User-Friendly Goals Hit with Graphic Design

«The details are not the details. They make the design». These words about the nature of the job, expressed by Charles Eames, have become a well-known eternal truth for graphic designers. They are actually the people building a bridge between the art and the functional goal-centered design. They mix the power of art and functionality within the limits of particular goals and a definite audience. They make beauty work for people.

Here in Tubik, we have felt all the variety of stones in that way. Today we invite our readers to review the diverse purposes for which graphic design can be highly beneficial as we have checked in design practice.

Graphic design as a creative field

As we mentioned in one of our previous articles about the issue, graphic design can be described as the sphere of human activity that lies on the crossroads of several directions, first of all, visual arts, communication, and psychology. Basically, graphic designers do the job of communication to others by means of graphic (visual) elements such as images of different styles and complexity, types and fonts, pictograms, shapes and sizes, colors and shades, lines, and curves, etc. Graphic designer makes all those elements of visual perception transfer the message, so he makes them functional. Therefore, we could say that graphic designers are artists applying their talents mostly not in pure art, but communicating and purposeful art.

Modern graphic design broadly covers all spheres of human life that deal with visual communication, from books and posters to sophisticated mobile applications or 3D animation. Let’s look into directions in which graphic designers can express their creativity for the sake of solving problems and satisfying needs.

Graphic design directions

Nowadays, graphic design is an incredibly broad sphere for the application of artistic talents. In particular, it includes:

• editorial design
• illustration
• identity (logo and branding) design
• icons and pictograms
• typography
• interface graphics and elements
• print advertisements
• big print items such as posters and billboards
• signs
• packaging, etc.

Thus, it’s easily seen that modern designers in this sphere have multiple options to apply their talents. In all the mentioned directions, the basic purpose of graphic design is to serve a particular purpose or even a set of them by means and techniques of art.

Graphic design in modern life, characterized by digital devices, is increasingly technological.  Famous Italian designer Massimo Vignelli said “The life of a designer is a life of fight. Fight against the ugliness. Just like a doctor fights against disease. For us, the visual disease is what we have around, and what we try to do is cure it somehow with design.” Remembering the words we have to say that the purposes of modern graphic design are pushed further and further. Not only does it beautify the physical or digital object, but it also helps users navigate and guides them, providing both aesthetic pleasure and problem-solving benefits.

Graphic design purposes

Today, graphic design can serve diverse purposes. It is rare for the object of graphic design to serve a single objective. Among the most essential, we note the following.

Identifying

This purpose, first of all, serves for branding reasons. It is primarily concerned with creating logos which usually lies the foundation for the whole branding strategy. This is the task at which designers work with multiple factors combining specific features of the target audience, laws, and rules of artistic harmony, the psychology of color and shape impact on human perception and emotions, current situation on the market, business goals of the brand or company.

Numerous logos accomplished by studio designers have proved that this symbolic image plays the crucial role in all the next stages of brand strategy, including print work (like posters, business cards, corporate documentation templates, etc.), interface design (when brand or company uses digital sources and channels of reaching their clients like blogs, websites, apps, widgets, etc.), branded items (like stationery, cups, notebooks, etc.) and other directions. The efficient logo is usually based on deep analysis supported by the designer’s talent and skills and presents a balanced mixture of art and functionality. Thinking over all the details, the designer selects the type and image of a logo that will correspond to the objectives of the company or brand strategy.

Andre logo 

Lion browser logo icon

Toonie logo design

fOxygenic logo

PassFold logo

Read more about types of logos and creative stages of logo design

Beautifying

This is the broadly used function of graphic design items that has found its comprehensive realization in all the spheres of users’ interaction with visual stuff, from advertising to book covers and cartoons, to user interfaces of all kinds, packaging, photos, and tons of other things. It’s well known that people are not only rational but also emotional creatures, and most of us are visually driven and aesthetically engaged. Although the content and functions are the most important factors of making a product problem-solving, the old classic trend hasn’t changed: people still believe that a good dress is a card of invitation. An attractive and stylish look is traditionally highly important to make your user think about trying the product, especially in conditions of modern intense competition.

