8 Graphic Design Types and How To Use Them

Look at that book cover, social media image, wall painting, and graphics on your t-shirt! What do they all have in common? They are all examples of graphic design. Graphic design elements have something to convey, maybe an idea or a message, and a graphic designer’s role is to bring these elements to life using their skills. 

Anyone can take a picture, but not everyone has the right skills to do it. Similarly, graphic designers must know the ABC of design to communicate the intended messages effectively. 

In this article, we will define graphic design and its different types. We have also discussed how and where these different graphic design types can be used effectively. So, keep reading till the end. 

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What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is a diverse field that uses design elements or visuals to communicate information and create an effect. In simpler words, graphic design is the art of utilizing visuals to communicate a brand’s messages. 

These visuals can be both simple and complex, depending upon your requirements. An example is a business logo or page layout on a website.

Every company and organization uses graphic design services to promote and sell its products through advertising. This advertising can be done via websites or infographics, depending on the ad types.

Graphic Design Basics

Graphic design includes certain elements and principles to bring out the best designs. These elements can either be used alone or together to create striking visuals. The common graphic design elements include:

• Color
• Form
• Line
• Shape
• Size
• Texture 
• Space

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Graphic designers are bound to follow certain design principles, which include guidelines and help achieve effective design composition. The basic principles of graphic design include: 

• Balance
• Contrast
• Emphasis
• Proportion 
• Rhythm
• Movement

8 Types of Graphic Design

Graphic design comprises various fields and specializations, including print and web design, animation, and motion graphics. Let us now understand the different types of graphic design:

1. Branding/visual identity

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Visual identity graphic design is the most common type of graphic design service. And a visual graphic designer must possess knowledge of all types of graphic design to create a design that can work across all social media. 

A brand is a relationship between a business and its audience. At the same time, a brand identity refers to how the brand can communicate its personality, tone, essence, emotions, experiences, and memories. 

Visual identity graphic design deals precisely with that, i.e., it acts as the face of any business to communicate its vision using images, shapes, and colors. 

2. Advertising and marketing design

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It is a common belief that graphic design refers to designs created for marketing and advertising purposes. This is true to some extent. Marketing and advertising are important to enhance any business’s brand value and make a unique name in the market. What better way than promoting the services using graphic design?

Marketing designers work with the senior management to create campaigns, posters, and advertisements that could attract the audience’s attention and benefit the organization. This type of graphic design service is mostly seen in content marketing. Marketing designers must be proficient in communication, problem-solving, and time-management skills. 

3. User interface graphic design

User interface or UI is how a user interacts with any application. UI graphic design means creating user interfaces that are easy to navigate and use, thus providing a user-friendly experience to the users. User interface design deals with everything that a user interacts with but in terms of graphic design. This includes the website layout, menu, buttons, and other graphic elements. 

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The UI designer needs to be capable enough to design the website or application in a way that gives it a premium look along with advanced technical functionality. UI designers work closely with UX designers and UI developers to develop desktop apps, web apps, games, websites, etc.

4. Art and illustration for graphic design

While people believe graphic design and Illustration are the same things, the reality is they are very different. The role of designers is to create compositions that could communicate and solve the brands’ problems, whereas graphic artists and illustrations are known to create original artwork. This art can be of any form, from online art to storytelling illustrations. 

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Graphic art and illustration are not linked directly to graphic design but are sometimes used commercially. 

5. Publication graphic design

Publication graphic design is a classic type of graphic design service that deals with long-form pieces of content and communicates with the audience through public distribution. Publication design includes books, newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. Recently, digital publications have been gaining a lot of interest, too.

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Publication graphic designers work with editors and publishers to create layouts and artworks that include graphics, photography, and illustrations. They need to understand color management, printing, and digital publishing well. 

6. Packaging graphic design

Packaging graphic design is a precious marketing tool. You might have seen some advertisements in the form of texts or images on the packages of a lot of stuff; that is an example of packaging graphic design services. Any product that has a package has a chance to tell the story of the brand.

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Package designers must be experts in print processes and have a keen understanding of industrial design and manufacturing. Since the packages are circulated well, a thorough knowledge of the packaging graphic design is a must. 

7. Environmental graphic design

You might have seen paintings on the walls of some streets; that is an example of environmental graphic design. The idea behind environmental graphic design is to visually connect people to places, thus making their overall experiences memorable, exciting, and informative.

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Environmental graphic design services merge graphic, interior, landscape, and architectural design. Therefore, the designers have experience in both graphic design and architecture.

8. Motion graphic design

As the name suggests, motion graphic design is simply the graphics put in motion. It can include audio, typography, imagery, video, animation, and other effects used in online media, film, and television. 

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Motion graphics is one of the newest forms of design which can be used across all digital platforms. This graphic design service is in demand and has opened new areas of growth and opportunities.

How to Use the Different Graphic Design Types

Now that we know the different graphic design types, it’s time to learn where the different graphic design types are used:

1. Visual identity: This can be used for a company’s products and goodies, anything with a brand logo.

2. Advertising and marketing

• Postcards and flyers
• Brochures
• Infographics
• Email marketing templates
• Images for websites and blogs
• Social media ads
• Menus, etc.

3. User interface graphic design

• Game interfaces
• App designs
• Theme design 
• Web page design

4. Art and Illustration

• T-shirt design
• Motion graphics
• Stock images
• Websites
• Video games
• Graphic novels
• Picture books
• Concept art

5. Publication graphic design

• Newspapers
• Newsletters
• Magazines
• Catalogs
• Directories
• Books
• Annual reports

6. Packaging graphic design

• Box
• Bottle
• Bag
• Any kind of packages

7. Environmental graphic design

• Wall murals
• Stadium branding
• Office branding
• Museum exhibitions
• Public transportation navigation
• Retail store interiors, etc.

8. Motion graphic design

• Promotional videos
• Tutorial videos
• Websites
• Apps
• Banners
• GIFs
• Video games
• Animated logos, etc.

Parting Thoughts

Creating an excellent graphic design needs the right skills and tools, but it is only possible when you know the different types of graphic design services and where to use them. Hopefully, this guide will help you understand it better. 

A graphic designer doesn’t need to be proficient in every aspect of designing, but a basic understanding is important. For people looking to make a career in graphic designing, let us tell you that you are on the right track. 

Key Takeaways

• Understand the different graphic design types
• Know where these types should be used
• Learn the art of graphic designing from the right platform
• Know which tools to use

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