An example of words and images combined to create a simple message.
Graphic design includes the use of typography, visual arts and page layout to create a visual image that conveys both meaning and mood. Graphic design is found in magazines, posters, billboards, media covers, websites and book covers to send a short message and perhaps sell a product. Composition and color schemes are key elements in the many styles of graphic design that can be found in modern advertising.
Bauhaus Style
Even though the Bauhaus school in Germany in the 1920s and '30s did not emphasize graphic design in its curriculum, a very noticeable portfolio of advertising posters was created at the popular art school. Under the direction of Herbert Bayer, who was the director of advertising, a distinct method of lettering and composition emerged. In Bauhaus graphic design, typography was reduced to large, single case, "sans serif" letters, which were often combined with contemporary photographic images shot at unusual angles. In the latter years of the school, a whole new system of lettering was also developed, in which basic geometric shapes became the building blocks of a new alphabet. Bauhaus prints and posters from this era formed a basis for a distinctive style of graphic design that still has an influence on contemporary graphic designs.
Swiss Style Design
Also called the International Style, this style emerged from Switzerland in the 1950s to become one of the most common advertising styles of the '70s. The introduction of the Helvetica font in 1961 gave Swiss style design a distinctive lettering that made the style noticeable and identifiable the world over. This type of modern design is characterized by use of a grid layout and a sans serif font, usually Helvetica. Swiss International ads and posters favored photography over illustration and during the '60s and '70s became quite common in many applications, including business reports, brochures, advertising for scientific companies and corporate logos. It is still used today in many web designs.
Urban Grunge
The funky "urban grunge" is a contemporary style that borrows a little from urban decay and functional post-modern architecture. This very hip, urban style often chooses to display graphics, images and a textured background that appear dirty or well-worn. Lettering is often bold and sometimes in 3-D, but the color remains dull. Small text is frequently hand-lettered, and a collage style is often applied to the various graphic elements. Visual items like coffee stains, torn paper, images of paper clips and yellowed masking tape may be added to the design. In fact, found images of all types are welcome material for the grunge designer. Urban grunge is popular in web design, on T-shirts, posters for heavy metal bands and advertising for very casual styles of clothing.
