Graphic design is everywhere. It shapes everything from the websites you scroll to the ads that grab your attention to the packaging for your favorite products. Though the core principles of good graphic design remain the same, those fundamental elements can be applied to different types of graphic design. Villa Maria College’s graphic design program empowers students to try their hand at various graphic design styles, helping them discover creative niches.
Brand Design
Brand designers create the distinctive elements that become synonymous with a business. Blending color, iconography, typography, and other visual elements, brand designers convey a company’s overall look and feel. This visual identity is extended through a brand’s logo as well as other materials associated with the company. For example, brands may have merchandise, stationary, apparel, or packaging incorporating brand elements such as a logo, icons, or color palette.
Marketing and Advertising Design
Every marketing strategy needs strong visuals. Marketing and advertising designers create assets to drive consumers toward a particular brand or business. Using graphic elements and other aspects of design, they create digital and print ads to demonstrate how a product or service fulfills a consumer need.
Packaging Design
As consumers, we know the power of shelf appeal in buying decisions. Packaging designs must create visually dynamic and appealing packaging for boxes and bottles to stand out from the competition. Graphic elements should convey the brand’s personality and ideally foster a connection with consumers that entices them to purchase the product.
Publication Design
Publication design involves creating covers and interior layouts for printed materials like magazines, books, and brochures. It’s just as important for printed materials to look good as it is for them to read well. Factors like font size, margins, line spacing, page bleed, binding, and white space are all part of creating a cohesive, legible publication. Designers must also be aware of color-correct printing to ensure colors remain consistent when printing.
Web Design
Web design plays an important role in attracting and retaining customers or clients. These designers develop the specific page layout and aesthetic, ensuring content is displayed in a visually pleasing way. Web designers should also be able to craft websites to be responsive, meaning the design adjusts to both mobile and desktop formats seamlessly.
UI Design
UI or user interface design deals with the aspects of an application that users interact with. From menu options to buttons and everything in between, UI designers think about and implement ways to make platforms as user-friendly as possible. Not only does this involve using iconography and typography, but also configuring a sensible layout that optimizes the platform.
Motion Graphic Design
Motion graphics have surged in popularity in recent years. Motion graphics were traditionally used in film and TV for elements like title, intro, and credit sequences. Now just about every digital platform features motion graphics to elevate static designs. Using motion graphics can make the content more engaging and heighten the connection viewers have with a message.
Find Your Passion at Villa
Villa’s graphic design students go on to do big things inside and outside of the classroom. Between dedicated staff and state-of-the-art facilities, we take pride in giving students the tools they need to hone their skills, discover the visual styles they’re passionate about, and find a career in graphic design. Contact Villa today to learn more about the program!
