The task of a graphic designer is to communicate a message to his or her audience successfully through the organisation of words and image. The graphic designer demonstrates his skills by manipulating various ingredients in a given space. This is an apt description although it does not give adequate credit to the aesthetic judgements involved. The principle, however, remains basically the same, whether it is applied to the design of a letterhead or to the creation of computer-generated television images.
A well designed poster or book may appear to be the result of almost casual effort on the part of the designer, but this is rarely the case. More often it is the result of a lengthy process, including experimenting with many options until a satisfactory one is found.
Good design has to take into consideration the practical constraints imposed by a client’s brief, the budget, schedule and audience. The designer acts as a go between, carrying a message from client to customer. To do this well, a designer must be familiar with
all forms of graphic reproduction and be able to work with
printers, photographers, illustrators and other technicians.