Graphic design for beginners: how to start designing graphics. In this article I am going to share a series of tips to start as a graphic designer. Don't forget to check my guide about How to learn graphic design from home.
- Oliver Puente
- January 13, 2023
- 7:41 pm
Table of Contents
Graphic design for beginners
Graphic design is a broad term that includes many different types of media, including print, web, video, and motion graphics. This article will cover the most essential aspects of graphic design for a beginner, such as typography, composition, color theory, design principles, visual hierarchy, and more.
The basics of typography
If you want to learn graphic design as a beginner, a great initial approach is through knowledge of proper typographical skills.
A good understanding of typography is essential for any designer. It's also one of the first things people notice when looking at a job. The typography is mainly divided into 2 categories that you will see from time to time. Serif and Sans Serif.
Let's see some basic concepts of both:
Serif Typography
In typography, serifs are extra small strokes found at the end of the main vertical and horizontal strokes of certain letters. Serif fonts are generally used for long text such as books, newspapers, and most magazines. Serif fonts are the most widely used type of fonts because they are considered more readable.
Sans Serif Typography
Sans Serif font types are differentiated by the lack of serifs or serifs on their endings, as the name suggests. They are considered more modern and minimalist typefaces. Sans Serif typefaces are considered more suitable for the web and digital media. Clear examples of this typography can be seen in many technological logos, such as those of Google, Apple or Facebook.
Theory of color
In fine art, graphic design, user interface design, photography, print, and even television, color theory is constantly used. Color theory is considered by many experts to be a set of basic rules for mixing and matching light colors or pigments to achieve the desired effect.
This theory can help you in several cases, to choose color tones for a design, website, logo or perfectly combine the clothes you are going to wear.
In graphic design, color theory is a vital part that uses the color wheel, which is mainly divided into two categories: cool colors and warm colors. This is vital if you want to learn graphic design for beginners.
According to gcfglobal.org The basic aspects of color theory are:
Tonality: This is the simplest. Basically, it stands for color. Complementing this information, according to RAE A color is "The sensation produced by the light rays that impress the visual organs and that depends on the wavelength."
Saturation: It refers to the intensity, that is, if the color is more subtle or more intense.
Glow: Indicates whether the color is dark or light, from black to white. This gives you several options, for example you can go from dark green to soft lime.
Design principles
Design principles are a set of considerations that underlie any quality product. In graphic design, these are the rules a designer must follow to create effective and engaging work. Among these important design principles are:
- Contrast
- Balance
- Graphic Accent/Emphasis
- Proportion
- Hierarchy
- Repetition
- Rhythm
- Patterns
- White space
- Motion
- Variety
- Vsual unit
Visual hierarchy
Visual hierarchy refers to the order of importance of the different parts of a design. There are three main types of hierarchy in a layout: vertical, horizontal, and diagonal. Horizontal hierarchy refers to the order in which things appear horizontally on a page. Diagonal hierarchy refers to the order in which elements appear diagonally on a page. The vertical hierarchy to the order that they appear vertically. Learning hierarchy of things is going to help you the most to learn graphic design as a beginner.
We can also generate hierarchy through several ways such as:
- Size
- Color
- Texture
- Inclination
- Layout
- Visual weight
Image composition
A good rule of thumb when designing any type of image is to keep the composition as clean and uncluttered as possible, while maintaining readability. This means that you should avoid using too many noise-generating items. If you use white space, be sure to use it sparingly and strategically to guide the eye and create a visual journey. This is probably the hardest thing to learn in graphic design for beginners or graphic design for novices. The correct handling of the composition.
Graphic design for beginners: The most important thing
The most important thing about learning graphic design for beginners is not to lose enthusiasm in learning and practicing. It is possible that at the beginning you struggle with the basic aspects of this beautiful discipline but little by little you will see how these concepts will become part of your design habits and will allow you to create beautiful pieces and great creative works of world class. Cheers!
If you want to learn more graphic design for beginners don't forget to read my article “Graphic Designer REVEALS How to Be More Creative”.
REFERENCES
Reid, M. R. (2020). The 7 principles of design and how to use them. 99designs. https://es.99designs.com/blog/tips/principles-of-design/
Chapman, C. (2019, 24 septiembre). Breaking Down the Principles of Design (with Infographic). Toptal Design Blog. https://www.toptal.com/designers/gui/principles-of-design-infographic
Conceptos básicos de diseño gráfico: Teoría del color. (s. f.). GCFGlobal.org. https://edu.gcfglobal.org/es/conceptos-basicos-de-diseno-grafico/teoria-del-color/1/
Teoría del Color – Concepto, propiedades del color, RGB y CMYK. (s. f.). Concepto. https://concepto.de/teoria-del-color/
Turner, N. (2021, 19 mayo). A guide to design principles & why you should be using them. UXM. https://www.uxforthemasses.com/design-principles/
Brignell, B. B. (s. f.). Design Principles. principles.design. Recuperado 23 de diciembre de 2022, de https://principles.design/
MyFonts. (s. f.). Sans Serif Fonts. https://www.myfonts.com/pages/sans-serif-fonts
What Is a Serif in Graphic Design? (2020, 14 febrero). ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/serif-font-information-1073831
Real Academia Española. (2022). color. dle.rae.es. Recuperado 23 de diciembre de 2022, de https://dle.rae.es/color?m=form
Oliver Puente
Subscribe to my Newsletter to receive graphic designer "magic".
Receive tips, hacks and branding, UI/UX and design guides directly to your email through the newsletter* 100% NO SPAM
Introducción al Diseño Web: Más que un simple gráfico
Diseño Web: La combinación de estética y funcionalidad El diseño web no es solo cuestión de crear algo visualmente atractivo;
Cómo Crear Landing Pages que Multiplican tus Ventas
Por qué las Landing Pages Son La Clave Para Multiplicar Tus Conversiones El mejor vendedor de toda tu vida. No
Lo que TODOS debería saber acerca del branding en Guatemala
Branding en Guatemala. Un acercamiento y guía sobre como posicionar una nueva marca en el mercado guatemalteco que atraiga a
How to Increase Your Conversion Rate Without Spending on Advertising
¿Cansad@ de invertir en publicidad y que no funcione? No te preocupes más, descubre en este artículo que es tasa
How to use Figma Auto Layout (Complete step-by-step guide)
El auto layout en Figma llegó para quedarse, y si quieres ser un diseñador UI/UX profesional, es necesario aprender cuándo
8 maneras infalibles de lidiar con la fatiga como diseñador gráfico
El cansancio o fatiga extrema cuando eres diseñador gráfico es una situación de lo peor. Pero como todo en la
