What is Graphic Design For? (Image Driven Work)

Brief: Identify at least 10 examples of image driven work and critically analyse and evaluate the success of the appropriateness of the work in relation to the problem it is trying to solve, the function that it is trying to perform, and/or the context in which it is intended to be received.

What is graphic design for? What function does it perform or what problem is it trying to solve?

Who is graphic design for? Who is the potential audience? Who is meant to 'get it' and who isn't?

Where is graphic design found? Where is it meant to be seen? In what situation or at what scale? How is the audience supposed to receive it and are they meant to interact with it?

mydesignshop / Bitique

These tote bags have been designed by various artists (including Si Scott) and the purpose of these bags is to raise money for different charities, as 100% of the proceeds go to charity. The designs on the bags, which are mainly illustrations, are not supposed to be just pretty images but are relevant to the charity, to get people thinking about this charity, and it may lead the person on to finding out more. As the bags are available on the website mydesignshop, I think the target audience will mainly be other graphic designers, but anyone could buy and use one of these tote bags. 

This is an info graphics piece from the book 'Visual Aid: You can never know enough stuff'. Instructions to make an origami game are made with only images, presented in a stylish way compared to other more boring ways you may find. The function of this piece is to teach you a new skill, in a simple, fun way. It is more of a jokey fun gift book with lots of random facts and instructions, rather than a book trying to solve problems, therefore, this piece is for anyone. It can be used for its purpose, and the audience can interact by making the piece, or just appreciated for the design element. 

Graphic Design is for education. This answer to a live brief competition challenge (found in the YCN student annual 2010/11) shows that graphic design answers to problems can be unbiased, as its not all about advertising. These pop-up paper crafts are a really beautiful way of advising web users about the different browser choices available to them. If a user was to receive an information booklet which is well crafted and designed they are far more likely to pay attention than a standard printed booklet. I like how the stock is plain, there is only a spot colour and the emphasis is on the shape. It has a much more special quality than other answers to the brief.  

 

Graphic design is for promotion. This is a competition answer (again found in the YCN student annual 2010/11), which is promoting a new company of healthy 'Feel Good' drinks. This is really interesting idea for an outcome to the brief, although I think it could have been presented in a more sophisticated manner to reflect the type of drink that is being advertised. I imagine the drink would be a bit more expensive than normal fruit juice and would be competing against other drinks like innocent smoothies. However, this is still a good idea, dressing people up as fruit, and I think this little fruit march would be a good publicity stunt for the company. This answer shows graphic design is not all about posters like some may expect it to be.

Graphic design is for celebration. This poster is the response to a design competition, its function is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the font helvetica. At the same time as sharing this anniversary, the poster could also be promoting the success of the font. I think this poster is mainly for Swiss people, to feel proud that both the Swiss knife and the font helvetica are a part of their history. On the other hand it could be used in other countries to boast the success of Swiss modernism. You can't design for everybody, and obviously this poster is for people who are interested in typography, otherwise I don't think they would really understand it. I think this is quite a clever poster and is put together in a visually pleasing way.

 

Graphic design is for products. The problem here is that thanksgiving festival in the US doesn't really have a visual aspect as many focus just on the food side. This company wanted to create a product to celebrate thanksgiving, which doubles up as a calendar. This is a promotional product for a printing company, which works as an aesthetically pleasing and useful design as well as advertising the company. I like this design as its cute and fun, and especially as it comes as a flat pack. I think if you received it you would definitely want to make it.

Graphic design is for organising. The DA&D student of the year award was presented for this design which colour codes all of Ikea's furniture. It is in answer to a live competition brief where the problem is that customers in store have an immediate reaction to colour. The solution to this problem, a poster which is target at existing Ikea customers but may also attract new ones, shows the endless possibilities which can be created with Ikea's huge range of products. It could be found on billboards, at tube stations etc.. It has the potential to be huge.

Graphic design is for selling stuff. I remember seeing this advertisement for Calvin Klein underwear by liinc in magazines a few years ago, and was always drawn to it because of the beautiful illustrations, and the mix of shading and bursts of girly colours. The drawings are of beautiful women, so the function of this advert is to portray to the viewer that they will be a beautiful women if they buy the advertised underwear. The potential audience is young, teenage girls, who may be very easily convinced by such advertising. This advert was found in young girls magazines in about 2007, such as cosmogirl. I think to an extent this advert is successful, because I do remember it after about four years, however, I was never tempted to buy the expensive underwear.

Graphic design is for retail. The function of these designs by graphicthoughtfacility used in store environments is to make Marks and Spencers, a shop which may be thought of as being for an older person, and quite expensive but untrendy, is to change peoples opinions on the store. Although these store designs are very different, they both have the same purpose, to persuade the customer that Marks and Spencers is a cool and trendy place, that stocks good quality, stylish home ware items. Through word of mouth about the store, this would then attract more visitors. I think these sort of designs appeal to a younger audience, which is good, because Marks and Spencers already have a lot of loyal older customers, but they need to bring in the younger audience. I really like both of the store environments, and can't choose which one I prefer. I think I would be drawn to shop at the one with the illustrations on the wall, as this is the style of illustration that I like. However, they are both modern, young and appealing. These designs are obviously seen at a large scale, on the walls of the store. You can see how big they are by looking at the size of the cabinets in the photographs.

Graphic design is for making a good first impression. This is a really clever interactive business card, found on boredpanda, advertising a fitness trainer. The image of an overweight man is perforated, so when it is ripped off, the image could be of quite a healthy, fit man. This is such a clever idea, that I think it would persuade someone looking for a fitness trainer that this person is the one for them, or even to persuade someone who hasn't been looking for one that it would be a good idea to get fit. It is trying to solve the problem of getting the fitness trainer more custom. While anyone can appreciate how clever but simple this idea is, the target audience is overweight men, as pictured in the image. When the audience receives this business card, they respond with it by ripping it, and by doing this action, I think they are more likely to remember this card than others.