Different 8 types of graphic design with example? Full Guide

There are several types of graphic design. Each type requires a different set of skills, knowledge, and tools. Discover the type of graphic design.

Graphic design is an extensive and diverse field that includes many different disciplines.

Graphic design professionals can be generalists or specialists in specific areas, such as packaging design, graphic design for marketing, graphic design for printing.

This post will explore types of graphic design, including examples and the skills needed for each.

You’ll know what niches are available and how to get started in the graphic design industry. Let’s start!

What is graphic design?

Graphic design is a combination of art and science. Graphic designers use a variety of visual elements, such as type, colour, image, and shape to create compositions that are aesthetically pleasing and on-brand. Graphic design is not only about aesthetics.

Graphic design’s ultimate goal is to communicate a message or an idea to a target audience. Graphic designers transform abstract concepts into meaningful design that resonates and communicates with the viewer.

Consider designing a poster to promote an upcoming concert. It should be both eye-catching and tell passersby about the band or genre of music. It should also draw attention to important information, such as the date and location of the concert.

Graphic designers must follow certain fundamental principles to create beautiful designs, communicate effectively, and stay on brand. They include balance, contrast and the use of colour.

Different types of graphic design with example

We’ve defined graphic design as a broad umbrella discipline. Let’s now explore the various types of graphic design.

Branding and Visual Identity

Companies must create a strong identity to stand out among competitors. A strong brand identity captures a brand’s values and builds emotional connections with its target audience. It also creates an instantly recognizable and memorable presence.

Brand identity is largely based on visual elements like logos, colors, typography and imagery. Taglines, slogans and messaging are also used to convey the brand.

Graphic designers specializing in branding and visual identities work with companies to develop their brands and create the visual assets they represent. You can also hire them to rebuild or refresh an existing brand.

Branding and Visual Identity Examples

• Think of the Nike “swoosh”,
• McDonalds’ famous golden “M”, often displayed on a background red
• Apple’s instantly recognizable logo.
• Consider the colour palettes of Starbucks, which is a combination of green and white
• Designing typography

Key skills

Graphic designers with a specialization in branding and visual identity have the following skills:

• Knowledge of the principles of graphic design, such as typography, colour theory and hierarchy.
• Branding principles like consistency, storytelling and clarity are important.
• Brand positioning, brand strategy and audience analysis.

Job Titles

• Brand designer
• Visual identity designer
• Visual branding consultant
• Logo designer

Graphic design for marketing and advertising

Graphic design is a crucial part of marketing and advertising. Imagine how hard it would be for advertisers and marketers to reach their target audience without fun illustrations, eye-catching images, or informative infographics.

Graphic design for advertising and marketing is an independent discipline. Graphic designers with a specialization in marketing and advertising collaborate closely with marketing and/or ad teams to bring campaigns to life.

Print and digital can be combined. Graphic design for marketing typically involves creating assets to be used in blog posts, emails newsletters and social media campaigns. Graphic advertising design can include posters, billboard advertisements, and graphics for printed magazines or flyers.

Examples of Graphic design for marketing and advertising

• Email newsletter templates and banners.
• Create illustrations and animations to be used in social media ads and posts.
• Print advertisements for magazines, newspapers, brochures and billboards.
• Create images and infographics to accompany blog articles and whitepapers.

Key skills

Graphic designers for marketing and advertising need the following skills.

• Basics of graphic design such as typography, layout, colour and composition.
• Knowledge of advertising, marketing and branding.
• Specialized knowledge varies depending on the role. For example, graphic designers who focus on social media must be familiar with different social media channels.

Job Titles

• Marketing designer
• Advertising designer
• Social media designer

Print design

Print design is graphic design for printed material. Print design uses the same principles and elements as other types of graphic design, such as colour, typography and composition.

Print design covers a wide range of disciplines. This can include anything from designing posters and billboards to packaging for products (think of drink cans, cosmetics bottles, or chocolate bar wrappers); designing magazines, books, and brochures; and creating merchandise such as t-shirts, tote bags, and business cards.

Print design is anything that can print onto a material.

Print design examples

• Print ads for magazines and brochures.
• Creating merchandise, such as T-shirts and Tote Bags.
• Packaging design for cosmetics and food.

Key skills

Print design requires the following skills in addition to graphic design basics:

• Typography for printing: Designing fonts specifically.
• Different print materials and finishes.
• Understanding of prepress and print production (i.e. Preparing a publication for print).
• Adobe InDesign is a print-specific program that allows for the layout design.

Job Titles

• Print designer
• Print production artist
• Print production designer
• Graphic Designer (Print)

Digital Graphic Design

Digital graphic design is any types of graphic design that is specifically designed for digital channels or devices.

Designing for mobile apps and websites, creating graphics for social media and digital marketing campaigns, as well as designing graphics and assets for advertising and marketing campaigns are just a few examples.

Digital graphic design has become huge. Digital graphic design is everywhere.

This is yet another broad umbrella of design that hosts many specialist paths. You might specialize in digital design, such as for e books, websites or games.

Example of Digital Graphic Design

• This includes designing logos, icons and typography for mobile apps and websites. It can overlap with the user interface design (UI), which is designing the visual and interactive features of digital user interfaces.
• Create graphics for video games.
• Ads for digital channels such as social media and banner ads.
• Create digital illustrations and artworks to be distributed across multiple digital channels. Blogs and eMagazines).

