The most important development that has occurred in graphic
design during the last ten years
·
The invention of the microchip has
advanced our technology.
·
The invention of the internet has
created a new medium demand for online web design.
·
The multimedia industries have also
turned to more advanced design elements.
·
The relationship between designers,
typesetters, paper suppliers, and printers was almost exclusive but, the
development of the computer has changed the routine of industry.
·
Graphic designers often still have
agreements with suppliers, but typesetters have disappeared, and their duties
are absorbed by the designers themselves.
·
These days clients provide all of
the copy in a digital format, and the designers are in charge of formatting the
copy and creating a layout. Once clients approve the designs, it goes straight
to prepress preparation or printing. The trail from start to beginning to end
can be completely digital from the design standpoint.
·
The introduction of the computer to
the design world has revolutionized the way graphic designers conger up and
process ideas into the finished products we see on billboards, movies, fliers,
magazines, and especially websites.
·
Instead of a typesetter working with
2,000 characters, now computer-based software products can take the creative
process straight to the computer with thousands of type fonts to experiment
with.
·
Adobe, a major software company, has
licensed several products and packaged them into a design suite with software
which allows users to manipulate anything from simple fonts to images, or even
video and animation.
·
The graphic design field continues
to merge more every day with computer technology, university curriculum has
followed the trends by offering courses which reflect the needs of the design
industries.
·
Perhaps a degree which used to
recommend classes such as print technique, typesetting, and typography has
introduced courses such as animation, web design, and now even digital
three-dimensional design to appeal to the job markets.
·
These are all of the perks of an
education obtained from a physical university, but some students are choosing
an alternative route by going to the internet to learn.
·
Collaboration is easier that it has
ever been before. The communication process has moved from merely voice over
telephone and/or in-house teamwork to include widespread collaboration via the
World Wide Web using email, chat software, and teleconferencing.
·
There are many software solutions
provided by online freelance services which allow a group of individuals to
team up by utilizing sophisticated yet user-friendly desktop management
applications online.
·
With the introduction of the
internet, to the graphic design field has become a stagnant pool of plagiarism
and copyright infringement.
·
Through ample research and dedicated
work experience within the graphic design industry, I’ve concluded that the
world of design has shifted drastically in recent years.
·
The process of design has
transformed because of computer software and the extinction of industries which
artists used to rely on for the full production of print design.
·
Communication has become so simple
that graphics designers can now work with nearly anyone in the world to help
run a graphic design business.
·
Outsourcing has become prominent
with the use of the internet as a catalyst for work transfer.
·
Websites provide collaborative
networking, and email puts delivery of the designs only seconds for client
approval.
·
The ability to post and share work
publicly with the world has also posed a risk of creative stagnation, but once
a designer can work through all of the differences between now and ten to
twenty years ago, I think one will see that the aspirations of a graphic
designer have not changed.
How Technology
Has Influenced Graphic Design?
Higher
Quality
·
We as viewers expect more colors,
higher resolutions, and more detailed designs, because our computers can handle
these graphics; whereas even as little as five years ago, designers had to be
mindful of what they could unload onto us.
·
Now we fully expect art and design
that seem to jump right out of our computer monitors, signage, or product
packaging.
·
Thanks to graphic tablets, new
design software, and advances in printing, designers can really get creative
and design almost without limitation!
·
Design suites like Adobe Creative
Suite releasing new, updated software consistently every few years, the
programs feature robust options for designers to utilize in new and often
unexpected ways.
·
Printers now have the ability to print high resolution
images, blending inks together to create true-to-life representations of what
you see on a computer monitor, allowing for bolder designs on more materials
than ever before.
New Concepts and
Techniques
·
When
Internet-era graphic design first began to take off in the 1990s, there wasn't
a lot of deviation from the first designs. People tended to use a lot of the
same techniques to create quite a bit of similar content.
·
Slowly
but surely, people began to deviate from the technique and began to create
content in new and exciting ways.
Deeper
Immersion
·
Sure,
we want more colors and more details, but some of the best designs offer something
more immersion.
·
People
expect to be pulled in by a design, whether it's product packaging or a movie
poster, web design or digital art.
·
We
expect our graphic designers to utilize the powerful technology around them to
create a world at a glance.
·
A
designer that can utilize technological advancements to tell a story through
their design and even across several pieces in their portfolio is considered to
be one of the best at their trade.
Cohesive Designs
·
When
the Internet was just becoming widely available to the average home, design was
more function than form.
·
Pages
were often large amounts of text, broken up by the occasional very small (and
very low quality) image, or simply with horizontal rules.
·
Product
packaging was simple but effective, but didn't wow us.
·
Product
packaging has become an art in itself, with dazzling arrays of colors and
information that adds to the design, rather than detracts from it.
The “WOW..!” Factor
·
We are all aware how much we want
to be impressed by graphic designers' latest projects.
·
We expect there to be a certain
"WOW!" factor in design these days.
Social
Media Has Changed Everything
·
Social Media is a huge opportunity
for any business looking for an audience, but it works in a completely
different way and isn’t just another advertisement space.
·
You have to earn peoples attention,
this isn’t something you can buy, Social media isn’t a “modern billboard” where
you put something up and everyone has to see it. People can “un-follow” you in
an instant.
·
You have to earn their trust and get
them to agree to be part of the conversation. The main reason for this, in my
opinion is because for people you’re trying to reach, you are reaching into
their personal life. This isn’t a impersonal magazine or TV ad, it’s their
friend feed, or facebook page.
·
This is where they and their
friends/family converse and to be a part of that, they have to let you in.
·
To be a part of this, it requires a
shift in thinking.
·
As Chris Brogan said, be human first
before being a company.
·
Since a lot of our clients are small
to mid-size businesses this is especially important.
·
You are not just reaching out to
“customers”, your communicating to your friends, neighbors and community.
Essential Social Networks for
Freelance Graphic Designers
·
If the contacts and connections
aren’t there, doing business for you as a freelance graphic designer won’t be
easy.
·
You’ll have the talent, the tools,
and the drive. But getting yourself out there is another story. It doesn’t
happen overnight. You’ll need to build up your network and connect with others.
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