Graphic Designing – History And Resources

May 14, 2011 by  
Filed under Web Graphic Design

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Angela Jenkins asked:

‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ goes the old adage, and no one can question either the truth or the pertinence of the remark. Anyone is naturally more attracted to an image than he or she is to a lot of written words. Keeping all this in mind, advertising for products and services using images and graphics makes a lot of sense.

Symbols have been a part and parcel of the story of human history. All the ancient civilisations and cultures had their own set of symbols and signs that defined their belief system and their way of life. In fact, the alphabets that form the basis of our spoken and written languages have evolved from the pictorial representation of objects around us.

Coming into modern civilised society, these symbols, while changing the role they played, did not lose their pre-eminence in shaping the society. Just think about the **** swastika and the Holy Cross. Symbols have evoked in us all the possible emotions; faith, hatred and love to name just a few.

Keeping the historical and psychological significance of symbols in mind, graphic designers try to create designs that can convey the major features or discerning characteristics of the product or service they are making the designs for.

mdsDESIGN, which was formed in 2002 by Marie deFontenay Coles, is a graphic designing firm providing innovative design solutions to customers all over Australia. The areas covered by mdsDESIGN include high-end graphic design, web design and advertising. Marie deFontenay Coles, the founder of the company also works as the (hold your breath) Director, Client Manager, Art Director, Designer, Print Production, Producer and Receptionist. This is someone who believes in multi-tasking. mdsDESIGN is also a member of the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA).

The business model adopted by mdsDESIGN is unique in the field of graphic designing. The boutique style business allows this personalised service, building client relationships and providing complete attention to detail from the initial concept to the final production. With a grand total of 25 years of experience behind her, Marie is sure to provide you with the exact solution for your designing needs. The company provides designs and solutions for: logos, brand or corporate identity, brand naming and identity, brand revitalisation, brochures, leaflets and catalogues, corporate literature, environments/signage, displays, website design, point of sale, packaging, print and press advertising. So for all your design and advertising needs, just visit www.mdsdesign.com.au. On the site you can know more about Marie and mdsDESIGN and also have a look at examples of various creative solutions provided by the company over the years.

Role of Graphic Designers for Achieving Online Success

May 14, 2011 by  
Filed under Outsourcing

bestweboutsourcing asked:


The graphic design outsourcing industry is booming by every passing day, providing a wide range of benefits to their clients. These companies employ a skilled fleet of graphic designers and offer their services to offshore companies. Graphic designers are like web magicians, giving life to any picture through the medium of color and special effects.

They first discuss with their customers the nature of their business, their goals and project budget. After considering these basic facts, they utilize the most effective way of conveying the message to the target audience through media mediums like print or film. Features like color, animation, photography, layout technique, and illustration go into developing state-of-the-art graphic designs. They also accomplish the tasks of designing materials required for web graphic design, multimedia projects, and interactive media.

Firstly graphic designers gather important data from their clients, conduct research, and refer to company briefs provided by their clients. Secondly different design layouts are prepared from which the customer chooses the most appropriate one. Then, to make the graphic design attractive and complete, the elements of color, motion, animation, and sound/visual effects are incorporated into the designs. Thereafter the short listed and complete designs are shown to the client or the company’s creative director for their approval.

Various types of design software and techniques can be used for graphic design creation. Certain layout software offers good amounts of flexibility in the work, thus saving time and money for the designers, which can be passed on in savings to their clients.

These designers have professional degrees or qualifications in the field of graphic design. They are trained in problem solving skills, communication, graphic designing, creativity, and more, that mold them into talented and skilled designers. The Work quality of any outsourcing company can be marked by the quality of graphic designers they have. In the outsourcing industry, they can be hired on a part-time or full-time basis , depending upon the project requirement.

The graphic design company should understand the purpose of the client and their expectations from them. Their thorough understanding will enable them to better create a design that is from their client’s point of view. Moreover graphic design has to be complimentary to the site content and serves the purpose that has been laid out.

Graphics are widely used in different types of websites and in various formats. Plain text websites are simply a bore to the site viewer. Graphics add interest, glamour, and life to any image and eliminates the boredom factor.



How To Prepare An Effective Design Brief For Graphic Design Projects

May 14, 2011 by  
Filed under Education

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graphic design Melbourne asked:

A thoroughly prepared client brief is half the success of a rebranding or design project. Attaining all the necessary and relevant information from the client and a comprehensive insight into the client’s brand provides you with a great foundation for the right brand identity and design solution.

As a designer or brand consultant, a properly prepared client brief gives multiple sources of ideas to work with. Unless you have a clear understanding of what the client wants and needs you waste your time trying to design something out of nothing and the client ends up spending more money than budgeted for as a result of the required modifications…which naturally makes both parties very happy….

