8 Types of Graphic Design You Need to Know

What is the first thing that pops up in your mind when you hear the term graphic design? Many tend to relate it with creative advertisements or shiny cover magazines. Yes, these fall under the umbrella of types of graphic designs. But book covers, infographics, brochures, business cards, banner ads also belong to this category.

It is the right mix of art and craft to create visual and textual content to communicate the ideas or messages. This content can be simple or complex depending on the business type and message to convey.

The person who creates the visual content is a designer. They use colors, fonts, shapes, images to develop the content for marketing/promotion. The methods to create designs vary with the area of specialization.

Before starting with the discussion, let us know about the essential elements of graphic design.

Now, we will focus on eight significant types of graphic design used in the industry.

1. User Interface (UI) Design

   UI is the design interface for the users to have easy interactions with the device or mobile apps. The main emphasis is on the ease of use rather than the look factor of the software. But it does not imply that one can take the appearance element off the shelf.

   In short, the UI designer takes care of the appearance and performance of the apps on any device.

   Examples of UI designs

   • Game Interfaces
   • App or Web page design
   • Theme Design

2. Marketing and Advertising design

   In general, people tend to relate graphic design with marketing and advertising.

   This type determines your company’s success by influencing the consumer’sbuying process. They analyze the needs, awareness, satisfaction people have for their products or services. They do it beforehand of the marketing efforts.

   Today people find visual elements more appealing. So, companies create designs that effectively communicate their message.

   The marketing designers either work alone or as a member of an in-house creative team. They create marketing collateral for both print and digital media.

   Examples of this category

   • Vehicle wraps
   • Magazine and newspaper ads
   • Infographics
   • eBook designs
   • Print and digital brochures
   • Banners and Billboards
   • Social Media ads
   • Images for blogs

3. Visual Identity design

   The brand is the link factor between a business and its audience. The way the brand conveys its memories, experiences, personality is brand identity. The visual elements used to design the face of a brand is all about the visual identity design type.

   These designers work to create digital assets that reflect the brand personality. They develop a style guide that helps the company with branding on different mediums. It is an asset that aids an organization to maintain consistency in branding now and in the future.

   The designers should be knowledgeable of other significant design types. Their research skills, communication skills, and creative skills help them produce better designs for the company.

4. Packaging design

   The purpose of packaging is to ensure the safe storage, distribution, and sales of a product. It serves as an effective marketing tool by conveying the brand message to the consumers. You can see in many eCommerce stores where the packaging designs tell the brand story.

   The packaging designers have a keen knowledge about industrial and manufacturing designs, which helps them with product photography and illustrations.

   Besides, these designers’ problem-solving skills help them meet the demands of the clients.

5. Publication design

   This conventional print medium communicates with the audience via public sales and distribution. The classic form of publication design includes magazines, books, newspapers, and catalogues.

   The designers in the publication sector work in unison with the editors to design layouts with relevant artwork, photos, graphics, and illustrations. They either work as a creative member of an in-house publishing team or as a freelancer.

   They should have good communication and organizational skills. Besides, a deep understanding of color management helps them excel in the industry.

   Best graphic design examplesfor this category are,

   • Newspapers
   • Directories
   • Books
   • Magazines
   • Newsletters

6. Motion design

   It includes all graphics that are in motion, like animation, video, audio, imagery. These special motion effects find their application in film, television, and digital media. With the progressions in technology, this medium has gained popularity as many find them efficient.

   Initially, it was specific for TV and film production houses to use motion graphics. But technological advancements have resulted in reduced production time and costs. Thus, it made this design form more affordable for many companies.

   You can find these types of graphics design forms in almost all digital mediums today. That, in turn, has opened job opportunities for the so-called motion graphics designer.

   Besides, when a designer knows coding, marketing, and 3D modelling, it is a definite asset to their skill set.

   Examples of Motion graphics

   • Ads
   • 2D and 3D animated logos or GIFs
   • Tutorial videos
   • Static banner ads
   • Video games

7. Art and illustration design

   Many think that graphic art and illustration are the same. But in reality, they are two separate processes. Artists create artwork, and designers craft compositions that solve problems.

   They both are not types of graphic design. But their commercial use within the design industry makes it essential to talk about them.

   The artists use a suitable technique to create their artwork with graphic designers. You can find skill sets of artists and designers overlap. So, that makes it easy to find a professional who can do both works with the same efficiency.

   Some examples of this category are,

   • Stock Images
   • Concept Art
   • Illustration
   • Book covers
   • Infographics
   • T-shirt design
   • Motion graphics

8. Environmental design

   It is the most complex design type than the rest on the list. It provides a visual connection between the people and space. They make dull space engaging, interactive, informative, and easy to navigate.

   It uses visual cues, landmarks, and signage that help people to move around without any hassle. The field uses the architecture and graphic design elements, so knowledge of two helps designers turn the ideas into reality.

   Examples that belong to this segment are

   • Signage
   • Public transport navigation
   • Stadium branding
   • Office branding
   • Retail store interiors
   • Museum exhibitions
   • Paintings on street walls

   There are a few popular software that professionals use to create unique designs. Some of them are,

   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Sketch
   • CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2019
   • Gravit Designer
   • Visme
   • Affinity Designer
   • GIMP

Depending on your budget, requirement, business niche, and time constraint, you can choose a graphic designer or a reliable graphic design company to get your things done. The field is evolving with technical progression, so the hunt for the best professional graphic design services or a design agency must not take more than a couple of days