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Graphic Design Resource Guide: Design Your Own Posters, Postcards, and More!

Graphic design dominates people's lives, although most go through life without ever thinking about how most of the things they look at throughout their day were purposefully designed by graphic designers. Graphic design plays a part in how brand logos, magazines, posters, postcards, wedding invitations, classroom flyers, book covers, Web pages, and apps look. Businesses use graphic design to connect with their consumers. It isn't just large corporations that use graphic design to form connections, though. Teachers, for example, carefully plan flyers and worksheets to draw the attention of students and parents. Small bands spend a lot of time planning posters to grab the attention of potential concertgoers and fans. And graphic design is also used simply as a personal artistic expression.

Graphic designers must know the principles and elements that make up an effective design. Different elements are used together to create appealing and eye-catching designs. The basic elements of graphic design consist of texture, space, size, shape, line, form, and color.

Graphic designers also adhere to the principles of design, which are essentially a set of guidelines that help a design be effective. These basic principles aid in creating balance and stability for the piece of work. The principles of graphic design are made up of rhythm, proportion, movement, emphasis, contrast, and balance. Everyone has heard that rules are meant to be broken, and some very successful graphic designers break them regularly. However, it's important to understand these rules and why they typically result in more successful graphic designs.

Many different fields fall under the heading of graphic design. Graphic designers make cartoons, design websites, help create apps, design posters, help businesses create logos, and more. Once, graphic design was almost solely focused on print. Things like movie posters, newspaper advertisements, magazine layouts, postcards, flyers, and other paper-based things were the primary creations of graphic designers. Print is still a vital part of graphic design. Although so much of modern life takes place via screens, people and businesses still want to mail invitations, send out postcards, and distribute posters. Packaging is still important, and magazines continue to line grocery store checkout lines. Signs for businesses are important, as signs are in airports and on freeways. All of these are examples of graphic design.

Now, of course, new fields in graphic design have also opened up. Website design is a large field. Web pages need to engage users and keep them on the website; however, they also need to be easy to navigate. This is part of user experience (or UX) design. UX designers ensure that software, apps, and websites are easy for users to navigate and enjoyable to use. Another hot field in graphic design is motion graphics. These designers help bring special effects to life for video games, television shows, and films.

Many different tools are available to amateur and professional graphic designers to help them make attractive, effective designs. Some of these tools are expensive, but some are free or nearly so. For example, many graphic designers consider their most important tools to be a pencil and a piece of paper! Before they ever open their computers, they start their creative process by sketching out what they want their design to look like. It's also really important to take a moment and write out why the piece is being created, its purpose, and what information needs to be included in the design. For example, a poster for a block party needs to have the date and time of the event, who is invited, information about any admission cost, and the party's location.

Graphic Design Resources


Typography


Layout


Illustration


Magazines


Associations