Graphic design

Graphic design refers to the visual design of content in different media using a variety of artistic and technical means. The main task is usually the effective communication of certain information.

History

( † 1956 * 1880) in 1922 coined the term graphic design was by William Addison Dwiggins. Before, printers, typographers, typesetters, graphic artists and designers often the same person. Today, graphic design and visual communication are a subset of communication design.

Graphic design is relatively well anchored with the requirements of modern societies. Specialties are advertising, publicity and communication tasks of science and culture. However, the development of graphic design is not always linked to the Industrial Revolution. For example, in France social and political commitment had (after the student revolt in 1968 ) and (Poster ) art a very strong influence (including Toulouse- Lautrec, and later Polish poster designer who worked in France).

Job Title

The non- protected job title Graphic Designer / f is a specification of the concept designer. The term graphic designer is more and more replaced by communication designer and differs from the industrial, fashion, photography and web designers. A graduate degree - for example, Diplom-Designer/-in or Dipl. -Des. ( FH) - may lead only to whom this academic degree was awarded after successful completion of (technical) university degree. Since the Bologna reform, there are BA and MA degrees.

Training

The training to become a graphic designer or communication designer is a nationally recognized program. You can in the three-year full-time education at vocational colleges (or vocational school ), or be studied as a bachelor or master degree at colleges and colleges of design. There are about 40 colleges that offer training as a communication designer in Germany. To be admitted to a school, you must submit a portfolio of design work and pass an entrance exam at state as well as private schools.

Fields of activity

In addition to the traditional print media such as magazines, books, posters, maps and brochures are available since the late 1980s, increasingly electronic media with interactive features such as web pages or mobile apps applications of graphic design.

Possible areas of activity in the graphic design is typography, illustration, photography, printmaking, DTP (Desktop Publishing), advertising, branding, corporate design as part of the field of corporate identity, exhibitions, film etc.

The classic graphic design is limited for some years no longer limited to the shapes of and with graphic shapes. Therefore, increasing the term communication design is accepted as a generic term, which also includes those verbal and audiovisual communication includes not only the visual communication.

In advertising agencies, graphic designers usually is responsible for the graphical implementation of policies that are developed by Art Director or Creative Director.