Elements of a Good Design

by: Carla Ballatan

So you’re aspiring to create designs for companies advertising their crafts online? Hold on! Before chasing after your dream of being a ‘great’ and ‘well-known’ graphic designer…Let’s go over the many names and title that associates with graphic designer and resolve finally who a designer is and what are the elements of design you need to learn.

According to an article, Chuck’s views on design, writing and marketing at www.ideabook.com/viewa.htm the author narrates that he’s already into his twenty something years in the graphic design business. Considering his long experience, Chuck’s been called art director, commercial artist, graphic designer, desktop publisher and graphic artist.

Impressed with the wide selection of titles? Let’s get on with the definitions, though. Graphic designer is defined by the Graphic Artist’s Guild as “visual problem solver”, the graphic artist is a “visual artist working in a commercial area”, and the art director is someone responsible for supervising the “quality and character if visual work.” Don’t be led to believe that the definitions tell what the work is all about.

Among the various definitions, that of the creative director’s, “whose responsibilities may include overall supervision of all aspects of the character and quality of the (advertising) agency’s work for its client” came close to what Chuck thinks a designer should really be…

Now, if you are undaunted by the close-definition and is really keen on being a graphic designer, you should know that design is a communication art. There are basic elements for creating good designs in order to perfect this art.

The following are the elements of design that serve as standards in achieving high quality and successful designs:

1. “Design is more than meets the eye.” Always keep in mind that design is also communicating an idea as well as giving visual delight and entertainment. It is actually a blend of both so that it becomes a well-designed message. Anything less and you will not have a design.

2. “Design is about communicating benefits” – your design must incorporate marketing messages that focus on what benefits your prospective customers might get in responding to your handiwork.

3. “Design is not about designers” – Design will never be effective if it’s made to stir up the designer’s ego. You must create designs that your clients need and not design that’ll make you look good in your portfolio

4. “Design is not an ocean, it’s a fishbowl” – Be very particular and appropriate about your designs and that would depend on the client needing them. Be careful about the principles you apply on either designing techniques or marketing ideas. Be aware that these two may not always be interchangeable.

5. “Design is creating something you believe in” – Don’t let a poor product be killed immediately because of great advertisement designs. Stick to your values and principles in accepting projects from clients, in order to manipulate your ad design to the best of your client’s advantage, you, must first know and have faith on your client and their products. -30-