What is design?
When I refer to the term Design, in this instance I mean graphic design specifically – Design in relation to product design has other connotations and theories and is not included in this discussion.

Design is about communication. Design is the visual representation of information in a clear and structured manner. If you stop and think for one minute, without design we could not have books, newspapers, posters, road signs, maps, advertisements or websites: information would be reduced to long strings of words which would be almost inaccessible.

Design groups content logically and it creates a structured order. It creates a visual cohesion and hierarchy where the eye and brain can absorb information more quickly than if it has to waste time breaking down the layout structure.

Design means that you can drive at 70 miles-per-hour on a motorway and read the signage at a glance; that you can find your way from Kings Cross to Wimbledon on the tube map in seconds; that you can glance at a billboard advertisement and know the brand instantly; that you can read the contents label on a can of beans and that you can access a computer through its visual interface. [Read more...]