Graphic design is a skill and practice that uses visual elements to communicate ideas or convey messages. Gaining insight into what graphic designers do will help make working with these strange creatures less nerve-wracking. As a graphic designer that got her career started when Adobe first came out with products like Photoshop and Illustrator in the 90s and now being in Silicon Valley during COVID-19 while the tech industry is restructuring its work culture, it can be overwhelming. There is also a certain aspect of social responsibility that creators should adhere to.
Graphic designers use their talent as an art from to problem solving through the use of images, typography, and styles. The main types of graphic design are visual identity, marketing and advertising, publication, packaging, user interface, 3D and motion graphics, environmental design, and illustration.
BRAND, BRANDING AND VISUAL IDENTITY
Your visual brand is one of the most important aspects of your identity. It’s how people perceive you. People identify brands by the styles, colors, advertising copy, and logo associated with different business entities. Your brand is how people perceive you. Branding is the process and actions you take to create a specific image of your company. Visual brand identity is all of the elements combined to create your image.
MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
Businesses depend on graphic design to visually communicate their messages and/or product and service offerings. Good graphic design sets the tone and foundation a company’s visual brand and storytelling. The difference between graphic design and advertising design is advertising design is a hybrid of design and marketing. Advertising design is the art of problem solving, engaging, and persuading users to take action while maintaining your company’s brand image.
PRINT PUBLICATION
Publication design is the art of laying out multipage documents in a printed medium. Printing and publishing ranges from journals, newsletters and magazines to books, product catalogs and annual reports. Publication graphic design requires technical knowledge of design software, intelligent design, typography, printing and binding. E-books and other forms electronic publishing and self-publishing have become more popular – slowly replacing printed publications because of the ease of use, wide distribution, and cost effectiveness.
PACKAGING
The design of your product packaging is just as important as the product itself. In my experience, many companies spend more on developing the product packaging than the actual product. The goal of packaging design is to attract a buyer’s attention and ultimately make a sale while sitting on the shelf with thousands of other products. To meet marketing objectives, packaging design’s job is to portray the product’s personality and communicate to a consumer the benefits and value of the contents inside and make a purchase.
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Types and Styles of Graphic Design | Sage Design Group
1. Types and Styles of Graphic Design
Graphic design style is a combination of different shapes, colors, typography, form, lines, and
curves that work in harmony to accomplish your design goals.
3. Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an ornamental style that is
characterized by use of long organic lines and is
an international art style that is often used in
architecture, interior design, jewelry, glass, posters,
illustration, etc. Art Nouveau was popular in Europe
and the United States between 1890 and 1910.
Intricate illustrative style
Bold, heavy weighted outlines
Hand drawn and colored
Use of natural forms
Use of a natural color and tonal palette
Regularly features female personas
4. Art Deco
Art Deco can be characterized as a sleek
geometric style that uses rich colors, bold
geometry, and decadent detailed work that brings
an element of glamour and luxury using symmetry
and exuberant shapes. Art Deco originated in
France in the mid-to-late 1910s and became
popular in the United States and Europe during the
1930s and is often found in architecture.
Bold geometric shapes
Use of vertical and motion lines
Capitalized typefaces
High contrast in colors
Flat (in terms of depth)
5. Noir
Noir is the French label for the “black film” genre
that peaked in the 1944-1955 period. Its origins are
the detective novels of Dashiell Hammett 1929-34.
Hard, un-diffused look of tabloid newspapers
Night scenes with low-key lighting and
cluttered, claustrophobic dark interiors
Depictions of bleak fatalistic overtones of
despair and madness
Heightened expressionistic scenes with
elements that are distorted, nightmarish,
grotesque, and exaggerated
6. American Kitsch
“Kitsch” is a German word meaning “in bad taste”
and is used to describe artwork that is vulgar,
tasteless, pretentious, and lack of sophistication.
American Kitsch was popular in the United States in
the 1950s but rarely found in art history books or
taught in design schools. Contemporary designers
still have a deep affection for this style of design.
Contrasting imagery and fonts
Cartoon-like illustrative images
Bold, vibrant colors
People in dramatic poses
Aerodynamic shapes
7. Swiss/International
International style is a typographic design style also
known as “Swiss” style that emerged in Russia, the
Netherlands, and Germany in the 1920s and was
further developed by Switzerland in the 1950s.
Consistent use of negative space
Saturated, matte color palettes
Very ‘clean’ and simple
Sans serif fonts favored
Asymmetrical layouts
8. Psychedelic
Psychedelic art dominated the art culture in the
1960s when psychedelic drugs became popular in
Western culture, particularly the United States and
Britain. Music and album covers from the 60s
summarizes the era’s popularity.
Influenced by the psychedelic drug culture
Intense, clashing colors
Type and image use influenced by Art Nouveau
Hand-drawn type generally illegible and hard to
read
Abstracted curvaceous forms and design elements
9. Punk
Punk was part of the Postmodernist’s movement
that rebelled against the rules of the Swiss
movement and neutral sans serif typography in the
1970s. Design choices were made from lack of
planning or knowledge of design and made use of
collages, had drawings, stencils, rubber stamping,
Xerox copying, and offset printing.
Low quality, photocopier printed images
Grainy and matt screen printing effects
Found and collaged type
Predominantly photographic imagery
High contrast, bold colors
Overall rough, textured aesthetic
10. Minimalist
Minimalist design is the most basic stripped down
form of design and is meant to be calming and
bring the mind to just the basics. Minimalism is
absent of colors, shapes and textures to make
important content stand out as focal point.
