Graphic Design and the Creative Process

Designs are the output of some process and they are usually identified by functions, quantities or relationships among objects. A design is simply a detailed blueprint or description of the arrangement or structure of an object or a system, or even the intended result of such a blueprint or description in the form of a model, experiment or procedure. The word ‘design’ dates back to the 12th century and was used by the Medieval Latin word ‘diano’. The French also have an interesting word ‘modeling’ which means ‘acting as if’.

In order to illustrate the meaning of designs, consider a set of questions asked by NASA scientists toward the end of the 20th century. Among the questions asked were as to whether the designs provided by a designer would fly, land, operate and control a spacecraft. Answers to those questions depended on how the designers defined those functions. A simple definition would be “the effectiveness and performance of a certain design depends on how it is designed.” Designers needed to justify their choices regarding how to best define those designs.

So how do designers go about justifying their choices? One answer might be, “I use a simple drawing as my way of modeling the end result. Then I map out all the functions and dynamics of that object using software like AutoCAD or Solid Works. After that, I test that computer simulation against what I have in mind using testing instruments such as aerospace flight controls or control panels. If the results of those tests are successful, then the airplane, landing gear or whatever it is that I am trying to simulate flies, operates, and handles properly.”

The designers did not stop there. After they completed a successful flight, they would demonstrate their worth by actually demonstrating that they had done it. This would involve using complex machinery such as an auto-pilot or a hypodermic needle. They would demonstrate their worthiness by using complicated language, drawings and so on.

The purpose of this article is not to degrade the designer or to give a thumbs-up to any given creative endeavor. (It is, in fact, to introduce the designer to the basic skills involved in problem-solving.) My point is simply to illustrate how a careful analysis of the problem-solving process can help us evaluate creative output. Problem-solving is an essential skill and a necessary component of the applied arts. It can also be applied to architecture, painting, writing, multimedia production, and so on. There is no reason why creative output in those disciplines cannot meet the standard of what we expect in a good architect or creative writer.

Let’s face it, a good designer does not have to come from an industrial design background. It is possible to train yourself to be a great designer and if you apply yourself diligently to learning new design processes, you should be able to overcome any lack of formal training. As part of the applied arts, a designer needs to understand how and why an image is created. This understanding will become invaluable in problem-solving and future design process. A graphic designer can only be as good as the image that he or she creates and the more training and practice, a designer has the more valuable his or her skills will be in the long run.

What Info Design Is And How It Can Help You

What Info Design Is And How It Can Help You

An info design is the artistic or creative process by means of which a product or a piece of information is produced. Technical documentation is a document that gives information regarding the construction, specifications, performance, functionality and other properties of any item or material. The technical documentation is also called a blueprint of a procedure or a set of instructions. A more exact term for it would be a blue-print for a procedure or system. Technical documentation thus describes a model or blueprint of how a physical product or service works or functions.

A design is the arrangement or configuration of some thing or some system and the way to make it operate or function. A diagrammatic description thus refers to the arrangement of systems or elements on a physical level. The word ‘info design’ itself signifies a work in progress or blueprint. In the field of engineering, an info design is also a model or blueprint for a particular product or a certain type of machine or an appliance. Info design as a term may overlap with information design, but they are not exactly the same.

Info design in its simplest form is nothing more than the arrangement of one’s things or systems in a particular order to achieve a particular purpose or end. The end in question could be to manufacture, design, sell, consume or protect. If one speaks of a product, it can be said that it has an info design as part of its development process. It is the blueprint or technical documentation for a particular product that is used to determine the features, performance and overall quality of the product. The process thus includes conceptualizing, modeling, determining, implementing and testing. Even though this definition may seem quite broad, it provides a very broad view of what info design encompasses and hence it can be said to cover a wide range of processes.

Info design is nothing new. It has been around since the ancient times. The Egyptians made use of diagrams and pictures in their architecture and writing, as did the Romans and Greeks before them. These days, even the Chinese use drawings and diagrams for planning, design and layout. Designs and diagrams are still utilized today in this modern era as a way of communicating and receiving information, as well as in creating products and goods.

Today, the process is still used extensively in many fields and it is expected to grow in importance in all fields in which technology is being applied. In advertising, it is often impossible to create a commercial or marketing campaign without first having a well conceived design for it. In electronics and computer design, production designs have to be created before the actual product production can begin. And in art, designs for paintings, sculptures and photographic works have to be made first to determine their shape, size and composition and then made or drawn to shape them.

Information design has taken on a new significance as the process of communication and entertainment grows together. With more products being sold on the Internet, websites and other forms of online communication, it is vitally important that people are able to get their heads around what the product or service that they are about to buy does and how it works. This is where the designer comes into play. An effective designer can take an ordinary idea and turn it into a unique creation that will not only get a lot of attention but also make a lot of money.

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