A big field with many different creative niches: that’s what graphic design really is. It’s important to know the types of graphic designers out there as we aren’t all the same. Each has a specialized skill set that can help customers achieve their goals.
We’ll take a look at the different types of graphic design and the results of each. You’ll also discover some awesome tutorials to get started in each type of graphic design.
Types of graphic design
All graphic design types have one common goal: to communicate and organize information for a user. By using typography, color, form, imagery, and composition, we can achieve effective communication.
Some designers specialize in a single type of graphic design, while others focus on a few different sets. Many of these graphic design genres overlap each other. They also converge with other fields and kinds of design like:
- psychology
- architecture
- industrial design
- landscape design
The design industry is constantly evolving. Adaptability and constant learning are vital to get more specializations under our belt.
If you’re a designer or are looking to hire one, it’s important to understand the different kinds of design. That way, you can bring the right person on board. Let’s take a look at the different types of graphic designers that exist and the results of each.
Types of graphic design: Branding or visual identity
Many people associate designers with logos, but that’s just a small part of what they can do. As designers, we’re great at creating systems and, in this case, the entire look and feel of a brand.
Brand identity or visual identity is one type of design. It encompasses much more than just a logo. From curating color palettes to choosing images and lettering, graphic elements help brands convey personality.
Brand designers can work on their own or as part of a creative team. Higher positions include brand directors, who oversee how a specific brand evolves.
The brand designer will create the most essential part of a visual identity: a brand style guide. This lets brands apply their identity to everything, like packaging, marketing, and more.
Types of graphic design: Marketing and advertising
Promotional strategy is a big field that focuses on consumers making purchases. The most successful companies invest in marketing specialists to engage with customers. Whether it’s online or in print, these designers can help get the job done efficiently.
Consumers engage more with visual content. This is where designers come in: promoting and organizing information effectively.
This type of graphic designer will often have studied behavioral psychology. It helps them understand consumers’ behavior when it comes to making purchases. They may work in-house with creative teams or marketing directors to create strategies.
A few of the assets that can result from marketing specialists are:
Types of graphic design: User interface design and web design
UI and web designers are responsible for developing apps and websites. Besides basic graphic design skills, they understand user experience and basic coding. Designers don’t actually have to do the coding, but they should know the limitations and capabilities of the systems.
Many of these projects are based on:
- mobile and desktop app design
- interfaces
- websites
- landing pages
- marketing websites
They usually work with different kinds of designers, such as UX designers (user experience) and UI developers who write the code to make the apps work.
Types of graphic design: Publication design
Before the digital boom, most designers focused on print design. Publication design has made a nice transition into the digital world too. Understanding the basic principles of good design is essential for this field.
Mastering color theory, typography, imagery, and technical specifications is essential for outstanding designs.
The publication designer works with editors, publishers, photographers, and illustrators. This field can produce different graphic design styles. Some of these print-related projects include:
Types of graphic design: Packaging design
Packaging design has a big influence on the impact a product has in the market. These designers’ main role is assessing competitors and creating packaging worth consumers’ attention. Many brands rely on packaging design to be successful, so designers have a big responsibility.
Many packaging designers specialize in a type of packaging, e.g. labels or cans. Sometimes they specialize in a specific industry—coffee, skincare, or baked goods, to name a few. They need to have a strong knowledge of printing solutions and industrial design to understand the structure of this type of design.
Types of graphic design: Environmental design
Environmental design combines different forms of design: graphic design, architecture, landscape design, and industrial design. This mix brings navigation signs for users to life.
For instance, in a place as confusing as an airport can be, designers develop a way to get passengers on and off the flight with symbols that can be understood regardless of the user’s language.
Environmental designers usually work with a larger team to create systems. Many of these designers have a broad knowledge of architecture and graphic design. You’ll see much of their work produced on:
- buildings
- street signs
- smart cities
- airport signs
- exhibition layouts
The types of graphics from environmental design are often in print. However, we’re starting to see more interactive displays that engage with users.
Types of graphic design: Typeface and lettering design
An overlooked niche of the different types of graphic design is typeface design. Most people don’t consider the development of typefaces or their impact on projects.
Typeface designers understand typographic principles, legibility, type anatomy, and how it all affects readability.
Lettering designers specialize in hand-made designs. These are often displayed in signs, murals, and wordmark logos. Sometimes, these types of graphics will have the letterforms vectored into digital files.
Here are some tutorials that can help you with this graphic design genre:
Types of graphic design: Animation or motion design
These designers specialize on motion graphics that can be shown online or in larger formats. They usually work with a big team, as many animations are complex to complete for one person alone.
It’s a type of design that’s usually in the form of a video. Examples of work that can be produced by a motion designer include:
- movies
- cartoons
- ad animations
- corporate training videos
- animated logos and motion graphics for brands
Types of graphic design: Illustration
Illustration is not a niche many think evolves from graphic design. Graphic illustrators have become one of the most popular types of graphic designers over the years. The social media boom allowed them to share more of their work and get exposure.
Illustrators create commercial work for brands and editorial design. Many are featured on magazine covers, websites, and social media. Some illustrators create purely digital work, while others use analog tools, and others use both.
The illustrations can be in magazines, books, games, apparel, and other products.
Which type of graphic design is your favorite?
Graphic design is a big field. Many people don’t realize it encompasses so much of what they see in their daily lives. As designers, we create anything that is visual and that can be read, from newspapers and ads to complex systems that help users navigate places.
Graphic design genres often overlap. They even meet with different forms of design, like architecture, or other fields, like psychology. Whatever the genre, designers have one mission in mind: to find solutions that help users process information better.