Most people who are familiar with the world of digital graphics also recognize that there are dozens of unique disciplines out there. The Adobe suite alone has products for vector art, pixel graphics, motion graphics, animation, the list goes on. It’s practically impossible for one designer to practice all of these areas but it’s becoming more common for designers to adopt a few different skillsets.
In this post I’d like to cover a swath of various fields related to digital design. Modern designers often have a wide range of various skills dipping into a number of these fields. Someone who starts in graphic design might later move into After Effects or concept art or interface design. Digital art includes both 2D and 3D work that can be used in many different projects. Although the design process is always changing, the larger umbrella of design fields tends to remain somewhat consistent.
It’s a no-brainer that websites are crafted by layering information into page sections. The most important content usually falls near the top of the page and gradually cascades down. Capturing attention requires a sense of natural order to your page content. Web typography can relate to the typeface, but it also relates to overall structure and flow while reading.
I want to suggest a few tips for web designers who wish to bring sequential order to their typography. This occurs through a number of changes that require careful attention to detail. A great place to start is by reading popular online magazines to capture the essence of their typographic flow. Otherwise just keep practicing design features by quickly iterating new concepts on-the-fly.
Anyone who’s familiar with Photoshop knows about the convoluted learning process. As a beginner the interface is grandiose, intimidating, and seems like the new school bully who makes you feel weak and inadequate. But as you learn the tools and menus it’s easier to warm up and become friends with your old bully. It’s a program like no other that offers photo compositing, UI design, digital painting, and many similar creative skills.
One big piece to the puzzle is color theory. Beyond the understanding of color theory you also need to understand how to choose the right colors for your palette. And since color is relative you should treat it like your relatives – love unconditionally, but keep some emotional distance. Using these color-related plugins and tools for Photoshop you can have a much better performance choosing the right colors for any artistic endeavor.