Graphic Design
This week, we are discussing graphic design and what it is and how it can be helpful in social media content. In addition, we will go over 3 different concepts that can be used to help create a visually appealing graphic and why each has its own strength.
What is Graphic Design?
This day in age, most people are aware of what graphic design is. Everyone that accesses the internet comes into contact with graphic design at every click. Graphic design is a huge part of the user experience and user interface (UX/UI) realm. UX/UI for the web is quite literally setting up the platform to be visually appealing (graphic design) and easy to use. For something to be easy to use on the internet, more often than not it requires good graphic design to make the sequence of events be clear. Or, to explain with the definition of graphic design, it is “the art or profession of using design elements (such as typography and images) to convey information or create an effect” according to the Webster dictionary.
How does Graphic Design Impact your Social Media Feeds?
As you can see, it is vital to have strong graphic design skills to elevate your social media platforms. This is everything from the posts you create to ads you run to even the sequence you post your creations. When someone access say your Instagram page, they see the entire gallery immediately. The post you have pinned or first seen at the top of your feed will inspire someone to look through your profile. Perhaps you want the left side of your feed to have a more under exposed aesthetic and the right side of your feed to feel more over exposed? The way you post matters. It affects the visual display of your profile to evoke some sort of emotion from the viewer. AKA you design of your graphics are ordered in a specific way to convey a message to your viewer about you as the artist in this case.
3 Concepts of Design:
Consistent User Experience
When navigating a website, you do not want your user to have to figure out how to navigate each page every time they click somewhere new. You want the same navigation tools and themes everywhere to make it easy for them to navigate. It also helps the site feel connected and streamlined.
Theme
Similar to a consistent User expiernce, you want a consistent theme. You would not want your home page to be white and have clean photos then your blog page be pink with tons of graphics. This would make it feel like 2 entirely different websites and brands altogether. You want the site to feel connected and streamlined to deliver a professional feeling platform to the user. You want this theme to also help portray the identity of your brand. For example, Martin’s Migration is an adventure focused photography website with an emphasis on mountain biking and landscapes. Therefor, the site’s color theme is forest green and sand tan to help give an earthy aesthetic. It is consistent across the pages and with the brand identity.
Unity
Particularly here is organizing information into groups. For example, gathering your favorite photos onto one page and categorizing by photo type. Helps make the information easy to find as well as helps portray the information to a user to let them know exactly what they are going to get.
