Graphic design involves using visual compositions to communicate thoughts and ideas to the target audience. Through images, typography, color, and tones, one conveys messages to the masses.

There are several forms of graphic designs, and though many of the types overlap, there are specific skill sets required for each. Also, a graphic designer cannot restrict himself to only one form of art. He/she needs to have a clear understanding of every kind of design and then inculcate the required knowledge in his work.

We have listed down the types of graphic design below. Read on to know more…

Environment Graphic Design

This is a type of graphic design that aims to connect humans to certain places by improving their overall experience. It is done by trying to make the space more appealing and memorable as well as easier to navigate.

Environmental graphic design involves wall murals, event and conference spaces, museum exhibition, and retail store interiors, to name a few.

Imagine standing at a metro station, and looking around for directions to know where you exactly are. The signages on the wall will explain your location and show the directions to the nearest exit. Without knowing it, you have experienced the magic of environmental graphic design.

Also, landmarks and visual cues are part of this category as it helps people understand their whereabouts without any signs of confusion.

Graphic design meets architectural, interior, landscape, and industrial design to form the category of environmental graphic design. If you want to pursue this field, you would have to have knowledge about designing along with architecture because they are intricately correlated.

In present times, digital interactive displays have become a part of this category and continue to be a more popular choice in creating an overall experience.

Motion graphic design

This simply involves art in motion. Be it in the form of animation, typography, imagery, video, or audio, all of these effects could also be used online in different types of media. As the demand for video content increased, motion graphic design became a more significant phenomenon.

Advertisements, videos, apps, website animation, video games, and gifs are some of the most famous examples of this category. The journey begins by first creating storyboards that may be drawn on paper or a digital medium. These are then brought to life through videos or moving images as well as traditional art.

If this interests you and could be a possible career option, you need to have a working knowledge of 3D modeling, coding, and marketing. Marketing is necessary here because most of the art is related to gaining more audience by impressing them and ensuring that they buy a product or merchandise.

Packaging graphic design

How many times have you bought something just because the packaging managed to impress you immediately? We have all been there, and this is how vital packaging graphic design is. It is the first thing people notice while buying a product as it conveys vital information about the item, making it a very popular marketing tool.

Every bottle, can, or bag carries the story of the brand that it represents and how that story is presented depends on these designers. The main job of the designers is to create the concept and make mock-up designs of how to present it. Softwares such as in-design are then used to produce print-ready versions, which are sent to print processors with expert knowledge.

Those into packaging graphic design have to be very aware of the current trends in the market. In addition to this, they also need to impress marketers, clients, and manufacturers and meet their demands.

Publication graphic design

Every time you pick up a book and stare at the beautifully designed cover, you are witnessing a perfect example of publication design. Be it illustrations in books, newspapers, magazines or catalogs, this form of graphic design is vital in influencing consumers to pick up the book or paper.

Graphic designers consult with editors and publishers to make blueprints of the layouts with the correct type of font, artwork, graphics, text, and illustrations.

The process is fascinating and challenging as the designers have to understand the tone and expressions of the author or editor correctly. It can take some time and a lot of edits to reach the desired result.

Publication designers could be freelancing as well as be a part of a publishing agency. They could also be creative agency members in agencies, which work as outsource partners.

Today there has been a significant rise in digital publications. Thus, one cannot restrict oneself to designing physical copies, rather also explore graphics and illustrations for e-magazines and e-books.

Marketing and advertising graphic design

Have you seen an ad and related to it instantly? Did the ad manage to make an impact and stay with you for long? That’s what marketing and advertising graphic design are all about. Visual content always engages consumers, and so graphic designers’ work here is pretty crucial.

Companies usually hire agencies to come up with successful marketing tactics to tap on the target group’s decision-making process. A very intricate understanding of people and their wants, needs, and desires is required before creating engaging content.

The designers work with the marketing heads, company owners, and directors to create groundbreaking marketing strategies. These designers could be a part of the in-house team of a particular company or be a part of a digital or ad agency which the company has hired.

Crucial examples of marketing graphic design are posters, banners, billboards, magazine and newspaper ads, banners and hoarding ads, images for websites and blogs, and PowerPoint presentations. This list is not exhaustive and includes a lot more, mainly digital ads today, which are making a huge impact on social media platforms.

If you want to take this up as a career choice, you would need excellent communication skills and the ability to do research well. Additionally, you should be good at problem-solving and time management.

Visual Identity graphic design

What is a brand? If we think of it, it is like a relationship between the company or business and the target audience. When trying to form the brand identity, the tone, personality, and essence of the organization need to be communicated.

Along with it, the impact should be such that brand identity links with memories, emotions, and experiences of the consumers.

This is also the job of visual identity graphic designers who make sure the visual elements of brand identity communicates the qualities of the brand it represents. These designers create typographies, logos, color palettes, and image libraries that tell the story of the brands.

They collaborate with the brand stakeholders to curate visual guidelines or style guides, and these are followed across all mediums. This ensures that there is a consistency that is maintained throughout all future designs.

To be an excellent visual identity graphic designer, one should have good knowledge of all types of graphic design to create design elements for all sorts of media. Along with this, excellent communication skills and conceptual and creative expertise are essential for creating a visual identity.

Web design

Everything that you see on a website from the type of fonts used to the images and illustrations is all part of web designing. Unlike 90s graphic design, this is relatively newer and consists of everything digital.

While designing a website, one needs to keep a balance between aesthetics and optimal usability. The websites have to look appealing on one hand and provide the user with benefits of easy operationality on the other.

Achieving a perfect balance is not an easy task, but these designers are trained to do so. A career in web designing would involve you to know the use of UX and UI designs. Also, working knowledge of the different types of graphic design is needed.

Photo editing/Photoshop Artist

Today a lot of eCommerce organizations are in need of product photographers and editors, and here comes the role of photo editing artists. Photo editing software is used to play with digital images. One can add a lot of detail to this to enhance the pictures. 

To be a pro at this, you should have a good grasp of photoshop and its tools and techniques. Understanding layering, merging of pictures, and pixel compositions is an essential bit here. 

Conclusion

Graphic designers are very much in demand in the present times, and the need is rising with the flourishing of the digital universe. If you plan to learn to design, this would be a good time to think about it.  In the present times, this is a successful career option waiting to be explored. 

Designing is fun and one of the most creative fields out there. If it excites you, think no more, dive right in.