Nowadays, graphic design is a rising field. Quite a lot of people are in this field for a hobby or as a serious profession.

Basically, to explore and become an expert on something, we must understand the basis of that thing, right? Similarly, in the world of graphic design. Before becoming a reliable graphic designer, we must know in advance, various basic things that are usually considered trivial but will play an important role in making a design. Therefore, the mindset of the “essence” of this design is very important to be known by graphic designers who have just entered the world of graphic design.

Here are the 3 essences of grap\hic design that novice graphic designers should know:

1. Fundamental Design

Design fundamentals are the basis of every visual medium. This must be found in every design, ranging from fine art or modern designs such as posters. Design fundamentals include various elements such as lines, shapes (2D shapes), forms (3D shapes), and textures. Maybe, if you pay attention to things that may be very ordinary, but the various graphic design works that we see every day, are a combination of these elements.

Each of these elements contains the meaning and function of each, depending on how graphic designers use these elements to communicate their ideas visually. Through lines, shapes, forms, and textures, it really helps us to convey and understand an idea concept.

2. Typography

Typography or typography is very familiar to us to see. Be it on books we read, websites, product packaging, posters, and others. In short, typography is the appearance or style of the text, both in terms of color, size, thickness, distance, and font (typeface).

Each type of font has its own meaning that can go beyond the words listed. For example, the type of Sans Serif (like Helvetica) can give a simple and modern impression, commonly used for websites or digital displays, because it is easy to read. Therefore, it is important for a graphic designer to pay attention to the message he wants to convey to match the typography that he applied.

Tip: The law for doing good typography is “less is more”, i.e., try to use no more than two types of fonts. Combine also the law of “opposites attract”, which combines bold and light font styles as an impression of contrast.

3.Color

Color has a vital role in the design. Color can represent images, create emotions, perceptions for those who see it, and even communicate without using words at all. Although it becomes a very important thing, not infrequently, the determination of color also causes problems for novice graphic designers.

The answer to that problem is: “understand color theory”. Do you still remember the basic colors learned when you were in kindergarten or elementary school? Namely red, blue, and yellow. The three colors are the basic colors that create other colors, thus making the color wheel. Through the color wheel, we can choose colors based on the saturation or value of the colors. We can also play the contrast to find the appropriate color.

Don’t forget this theory, “every color has a message”. For professional graphic designers, they are very familiar with the intent of the statement. For example, bright colors can represent cheerful and modern, ordinary desaturated or pale colors that represent formal and business impressions.