. Form involves composition of the fundamentals of design (text, image, proportion, space, color, scale) and requires an understanding of the visual dynamics created by combining them with intent. Understanding form comes from the ability to see intrinsic and subtle qualities in the various design elements, and the observation of, and sensitivity to, the changing relationships between them. Chapter 3 introduces typography, a core skill for all designers that is layered with complexity, and cannot be understated for its beauty, history, versatility, and ability to influence an audience. Developing a deep understanding of typography is of critical importance. Chapter 4 introduces color as one of the primary tools in the language of design, including theory, terminology, associations, issues of legibility, and emotional response. Managing color and understanding its ability to communicate are skills that also evolve with greater understanding of its influences. Whatever design discipline you ultimately pursue, from editorial art direction to web and motion graphics, these basic principles will give you a solid foundation and serve as the groundwork for further exploration and understanding of design and the role of the designer.

1
Research and Concepts

The first step toward becoming interesting is to be interested. The best creatives of all kinds—painters, designers, writers, sculptors, musicians, playwrights—make the world their inspiration, and draw ideas and content from both experience and research. They make it a priority to stay aware of what is happening, not only within the world of design, but in the world in general, and this level of engagement enriches their work.

“What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what kind of a person you are”

C. S. Lewis

Observe and collect

Research should be specific to each project, but the process of observation and recording your impressions should be ongoing, and should become a part of your daily routine. When something catches your eye, document it; capture an image and put it into your notebook/sketchbook/device for reference later. Everything you come in contact with can inform your work, so make sure to have a great collection of objects and impressions for inspiration.

PART 1	PRINCIPLES
CHAPTER 1	RESEARCH AND CONCEPTS

MODULE 1 BASICS OF RESEARCH

Modern media demands an increasing amount of visual information to illustrate its content in print, packaging, and motion graphics, in the built environment or online. Graphic designers are the conduits for all types of communications from multiple sources to specific audiences, and to be successful they must be well-informed, accomplished researchers with inquisitive natures.

Broaden your outlook

Designers who seek information from the greatest range of references are those who successfully communicate with people of all ages, professions, and lifestyles, and who properly contextualize their design work.

• Read about events from multiple sources. Compare stories, noting how information about the same events changes, how the language is used to target various audiences, and what type of imagery is used to support the text. Never rely solely on editable web pos...