Imagination, Skill Top Graphic Design Best Practices

Behind every eye-catching print ad, every effective marketing email

, every eye-popping website, there's a graphic designer. What's more, this digital artist has to be able to think in multiple media, namely how will this logo, this marketing campaign, this magazine illustration, cross platforms so that it can be used in any media channel available to the client? That's why graphic design best practices today start with the ability to think in more than one medium.

As with most specialties, graphic design students begin by learning the technical aspects of their craft. Early on they learn that print media differ from websites, just as posters aren't the same as multimedia presentations in slide or video software. By studying the technical specifications of each medium, graphic designers begin to get a good idea of how their art will perform in both static and dynamic ways.

The so-called "democratization of media" through desktop publishing made it possible for non-professionals to produce what seemed to them to be adequate print products. However, few of these well-meaning folks have understood the finer points of creating truly outstanding print media, nor have they given thought to how their print products might perform in an online environment. That's why many amateur newsletters display low-resolution photos of 72 dots-per-inch, or Internet resolution, when they should be 300 dots-per-inch, or print quality resolution. The people creating the product haven't learned that a low-resolution graphic will look just fine on a computer screen, but will appear fuzzy or jagged when used for printing.

Beyond learning and internalizing the technical specifications of different media, there are several graphic design best practices that will "cross the platform, " as professionals say. These include:

Creativity. In other words, don't run for the clip art file. Customers don't pay graphic designers to get someone else's pre-done work. They want original graphic arts created especially for their needs.

Consistency. Quality graphic designers understand the good design has unity, harmony and balance. Even when producing provocative or "edgy" designs, they avoid a confusing and distracting mishmash of styles, colors and imagery. Consistency gives power to good design.

Content. Any graphic designer worth his or her salt never begrudges the time spent talking with a client about content. The more a designer understands about the client's message, the more likely he or she is to create the layout, logo, ad or campaign that will penetrate today's multimedia cacophony.

Graphic artists that master these best practices along with good technical skills will never lack for work.

by: Carlton Washington

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