The Importance of Graphic Design Related to Internet Communication
Since recently, Internet and its specifics have become an integral part of people’s everyday lives, making the boundary between the virtual reality and the everyday world merge to a practically unnoticeable line.
However, it cannot be denied that, despite the seeming similarity, the real and the online communications differ considerably, mainly due to the lack of sounds, which has its undeniable impact on the specifics of graphic design in online communications.
As Nayar (2004) explains, “There is no ‘reality’ that we can see. Instead, the images we see are the reality” (p. 106).Therefore, the importance of graphic design in online communication is obvious – the pictures and image that are displayed for the public are the means to convey certain messages that will drag a corresponding reaction and create a specific mood that will incline people to acting in a certain manner.
The issue is obviously topical and requires thorough research. Taking into account the current demand for graphic designers, finding the connection between online communications and the efficiency of design is crucial. As Ryan & Conover (2004) explain,
Today, almost two-thirds of the graphic design firms and advertising agencies are involved in interactive media design and nearly all visual communicators are online.
Communication Art’s modest initial website has grown into a three-site network which includes Design Interact, an information resource for creators of interactive media; Creative Hotlist, a customizable online application for connecting talent, companies and services; and Communication Arts, a streamlined, online interface for Communication Arts magazine. (p. 589)
Therefore, the connection between graphic design and online communication must be traced. Once the link between the two becomes obvious, it will be possible to predict the further development of graphic design.
In the given research, the specifics of the graphic design in online communications, its features, restrictions and the opportunities it opens are going to be considered. Moreover, the given paper aims at proving that graphic design in online communication can be even more powerful than the one that works in the reality.
The project context, question, and objectives
Internet is a huge universe which is constantly expending, which is why the context of the research is narrowed down to observing the graphic design, namely, the images and the fonts, used by the world’s most famous brands. Moreover, the research will touch upon several thematic blogs, the design used to create the atmosphere of these blogs and the designers who helped to promote the site, making it look attractive for the visitors.
The data obtained from the sources mentioned above will help to solve the research question, which is whether the online graphic design can reach the efficiency of the one that appears in other types of media. Moreover, the efficiency of the messages conveyed by the online graphic design is going to be checked.
In addition to the primary goal, the research will aim at the following objectives:
- To find the existing online graphic design types;
- To specify the differences between the online graphic design and the other media designs;
- To find the basic functions of graphic design in online communications;
- To list the pros and cons of using graphic design in online communications;
- To outline the prospects of online graphic design further development.
The scope and depth of the project
When specifying the scope and the depth of the given research, it is necessary to keep in mind that the research concerns the online communication, which is rather changeable. Therefore, the project is going to touch upon such spheres as graphic design in the business online communication and in the sphere of informal online conversation. Thus, maximum objectivity is achieved.
It is also important to note that the research is going to be based on the theoretical background offered by Robert Craig, as well as the ideas expressed by Neil Postman on the effect of the online communication.
In addition, to understand the role of the language and the effects of the latter in graphic design, the ideas of Claude E. Shannon concerning the natural language processing are going to be used. Understanding the impact of printed language as explained by Shannon will lead to important deductions on the effect that the variety of online fonts has on people.
The intended type, form, and location of the output
Speaking of the form of the given research project, it will be the most reasonable to offer a research followed by the list of major results and accompanied by statistical data on the modern designers, the amounts of works the latter produce, the current employment levels in the design industry and, which is the most important, the estimated effect of online communications on graphic design in the modern world.
Featured as a train of deductions, the final print output will provide a cohesive list of ideas on the importance of online communications in graphic design.
The requirements and constraints of a time and word limit constrained research project
Unlike most research projects, the given paper is going to take considerable time, since the scope of the research is rather vast. Therefore, the research will require the following steps:
- Embracing the period of online design development;
- Tracking the most important changes online design development;
- Showing the dependence between the online design development and online communications;
- Providing striking examples of the impact online communications have on design development.
However, several restrictions concerning the given research are worth mentioning:
- The time boundaries;
- The word limit;
- The amount of the material.
Despite the restrictions mentioned above, the research is bound to discover the links between online communication and graphic design, thus, showing the prospects of design development.
How Internet Communication Helps Graphic Designers to Spread Their Art Works to the World
It cannot be doubted that the Internet has given wings to most graphic designers. Several decades ago, it took months and even years to obtain the desired recognition among at least fellow designers and the most devoted clientele.
