What does graphic designer do? Pt 1

What does graphic designer do? Pt 1 – Who is a graphic designer?

The term graphic designer is quite vague. Most people don’t know what it means or what role they play. I think business owners have a better idea then the general public as they will come into contact with one at some point or another but people still don’t have a great idea about what one does.

The term graphic designer has its history embedded in print design but as time went on sub-genres were created and the role of a graphic designer was expanded and specific roles were used instead of the term graphic designer.

- Graphic designer
- Illustrator
- Package designer
- Photo editor
- Magazine Layout designer
- Typographer
- Artworker

New technology, disciplines and terms came into play such as CGI, web designer, multimedia designer and 3D artist which clouded the term graphic designer as design went beyond print. In some cases the same concepts, methods and ideology are used as a graphic designer except it wasn’t for print, so is it graphic design or not?

In some cases it is and creates a new sub-genre of its own (eg. web design (not web developer) and in some cases its not (were it defines its own industry (3D animation)).

“Ol Skool” designers will still say that a graphic designer does not include web designers, multimedia designers and 3D artists and to a certain extent I would agree. They are different disciplines and I like the role of the old graphic designer being diligent and true to professional design for print, (its very important to a designers skill level) but as times change so has graphic design.

I use my professional graphic design skills for print but I also utilize them in web design.

What is a graphic designer? A true expert in communication.:)