Graphic Design Terms Explained
If you’re new to graphic design you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed by the jargon associated with it. Here is a list of some of the more commonly used design terms to get comfortable with as you get started:
Alignment: The lining up of elements to achieve balance, order, and a more logical layout. There are also four common types of text alignment – center, left, right, and justified, each with their own time and place for application.
Branding: Not just a logo, branding is also communicated through your website, business card, product packaging, and any other promotional materials used in your business. Your branding conveys what your businesses is and what it stands for. It is important that your web designer understand your brand in order to maintain a consistent image.
Call-to-Action: A strong call-to-action (CTA) is arguably one of the most important elements of a website. It is what drives your visitors to taking the next step in becoming a client by giving them an actionable task. It could be represented by an image, button, text, or banner. Some common examples of CTAs are:
“Start your free trial”
“Sign up for weekly updates”
“Get a free consultation”
Colour Scheme: A colour scheme is a selection of colors to be used together in a design. Colors within a scheme should look appealing together. It’s recommended to keep to a colour scheme of no more than 3 colors — the more colors you use the harder it is to create a cohesive design. The colour scheme of your website should match the colour scheme of your overall branding.
Content: The content on your website includes text, images, video, and even blank space. Make sure you choose your content wisely.
Copy: The actual words that go on your website. Includes Heading Copy & Body Copy.
Layout: The layout of a website is the arrangement of all visual elements on a page. This includes the position of the logo, navigation, text, and images. The layout is the foundation of a website’s design and good layouts guide the user through the page.
Lorem Ipsum is a placeholder or filler text commonly used in design mockups to demonstrate a font or to hold the place of actual copy that may not be ready yet.
Visual Hierarchy: Using different visual elements like size or placement in a way that signifies importance is what’s called visual hierarchy. A strong visual hierarchy might feature large text or a bold colour to draw attention to what’s important and makes it much easier for a viewer to quickly scan content and grasp the major details.
White space (or “negative space”) refers to all of the empty space that flows around and between design elements and makes it easier for viewers to focus their attention on one or two core items. White space can be considered an important design element as can complement and enhance the main subject, improve legibility and make the content easier to “take in.”