Depending on the particular project you will need a specific design brief. That means if you are developing a website or creating a business card, the client design brief will be different. However, there is some general information about your company and what you want to achieve, which should give a good idea in any design situation. Here are some general questions that will help me and fellow designers and consultants:

1. Title 2. What is the nature of your business? What does your business do? 3. What is your target market? a. Age b. *** c. Income d. Occupation e. Location 4. What is unique about your business or product? 5. Who is your competition? 6. What is your aim? What are your goals? 7. How do you want your clients to feel about the brand? What is the message you want to communicate? 8. What is your budget? Range? a. Providing a rough guide enables the consultant/designer with an idea of the type of marketing and design solution that can be provided to you. 9. What is your deadline? 10. Provide the designer with current and past design and marketing materials.

To see how you can improve the image of your brand click here: graphic design Melbourne

Corporate Graphic Design and Its Need for Your Business

May 14, 2011 by  
Filed under Web Design

Anirban Bhattacharya asked:

The best bakers and pastry chefs come out with products that are not only mouthwatering but delectable visually as well. Similarly, graphic design is the art of presenting information in a visually appealing way. For companies to stand out from the crowd, it’s critical to have an outstanding and instantly recognizable logo that represents the company.That’s where corporate graphic design comes into the picture.

Every entrepreneur’s dream is to have a company and a logo that’s as instantly recognizable around the world as a Nike or a Coca Cola. The job of a professional graphic designer is to try to convert these dreams into reality. The graphic designer takes the brief from the client and comes up with a graphic design that reflects the values of the client.

Professional graphic design is a skill that is a combination of both art and science. While a design needs to be catchy, the graphic designer has to keep in mind the different media that will be used to promote an identity for which the logo is created. A logo needs to look good – be it from an outdoor advertising panel, on computer/TV screen, or on to a mobile device.

The role of the print media continues to decline as the primary mode of advertising for companies. As people are beginning to spend more and more time online, the share of online advertising from the total branding remuneration pie will continue to grow for online and internet advertising. With ubiquitous broadband internet and 3G mobile services, advertising will change from something that is simply static to one highly dynamic; and encourage greater interaction amongst the user.

The corporate graphic design of the future has to bear in mind these changing dynamics. The winning graphic design will be the one that best understands the mindset of its target audience and is able to entice and influence its target geography and the people living there.

Graphic Designing for All and Sundry

May 14, 2011 by  
Filed under Uncategorized

Alex Denver asked:


Graphics are basically pictures and drawings, which are either created by computer or entered into the computer through scans or photographs–vector graphics, raster graphics and bit map. The form of communicating through computerized drawings and representations is called graphic designing. Traditionally a poor man’s tool—applied to books and magazines but now with the advent of computers it’s now applied to both print media as well as interactive media. The designing process is a complex step-by-step process, which starts with taking requirements from the client and ends with final designed product.

Graphic designing can be applied to the following:

1. Animated logos

2. Booklets

3. Brochures

4. Business Cards

5. Greeting cards

6. Letterheads

7. Newsletters

8. Posters

9. Postcards

10. Flyers

Graphics are used for visualization purposes. For example wall, typography, symbols, lines and other images.

Animation and graphics

The computer animation industry is the major punter of graphics. With use of 3D computer graphics and 2D computer graphics, this industry stands tall above all. The 3D computer graphics are not only limited to computers but also used in films and other 3D animation.

Computer Games

A computer game is generally categorized under 3D computer graphics. 3D is a great source of entertainment for both young and old. Computer games can be referred to as video games and personal computer games.

How to?

How to acquire graphics that you need? It’s simple-create it yourself! Really, it’s easy to create graphics yourself; one just needs to have a little knowledge about software for creating graphics.

Another great way is to outsource. There are freelancers available online, which do the work for you, charging you for some amount.

Still not aware where to get your work done?

Find more here at http://www.designpresentation.com



The Modern Age of Graphic Designing

May 14, 2011 by  
Filed under Web Design

Mr.Kyle Sho asked:


Graphic design is an integral part of website designing aimed at boosting the sales of the client. Web design firm should study the basic design requirements of the client and make use of colors, text, fonts and graphics to create magic through their imaginative designing. It is mandatory to take into account the medium, target audience, message and its aim while preparing a layout for the graphic design. There are many graphic designing firms in California that claim to offer state of the art online graphic design which meets the goal of the organization. Some of the top web design firms in California can be located through our graphic design directory.

It is better if the graphic design firm have knowledge about their client, meet them up to understand their requirements and the features of the products/services. This information influences the decision regarding what type of content has to be developed and type of style to be used in the designing. Further, the graphic design firm should be intimated with the budget as it becomes easier for the designer to visualize and design online graphics cost effectively.

Web graphic design companies use various forms of graphic art software like In Design, Photoshop Illustrator, Dream weaver and In Design to create mesmerizing interactive graphic designs. Graphics should be interactive enough to provide an insight of the client’s product in an innovative and attention catching manner. You can choose the web design firm from our graphic design directory according to designing need and the budget. Make sure to enquire and see the testimonials of the graphic design company before finalizing the firm.