No depth of field
Minimalist design space
Neutral tones and secondary colors
Linear design elements
Use of negative space
11. 3-Dimensional
3D Modeling is an art form and process of using
mathematical equations to make graphics come
to life in three dimensions – height, width, and
depth. 3D modeling was developed in the 1960s
by the creator of Sketchpad, Ivan Sutherland.
Illusion of live-like depth and volume
Employs various lighting effects
Shadow and depth indications often utilize one
color, with tonal variations
12. Abstract
Abstract design is usually absent of reality and uses
the visual language of form, shape, line, and color
to create visual designs independent from
references of the real world.
Ambiguous representation of an object /
concept
Independent from the way it looks in real life
Invites individual interpretation
13. Conceptual
Conceptual design is an early stage of the design
phase where designs are refined and plan,
specifications and estimates are created.
Metaphorical depiction of a visual idea
May contain some elements of reality
Features designer’s own interpretation of the
object it models after
14. Feminine
Feminine design uses shapes and details that are
appealing to women. Think curves, delicate
detailing, wavy lines, soft color palettes, florals, and
cursive writing. Feminine design is the opposite of
Masculine design which tends to have flat raw forms.
May employ cursive, fluid fonts
May incorporate pastel colors and/or shades of
red (pink, purple, orange)
May feature a woman’s face, flowers and
fashion components (lipstick, shoes)
15. Playful
Playful, like the name says, playful design is intended
to make things fun by using playful, cartoonish, and
colorful elements in the design. Playful design is often
used in children’s books and video games.
Cartoonish and inspires fun
May feature caricaturized person / animal
Colorful
May contain elements of fantasy
16. Geometric
Circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, lines, and other
shapes combine to create intricate designs and
patterns to form beautiful geometric designs.
Heavy use of geometric shapes
Incorporates straight lines
Features symmetry
17. Illustration
Illustration is an art form that interprets things
pictorially or visually to clarify or demonstrate
something.
Visual explanation of a text, concept or process
Generally has ‘raw’, hand-drawn look
Look dependent on designers’ drawing style
18. Luxury
Luxury design is an expression of self in style that may
involve pieces or components of their own
personalities that are decoratively elaborate with
details that are small and subtle.
Evokes the idea of indulging in extra comforts or
pleasures
Often uses the colors black, gold and bronze
Achieves the idea the brand is impactful on its
own by employing simple, minimalist designs
Uses either old-style fonts or simple and modern
fonts
19. Masculine
Masculine design is all about clean lines, sharp
edges, and darker and neutral colors as opposed to
the curves and colors of more feminine styles.
Stereotypically appealing to men
Simple lines, monochromatic theme (black and
white) and “rugged” texture
May employ hard-edged, thick-stroke fonts
May incorporate rugged and gritty images
May feature blue or darker colors
20. Organic & Natural
Organic design is a style of design which takes as its
starting point organic, flowing natural forms.
Flowing natural forms of a reality
Generally incorporates natural elements like
leaves, flowers and fresh produce
May be combined with illustrated look for the
raw, organic look
21. Photorealism
Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses
painting, drawing and other graphic media, in which
an artist studies a photograph and then attempts to
reproduce the image as realistically as possible in
another medium.
Features refined details to emulate the original
image as much as possible
Usually achieved by, but not limited to, pencil
sketches
22. Corporate
Corporate design is the design of a company’s
brand image and includes all of a company’s visual
aspects and design elements, reaching from logos
to social media assets and stationery.
Muted colors, and minimal details
Employs straight, classic font types
Incorporates simple shapes or objects
May invoke formal impressions with use of
negative space and line art
Formal impressions on their target audience
23. Typographic
Corporate design is the design of a company’s
brand image and includes all of a company’s visual
aspects and design elements, reaching from logos
to social media assets and stationery.
Muted colors, and minimal details
Employs straight, classic font types
Incorporates simple shapes or objects
May invoke formal impressions with use of
negative space and line art
Formal impressions on their target audience
24. Avant-Garde
The avant-garde (/ˌævɒ̃ˈɡɑːrd/; In French: [avɑ̃ɡaʁd]
‘advance guard’ or ‘vanguard’, literally ‘fore-
guard’) is a person or work that is experimental,
radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or
society. It is frequently characterized by aesthetic
innovation and initial unacceptability.
25. Vintage/Retro
Retro or Vintage style is imitative or consciously
derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from the
historical past, including in music, modes, fashions,
or attitudes. In popular nostalgia culture it is typically
20-30 years before the current one.
Retrospective style that is derivative of trends
from the recent past
Inspired by the decorative styles of the Victorian
era (Steam Punk, Industrial, Bauhaus)
Incorporates rustic, nostalgic elements to invoke
the past
May use illustrated ornate ribbons and wreaths
reminiscent of the 19th century
May incorporate visual clues such as old
letterpress, hand-drawn typefaces and
elaborate decorative arts
26. Creative Solutions to Grow Your Business™
Our VISION: Sage Design Group wants to be the go-to-place for ideas that help CREATE, INSPIRE and
GROW profitable businesses through meaningful human connections. We strive to foster results oriented
communication campaigns to enhance our client's image, improve their sales and maximize their ROI.
Our STORY: Sage Design Group is an advertising agency founded by Art Director and Marketing Expert
Annette C. Sage, who has over 20 years of experience in the industry. Its advertising philosophy takes the
traditional marketing funnel and integrates advocacy to keep up with today's interconnected economy.
Our GOALS: Sage Design Group's goal is to create positive awareness of your company - locally, regionally
or in the worldwide marketplace. We work to enhance profitability and grow your customer base. Sage
Design Group can assist you in creating a brand identity that will give you a competitive edge and open
doors to greater business opportunities.