Nowadays, whenever opening a web page, one can watch a riot of colors and a plethora of unusual graphic decisions offered by all kinds of online designers, which means that the online communications have spurred the development of graphic design considerably. Thus, those whose artworks deserve appreciation However, it is worth mentioning that the promotion of online graphic design does have its hidden rocks and pitfalls to avoid.
One of the most problematic issues is, perhaps, the abundance of works; indeed, browsing through miles of mediocre artworks to find the one that is really worthy can be rather tedious. One can possibly handle the increasing number of works by creating specific sites for professionals in graphic design, yet the solution is rather raw and requires further considerations.
The project context, question, and objectives
Because of the huge amount of the online art and artists and the inability to control the research context, the latter is supposed to be completely natural, while the project itself will be based on the observations of the existing art. Thus, the most objective results will be achieved. Framed in the context of the current specimens of online graphic design, the research results will be most independent and at the same time up-to-date.
The given research aims at learning the most efficient means of spreading the artwork into the world. Analyzing the existing means of art popularization and commercial approaches used to make graphic artists more popular among online users, one can possibly see the prospects of the graphic development, as well as assess the opportunities of modern graphic designers.
Therefore, the key objectives of the research are:
- To specify the key means of promoting graphic design online;
- To provide the examples of the most successful graphic design promotions online.
Illustrating the most successful examples of online graphic design and the ways in which the authors of the works became recognized, one will be able to see the way in which online communication helps to spread the word about their artworks.
The scope and depth of the project
Since the present-day world of graphic design is rich in the examples of people becoming recognized web designers, e.g., Shepard Fairey, it is rather complicated to conduct an all-embracing research in the given sphere, touching upon every single artist and his style and artworks. Thus, it is reasonable to choose five world’s most recognized online graphic designers and track their path to ultimate glory.
Based on a solid theoretical grounds, i. e., the color theory, the consumer demand theory and the innovation theory, namely, focusing on the term ‘design innovation,’ the given paper will shed the light on the processes that lead unknown artists to the world success and explain in what way Internet communication can help unknown design genii become famous worldwide.
The intended type, form, and location of the output
The output of the given research will be presented in the form of logical deductions and the results of thorough and detailed observations. Thus, it will be possible to keep a vast and all-embracing paper clear and concise.
As for the form of the paper, it will be reasonable to provide a paper with graphs, tables and charts illustrating the number of graphic designers who have become famous over the world due to the Internet communications, comparing the statistical data with the one of the past years when the access to the Internet was a considerable problem. Thus, the research will offer a precise and original data.
The requirements and constraints of a time and word limit constrained research project
The given research is bound to take considerable time, since it is required to envelop vast amount of data, ranging from the information about the famous online designers to the least known, yet rather promising specialists.
However, it is essential to add that the project is going to be restricted to a certain amount of words. Therefore, the project is going to revolve around the basic elements of online design graphics, the key people who have contributed to the online design development, and the ways in which promising designers can become recognized in the modern online world.
Conclusion: The Further Development of Online Graphic Design
Even though graphic design in the online reality seems to have reached its peak, the specific approaches of conveying certain ideas to the public via online media, e.g., images, types of font, etc. are only in the stage of development, which means that the public will soon witness further means of delivering ideas via online graphic design.
With its subliminal stimuli, the specimens of the most successful graphic design online are bound to attract even more visitors to certain sites and convince them in certain ideas rather easily. Creating a chain of successfully delivered messages, one is bound to reach a certain aim.
Moreover, it will be most enticing to trace the development of the online graphic design approaches, which shift from utterly shocking to mild and peaceful, stressing the influence of the fashion on the graphic design solutions and decisions.
However, it still must be taken into account that the slightly marked border between the reality and the online world might hinder the online communication efficiency. Since blurring the border between the virtual and the real is quite dangerous, the given phenomenon can hardly be shaped or eliminated.
Moreover, preventing people from critical assessment of the information obtained online is quite undesirable, since the latter is a necessary part of human thinking process. Therefore, the task of graphic designers is to create the images that will convince people in certain ideas fully and make unforgettable impression, which, with the advent of the technological breakthrough, becomes a completely feasible goal.
Reference List
Nayar, P. K. (2004). Virtual worlds: Culture and Politics in the age of cybertechnology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Ryan, W. E., & Conover, T. E. (2004). Graphic communications today. Stanford, CN: Cengage Learning.