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Freelance Graphic Design as a Work-At-Home Business

April 14, 2011 by  
Filed under Careers

Brian Scott asked:


Are you a whiz kid with a pen in your hand? Can you whip up photographic mash-ups that make the Mona Lisa look like illegible scrawl on a bathroom wall? Do you look at album covers and glance at the heavens above, shaking your head knowingly? Then why not put those skills to use and show those rank amateurs how it’s really done?

Whether it’s putting together album covers, posters and logos for the local garage band, doing ensemble flyers for traveling street theatre or producing viral advertising for the world’s largest shoemaker, there’s never been a bigger market for freelance graphic designers, or a better time to be one. The software and hardware that once made digital design and subsequent mass-marketing a rare and expensive medium has cheapened to the extent that anybody with an internet connection, an inexpensive personal computer and an inspired idea can have their work broadcast to tens of millions of people around the world.

Graphic design in its truest form is about conveying a message with a combination of carefully selected colors, symbols, images, shapes and words that, put together, create a unique identity for a product. Those who can do this with rapidity, enthusiasm and a little flair are always in demand. If you’ve got some ability within the realm of traditional fine arts, all the better, but it’s not the be all and end all of your career. Like all artistic pursuits, though, you need the right tools for the job. Specifically, you’re looking for the following:

1. Software. Whether you work with a can of paint and an easel or a mouse and a monitor, you are going to eventually end up with a digitized version of your finished work for delivery to the client. For those of us with liquid assets, I highly recommend Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. If you can’t splurge the high cost for these programs, you can find extremely serviceable replacements in the free, open-source GIMP and Inkscape. Together, these should cover your needs for vector artwork, photo retouching/manipulation, post-processing and final file exports.

2. A good digital (or even film-based!) camera is a useful optional extra. I prefer Canon DSLRs for their aggressively reasonable prices and excellent image quality, but high-end point and shoots can do the job in a pinch. They do, however, lack slightly in credibility while on-site. For those of us nostalgic for the days of 35mm, you can find brilliant film SLRs on eBay for knock-down prices.

3. If, however, photography isn’t your cup of tea, then free stock photo services such as MorgueFile or Stock.xchng are excellent resources that do all the work for you.

4. Finally, a flatbed scanner always comes in handy, whether you’re digitizing hand-drawn designs, scanning client-provided images or transmitting 35mm negatives. The Epson Perfection and Canoscan 8400F have garnered extensive praise for being well-rounded and affordable. Throw in a color inkjet printer or a membership to the local Kinkos, and you’re done.

So now you’re well-equipped and looking to set the world on fire as a gun-for-hire designer, but don’t know where to start. Assuming you haven’t done this kind of work before, your first priority would be to produce a varied portfolio guaranteed to blow the socks off any potential employer. A useful technique, I’ve found, is to start by going through your collection of books, video games and CDs, and picking out a few of each with covers you either **** or love. Decide why it is they produce such strong reactions in either case, and what you would have done differently. With this in mind, attempt to redraw as many as you can in your own image. As you come up with successful designs, put them aside.

Similarly, find some eye-catching stock photos and see what comes about when you simply sit and play with them in your chosen image manipulation software. Get to know the functions of the software and the way images respond to different treatments until it’s second nature.

When you think you’ve got a killer portfolio and the mindset to successfully close a deal, it’s time to find a client. Great first-time employers include local musicians and stage acts, as well as neighborhood businesses with uninspiring logos or lackluster advertising material. (You know what we’re talking about when I mention brochures or restaurant menus that look like they were put together by a ten year old using Word Art and MS Paint).

Most potential clients of this caliber don’t know how presentation affects their business, or feel that hiring a graphic designer to do work for them would be too expensive, so offer them a cheap, friendly, local alternative: yourself! For small projects, offer a flat rate; and for larger ones, keep a log of hours you spend and how many designs you produced so that you can bill accordingly.

It helps, too, to do some gratis work to get your name out there. Use your judgment and offer to redesign for free when you think it’s suitable. Networking and subsequently maintaining contacts in the local business community is what can net you, initially, the most lucrative projects, as well as long-term contract work. Graphic designers in the freelance arena have to think of themselves as part-artist, part-salesperson. Pound the pavement, scan the back pages of community newspapers for projects that look interesting, make calls to fashion, art and IT magazines to see if they have any space for an aspiring designer in their ranks.

On a larger scale, attracting corporate clients requires an online presence, and enough of the above to make an impression. Magazine freelancing in particular can generate contacts and assets in the upper tiers of international marketing and design. Spend some time uploading your creations to a website like Flickr.com or DeviantArt.com, where you can get free exhibition space, as well as having a place to call your own that you can point people to for easily accessible examples of your work. This is just an extension of your portfolio; but like your portfolio, make sure it’s a showcase of all your abilities. Indicate especially that you can diversify and handle different mediums and project sizes.

Freelancing as a graphic designer can be initially difficult; more often than not you may find potential clients slamming doors in your face. Take this in stride and persevere. Like most creative positions, as you accumulate paying jobs, more will become available to you. There’s a lot of demand globally for you to carve out a niche for yourself in freelance graphic design.