Muscles Magazine

Tales of the Jazz Age Book Cover

Graphic design in all its variety becomes a powerful tool of interface beautification. It can be applied in the slightest details like icons and up to significant elements like illustrations and mascots.

Singify App Tutorial

Cafe Coupon App

Moneywise App

Timeline App

Setting the theme

A wide variety of graphic design techniques and diverse approaches establish a solid foundation for establishing the theme of the product through visual elements. Like the copy is able to not only transfer the message but also set the tone and voice of communication, the visual elements, including background, typography, composition, color palette, shapes and sizes, stylistic approaches can immediately inform the user about the features and market segment of the app or website and also appeal to the emotions of the target audience. Visual perception plays an incredible role in decision-making, especially in cases of the first interaction when only several short minutes and sometimes even seconds are vital to get the user interested. This funсtion also works when the graphics highlight specific trends or events.

Lowrider

Underwater explorer

Pikachu Poster

Apple Event Animated Graphics

Californication Bus

San Francisco Painted Ladies

Explaining and guiding

This function of graphic design elements is widely used in both print and interfaces, particularly in tutorials, manuals, tool tips, and guides. No need to say that here, a picture is really worth a thousand words: it saves precious time and helps to avoid big copy blocks. Moreover, graphics based on a thorough analysis of the target audience rely on empathy and emotional appeal, thereby enhancing the user experience and supporting business goals.

Travel App Tutorial

Shauts App Tutorial

Saily App Tutorial

Ryiadh Tour Guide

Toonie Alarm Tutorial

Enhancing navigation

Custom graphic elements are a great tool for enhancing the navigation and, therefore, boosting usability. Based on user research and testing, it can have a significant impact on conversions and reader retention, providing an easy flow through the website or app. In addition, this positive influence is supported by the aesthetic pleasure users derive from sophisticated visual elements and harmonic composition.

Weather App

Passfold App

Veggie App

Boosting communication with a character

The thoughtful application of personification in the product can enhance the user experience, strengthen brand image, and increase brand awareness. That is one of the reasons why creating mascots is often a part of a general design concept and content strategy. And that is the job in which graphic designers can demonstrate their best. Efficient mascots should be based on a thorough analysis of the target audience’s needs, wishes, and expectations, as well as an attentive study of the market environment to support the appropriate level of originality as the basis for effective design solutions.

Mascots are also very helpful in interfaces: they liven up the general process, catch up user’s attention, become the memorable element, create important support for a stylistic concept and make the illusion of direct communication with the user.

Monster Stickers and their animated versions

Spring Girl

Saily App Mascot

Toonie Alarm Mascot

Read more about the advantages of efficient mascots here

Making the copy stylish

One more important perspective of graphic design is typography. Designers are usually keen to make the copy applied to products not only legible and readable but also attractive and evocative. In cases of lettering for branding, it also adds vital features like originality and recognizability.

Lettering for Saily logo

Lettering for Genius Bar

Lettering for Ribbet logo

Custom decorative lettering

As we can see, multiple purposes and goals can be achieved through graphic design. The diversity of approaches enables the creation of original and unique design solutions. With the support of user research, analysis, and thoughtful testing, graphic design elements can efficiently enhance usability, strengthen branding, and provide a positive user experience. That is the point at which art and functionality merge to solve problems and make people happier.

Originally written for Tubik Blog

Useful Articles

Here’s a bunch of articles to dive deeper into the theme of usability and user experience design.

5 Basic Types of Images in Web Design

The Anatomy of a Web Page: Basic Elements

6 Elements of Efficient Company Website Design

UX Practices on Product Page Design

How to Design Effective Search

Web Design: 17 Basic Types of Web Pages

Guide to 6 Effective Types of Web Animation

Directional Cues in User Interfaces

Negative Space in Design: Tips and Best Practices

Error Screens and Messages: UX Design Practices