You surely know that your ideas are creative but do you feel like it needs a voice? This is achieved with the help of graphic design. Graphic designing is a very powerful tool that helps you communicate your ideas and thoughts into visual elements. Graphic designing is a creative skill that helps you create attractive logos, a website, posters, social media images, etc. And that is exactly why understanding the core of graphic designing is essential.
If you are creatively inclined, this blog will help you to give shape to your ideas and thoughts. In this blog, we will discuss the fundamental principles of graphic designing: Colour, Shape, Typography, and Balance.
What are the Fundamentals for Effective Graphics Designing?
Graphic designing is a huge topic, however, there are 4 basic elements that you need to master in order to get into the graphic designing field. These four elements are:
1. Colour
Every creativity involves colourful and graphic designing is all about painting the whole town with digital colours. It evokes emotions, conveys messages, and creates visual interest. The right use of colour can make a design stand out and communicate its message more effectively.
- Colour Theory – It involves the knowledge of the colour wheels, their relationship with each other, the use of different types of colours, their psychological impact etc.
For example red colour can ignite feelings of anger or urgency, Blue is the colour of calmness and trust, white is the colour of peace, and likewise. This is called the colour theory - Colour Harmony – Another interesting concept is the concept of colour harmony. It means how you combine and mix colours that appeal to your audience. This gives the theory of colour scheming which involves.
When choosing the right colour for your brand consider your brand identity and the emotions associated with your brand and watch it do wonders.
2. Typography
Typography in the graphic designing term is the art of words and texts. It involves arranging words and texts in way that it is both readable and visually appealing. It plays a critical role in setting the tone of a design and guiding the viewer’s eye.
It involves the following things:
- Fonts – Choosing the right font for your text is highly crucial. Very similar to colours, the font style also evokes certain emotions. Fonts like Times New Roman are used for traditional and reliable messages, and fonts like Ariel appear modern and clean. Likewise, you can play with your fonts.
- Spacing & Alignment – Proper spacing (kerning, leading, and tracking) and alignment are essential for readability and aesthetic appeal. As a graphic designer, you need to ensure that the text is properly arranged and is readable.
- Font Combinations – Font combination is an interesting graphic design factor that gives variety to your design. Use a combination of fonts and make graphic designing fun.
3. Image
Once you have played with colours and fonts for your design project, chances are that you still find something missing. That is where you need to add images to fill the loopholes. The image adds a visual appeal to your design project. Images are used to evoke emotions & interest, engage your audience, attract viewers, and make your design project interesting.
What types of images can you use in graphic designing?
- Photographs – Realistic and relatable images can give authenticity to your project
- Illustrations – Helps to give complex ideas meaning and visual appeal
- Icons – Icons are used for versatile and quick communication
With the advent of the internet and digitalisation, there are a plethora of images and illustrations available. You can source various free sites to get free and easily available images for your use
4. Composition
Composition is a term used in graphic designing to present the arrangement of visual elements in your project. A well-composed design is effective in communication and will speak your message louder. There are a few components of composition:
- Layout & Grids – A grid system can help you to create a structured layout. This ensures consistency and harmony in your design. Common layout techniques include the rule of thirds, which divides the design into nine equal parts to create tension and interest, and the golden ratio, which creates a naturally pleasing balance.
- White Space – White space is the normal space that you leave empty in your design framework. This ensures that the design is not overwhelming and the design components are at their given place.
- Focal Points – Use graphic designing techniques like contrast, colour, and size to make use of the focal points. Focal points once identified can make your design stand out.
Conclusion
Mastering the fundamentals of graphic designing like – colour, typography, composition, and images, is not rocket science but it is crucial for creating a crucial design. Learn more about these elements and incorporate your understanding in your designs, experiment with them, try alternative methods, and learn with every step you take.