Saying that designing infographics is hard is an understatement. I went into an infographic project with with mindset that it would be one of my easier ones, but I was incorrect. After hours of staring at the only progress I'd made - a large, red box - I decided to look for inspiration for my vision: a timeline.
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I spent four years in the journalism program at my high school. Yet, here I am, learning the basics of design as a sophomore in college. From what I heard, our biweekly paste-ups were time consuming and draining. Now, I regret not learning design earlier. As I've discovered my affinity for graphic design, I've gathered some inspiration.
So, yeah. These are some designs that have inspired me in my design beginnings.
Creating interactive and interesting graphics can be difficult. If you don't know how to recognize and use the elements of design effectively, you might be stuck in a design ditch. The first step to digging yourself out is knowing what makes the elements of design so important and how to use them to your advantage. direction.In design, direction helps the artist to draw a viewer's eye to a specific place, whether it's getting them to scan the entire page or getting them to look to an accompanying story.
space.As an element of design, space refers to creating illusions of space for the reader, which might be achieved through respective size, perspective or overlapping shapes (among a few other techniques).
line.Line can help a designer direct the eye to a focal point (kind of like direction). More literally, a line is the space between two points. shape.I think we all know what a shape is, but what we need to know is that in design, it can be organic or geometric and can help change the meaning of your design depending on which you use or if you use one at all.
texture.From a design perspective, texture can be the actual feeling of the design (a raised element on a business card) or the look of the design.
value.Value is the element that designers use to give design dimension using different color values.
Sometimes, you might not even be aware that you're using an element in your design, but if you keep them in mind and know how to use them with ease, the elements of design can help get you back in your design element. All examples were taken from womenofgraphicdesign.org.
Design needs to be dynamic and explosive. It needs to capture interest and maintain it. I know that, for me, it’s hard to know exactly how to do that. Following the guidelines the 7 principles of design provides is a simple way to get a grip on making your graphics more intriguing and active. So, let’s talk about some inspiration to get creating. balance.The first (and probably easiest to define) principle is balance. You can have symmetry, which is mostly boring but very effective when used in the right context, or asymmetry, which generally does a pretty good job of keeping your design active. Symmetry is predictable; asymmetry is a bit of a surprise every time.
proportion.Next, proportions come into play. When playing with proportions, we effectively make a hierarchy based on sizing. It involves scale and visual relationships, usually in repeating patterns.
contrast.Contrast works in many and mysterious ways. It can be created based on color, typeface, size, texture, etc. The biggest issue I have with contrast is when to stop. It’s super appealing if done in moderation, but could become messy if overdone (kind of like alcohol).
harmony.Harmony is always a hard concept for me to grasp. It seems sort of vague: it involves the structural principles used in a layout. What does that even mean? It’s easier to think of as how you can achieve it rather than what it is. A monochromatic color scheme or using the same typefaces throughout a design can both be ways to achieve harmony.
focus.Focus is one of my favorite design principles, because I love making things bigger than they need to be. But, the whole point of focus is to create a point of interest for a page.
rhythm.Rhythm is almost as hard for me to grasp as harmony. It usually involves the repetition of a certain shape to mimic movement. In case you still don’t get it (I didn’t), a spiral staircase is a good example of this. The steps repeat, and you move up them. Got it?
unity.We’re not done yet? I wish we were done, too, but we still have to talk about unity (also a term that is kind of vague). It’s a repetition of principles, like unity, that come together, like harmony, to create a sense that everything fits. It involves the three-peat rule, which says you should include at least three of each principle you choose to use in your design.
Design means first impressions. Design means telling a story. Design means emotion, art and creativity. To me, design is the foundation for evoking feelings in someone. As a PR professional, I understand the power of words. I utilize the power of words to make an impact, and I embrace the emotions that can be concocted from a single sentence. As a designer, though, I believe that a picture can truly be worth a thousand words. Being a designer allows me to create that picture. As a PR professional first and foremost, I’m looking to harness a better understanding of how design impacts the way an audience interprets something, whether it be a brand, a book, a magazine, a news story. I want to delve into how graphics can help create cohesion within a company. A PR professional needs to be a storyteller, and design is one of the most important aspects of that process. I’m a design novice. I took Journalism 103, a course dedicated to teaching the basics of graphic design that is required for all majors within the journalism program at Ball State. And I loved it. But I haven’t really developed a signature style for myself yet, so a lot of how I’m defining my design style is through my inspiration – things I look at and go “This is the neatest thing I’ve ever seen.” And I take that and keep it in my brain encyclopedia until I can find a time and place to channel it into my own work. I find that I gravitate toward more modern designs with an industrial femininity. I like bold lines and colors with some softness and texture incorporated. I follow the fashion industry pretty closely, and I draw a lot of inspiration from there. I like designs that have hard-edge aspects to them but then softens it up. Here's what I mean:
Interior design is also something that find intriguing, so I try to incorporate aspects of interiors that I like into graphics. I tend to like cleaner interiors with straight lines with mostly muted colors but the occasional pop. And sometimes I like it to feel more eclectic, but that really just depends on my mood. Here's what I mean: I also like to look to magazine covers and spreads for design inspiration – both modern and vintage. I’m really fond of the art deco period and styles for graphic design. I also find that the bold simplicity of design in the 20s and 30s aligns with the more modern graphics that I gravitate toward. Here's what I mean:
Of course, I understand that when you’re an advocate for a brand, it’s important to show flexibility. Molding my own style into what a brand is expecting will be integral in my career as a brand advocate-slash-designer.
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