Simple Graphic Design
The tires are turning but you are going nowhere
So you've got a great concept or idea but you
just can't seem to get it down. You have been working on your
computer for hours, days, weeks but just can't seem to accomplish
anything concrete.
STOP. Think about it! How can you realistically
create an effective graphic design if you don't know what you
are trying to create? Take a breather and think about what I
am about to suggest to you. Let’s suppose for a minute
you want to open an importing company that will sell ‘Red
Shoes from China’. Fire up your browser and Google this
term. Learn what you can about manufacturers, distributors and
competition. Now you have something to go on.
Try to quickly digest and figure out how you
can make all of this information work for you.
Now let’s start to design your company’s
corporate ID. I know you really want to get critical design
project completed now, but a wise man once said to me ‘Slow
down you’ll go faster’. OK, now you have a mental
picture in your mind, look, feel, type paper you want to print
on. What colors shall I use? What typography (fonts) should
I go with? What graphic message am I trying to communicate?
These are the basic questions you need to address before you
can begin your graphic design.
Here is an idea for you, in the infancy stage
of creating your great concept, pickup a pencil and piece of
paper and sketch your ideas before you go near your computer.
Programs like Corel Draw, Adobe Photo Shop,
Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Pagemaker, etc. are the
greatest programs for designers on the market. But these great
desktop publishing programs need to be told what you want, they
cannot conceptualize. These programs cannot dream for you. So
it really does come down to you, your pencil and paper as any
graphic designer will tell you... conceptualize, sketch, render,
create.
Follow these steps for all of your creative
graphic designs. Whether you're designing a colorful website,
a full color multi panel brochure, an annual report, an NCR
form, a power point presentation, a full color business card
or stationery, keep these guidelines in mind you'll find you
start getting better mileage on one set of tires.
Above Article Written by Guest Author: Robert Kennedy
April
2007 Newsletter
