by Marelise da Silva | Dec 21, 2011 | Website Design
With technology becoming the primary method of communication, graphic design has become a modern day art form and – as with all art – is directly influenced by the culture and nationality of the people. Read the following examples on how graphic design differs from nation to nation.
Examples of how nationality influences graphic design
- South America – Many graphic design elements here are taken from the street art that is rampant throughout the nation. Stencil art and graffiti are very popular and thus responsible for the vibrant colours and soulful imagery.
- Japan – With Japan being a world leader in technology and contemporary culture, one will find their graphic design to be very urban and off-beat. They like to use neon colours and abstract imagery which is said to be influenced by the way Tokyo appears at night.
- Middle East – With a rich art culture that goes back thousands of years, their graphic design chooses to capitalise on the alluring mystery surrounding their nation through the use of strong colours, calligraphy and the repetition of patterns.
- China – After the wars and imperialism, China had to re-open itself to modern ideas and concepts. This has resulted in China’s graphic design elements being largely influenced by traditional Chinese art and architecture.
- Netherlands – With artists like van Gogh, Mondrian and Rembrandt in their history, Dutch graphic design tends to lean towards minimalism and individualism, portraying an image that states that less is more.
These are just a few examples to illustrate the influence of culture and history on a modern-day art form. Understanding history is vital to understanding the future and knowing the culture of the world could open your work up to a wide range of graphic design possibilities.
Need help with your web design or graphic design? Contact WSI South Africa
by Marelise da Silva | Dec 5, 2011 | Website Design
Business cards are a useful way to introduce your company or web page to others. When it comes to creative graphic design for your business cards, there are some basic and vital components that need to be included in order for your business cards to be unique and effective. Use these tips as a guideline.
Tips for effective business card design
- The ‘right’ information. A business card should really speak for itself when it comes to explaining what you are offering. Consider the nature of your business as well as the audience you are appealing to when selecting text and images for your business cards.
- Uniqueness. It is vital that you use graphic design elements that help people to recognise your company. If you have a company logo – use it – and choose a colour scheme and text that compliment it in order to give your business cards a unique feel. (If you don’t have a company logo, you should get one asap!)
- Use Images. Images are a very useful way to grab attention and convey information without forcing people to read details. Select images that fit in with the services you are offering. Your images need to compliment your logo as well as the chosen colour scheme and text.
- Quality. Use paper that is of a good quality as this will give your company an image that is professional.
- Professional help. Investing in professional graphic design services for your business cards is a sure way to guarantee you receive business cards that are unique, informative and of the best quality.
Business cards that are cleverly designed will guarantee great rewards for your company, so don’t sell yourself short. Invest the time, money and expertise to ensure the highest quality of graphic design work appears on your business cards and gives your company a unique edge.
by Marelise da Silva | Dec 5, 2011 | Website Design
When it comes to working in the graphic design industry, just like with any other job it is easy to get de-motivated, especially when your productivity hangs upon your creativity. It is important that you take the time and discipline yourself to keep up your energy and creativity levels. Follow these tips to keep your motivation from slipping.
5 Tips to keep up your creativity
- Creative environment. As a graphic designer, it is important that your work space lends itself to getting your creative juices flowing. Create a space that inspires you and makes you want to work.
- Deadlines. In an industry that revolves around targets and due dates, it is important that you keep your task load manageable to avoid getting swamped and stressed. Set realistic goals and give yourself rewards for achievements.
- Flow. Everyone is different when it comes to productivity and it is vital that you understand yourself to know when you are at your most productive, be it early morning or late at night. This is known as ‘finding the flow’.
- Inspiration. Get out of the office and find things that inspire you. When you experience new things and change your day-to-day routine, you broaden your mind and your creativity. This will help you stay motivated and prevent you from producing dull, boring work.
- Keep to yourself. In a creative industry like graphic design, it is important to get other view points and inspiration from other designers, but you must never compare your work to theirs or allow them to demoralise you. Stick to your own projects and produce work that you are personally happy with.
By following these easy steps, you will find your productivity will increase and your ideas will stay fresh and up-to-date, helping you excel in all facets of your graphic design career.
Need help with your graphic design or web design? Contact WSI South Africa.
by Marelise da Silva | Aug 8, 2011 | Website Design
The world of websites is becoming increasingly populated. And so the layout and design of your website has now become just as important as the content. Web design helps to make your website more attractive to readers. There are many graphic design principles and programs that make web design easy.
Read these tips to create the most unique, attractive and exciting website:
- Layout the fundamentals: Before you start sprucing up your website make sure you’ve done your research, decided on the overall layout of your website and completed most of the design work.
- Checking the alignment and spacing: This creates order, organises your information and makes your site easy to navigate. Photoshop provides guides you can use to ensure all the elements are aligned. You can drag guides onto your elements from your rulers (press Ctrl-R to turn on rulers).
- Apply anti-aliasing to text: This refers to minimising the distortion in your text. In your Options Bar on Photoshop you can choose between various options of anti-aliasing; None, Sharp, Crisp, Strong, and Smooth.
- Colour correction and sharpening: Photos, images and icons are important in web design. Check colour balance, contrast and sharpness of your images to make sure they are of the highest quality. Also, make sure there is a balance between your images. Photoshop provides tools such as Levels, Unsharp Mask, and Curves to help with this.
Top graphic design programs for web designers
There are many other design programs and software out there that are as good as Photoshop. Here is a list of some of those:
- Visual Site Designer
- Web Plus
- Web Easy Professional
- Xara Web Designer Premium
- Net Objects
Remember to double check all your design elements before placing your website online.
by Marelise da Silva | Jan 7, 2011 | Website Development
Drawing up costs and proposals are time-consuming. If you are a website designer or a graphic designer, you need to know how to accurately bill for your work (even if you are working for a salary, it’s a good idea to make a mental note of how this gets done). Although you won’t get every job you bid on, you need to make sure you are providing clients with a fair, realistic and profitable cost estimate for design jobs.
What are your competitors charging?
You probably won’t know who else is bidding on the job, but find out what other designers and agencies are charging for work. If you’re vastly overpriced, the client probably won’t even consider you (unless you have something extremely unique to offer) and if you’re charging much less, the client may not take you seriously (or the money won’t compensate for the effort you put into the job). Get some ball-park figures from other designers in your area so that you have a good point of reference.
Who’s the client?
If you’re setting up a cost estimate for a blue chip company, chances are they have bigger budgets and are prepared to pay for what they want. If you’ve got a smaller client and you know they are a bit strapped for cash, rather speak to them about a payment plan for you (or how you can compromise) instead of undercutting yourself from the get-go. You don’t want to be the cheapest designer, but try to be flexible if you are looking for new clients.
A good tip is to have specific price ranges for website design and graphic design jobs. Ask a lot of questions about the job (if the client is too vague during the brief, they could either be looking to you for some guidance or they could be expecting you to re-do various logos or website ideas until you present something they like – which will take a lot of time). If you can get a lot of information upfront, you’ll have a better idea of what you can charge for the job.