Key skills

What are the most important digital graphics design skills?

• Expertise in graphic design principles, techniques and their application to digital.
• Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and CorelDRAW are all digital design programs that you should be familiar with. Find all the essential tools for graphic design here.
• Understanding of the principles of UX design and UI design, particularly when designing apps and websites.

Job Titles

• Digital designer
• Web designer
• UI/UX designer
• Graphic Designer (Digital)

Packaging design

Packaging design is exactly what you’d expect it to be (excuse me the pun). Graphic design is the key to packaging.

Imagine all the products that you buy or use in your local supermarket, pharmacy or department store. All of them are packaged differently, each with a unique visual identity.

Packaging designers create visual identities for products. Packaging designers create the visual identity of a product. They consider how to make it stand out on the shelf while clearly communicating essential information, such as the name, ingredients, and intended use.

Packaging designers can also help develop the brand identity by choosing the best materials and designing typography. This includes selecting colour palettes, designing typefaces, and creating or selecting the right imagery.

Packaging design examples

• Packaging for food and drinks include cereal boxes, soup cans, drink bottles, and wrappers around chocolate bars.
• Packaging and labeling for cosmetics, skincare and pharmaceutical products.
• Packaging for toys and games.

Key skills

Graphic design is a fundamental part of packaging design. It also requires:

• Knowledge of industrial design, such as choosing the best materials for a particular use case and structural design principles.
• Expertise in 3D packaging design software and other industry tools.
• Packaging print and production processes are important to understand.

Also read about Game to enhance your graphic designing skills

Job Titles

• Packaging designer
• Packaging production artist
• Graphic designer (packaging)

Graphic Design for Editorial and Publishing

Graphic design is rooted in the publishing industry. It’s still a flourishing discipline today.

This types of graphic design focuses on the design of books, magazines, and brochures–essentially any kind of publication, be it physical or digital.

Graphic design in editorial and publishing includes designing covers for magazines and books, designing typography and defining the hierarchy of the text within the publication. It also involves designing the layout of the page.

Some designers may specialize in only one type of publication.

Graphic design examples for editorial and publishing

• Cover design for magazines and books (printed and digital)
• Create custom illustrations and infographics to be used in print and digital publications, such as magazines, books, and brochures.
• Designing typography and typesetting – adjusting line spacing, paragraph indentation, and text alignment to ensure the readability of text.

Key skills

The following skills are required for graphic design in editorial and publishing:

• Typography and typesetting are two areas of expertise.
• Knowledge of page layout, composition and design principles.
• Understanding the production of books and prints (if you work in print).
• Expertise in Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress and Affinity Publisher.
• Illustration (if you are creating a cover).

Job Titles

• Book designer
• Layout artist/layout designer
• Editorial designer
• Publication designer

Environmental Graphic Design

The design of physical space is called environmental graphic design. Previously, this types of graphic design was called “architectural signs” which gives you a clue about what it is.

Environmental graphic design has two goals: to help people find their way and to connect them with the places and experiences they are visiting.

Environmental graphic designers are responsible for designing shopfronts and signs. They may also be in charge of designing signage systems and wayfinding systems to help people navigate a building or a space.

Environmental graphic design examples

• Signs and storefronts
• Murals
• Branded displays and stands for department stores
• Museums and exhibitions
• Signage systems that help people navigate.
• Designing public transport systems

Key skills

The combination of graphic design with architectural design is required for environmental graphic design. The most important skills are:

• Expertise in signage and wayfinding design.
• Knowledge of the regulations and standards governing accessibility in physical spaces.
• Branding and visual identity is a key skill.
• Understanding architectural design concepts, such as space, lighting, and different materials.

Job Titles

• Environmental graphic designer
• Wayfinding designer
• Exhibition designer

Motion design and Animation

This types of graphics design is part of digital graphic design. Graphic design is usually static, but motion design and animation are all about creating dynamic visual effects and moving graphics.

Animations and motion graphics are used across a wide range of digital media, from websites to video tutorials and social media posts. They can also be found in games, advertisements, and adverts. Motion design is often all about connecting with an audience and delivering a message as engagingly as possible.

Motion design and Animation Examples

• Create animated icons, logos and other moving graphics on websites.
• Character animation and illustration for films and games.
• Designing animated data visualizations and infographics that can convey complex information to the audience engagingly and memorably.

Key skills

To work in motion design or animation, you need to have the following knowledge and skills:

• Basic graphic design principles and skills, including colour theory and typography.
• Animation is based on core principles such as timing, anticipation and staging.
• Storytelling is the art of telling a story.
• Adobe After Effects and Adobe Animate are examples of specialist software.

Job Titles

• Motion graphics designer
• Animator
• 3D animation
• Visual effects (VFX), artist

How to get started in graphic design

This concludes our overview of different types of graphic design. You can see that graphic design is a wide and diverse field, offering many unique career opportunities.

Start by learning the basics if you are new to graphic design. After you have mastered the basics and gained some experience, you can begin to consider where you want to specialize.

Add relevant projects to your portfolio in the field you wish to enter, and student’s portfolio can provide you with inspiration and insight.

Remember: you don’t have to limit yourself to one type of design. Do not be afraid to try out different types of graphics design. You can gain experience by trying them all before settling on one. After you have mastered the basics, the whole world is at your fingertips!