Why is Graphic Design important to Web Design?

There are many pitfalls for anyone seeking to have a website developed. Your website is part of your “brand” and is usually the first impression that a prospective client, fan, or recording label has of you and your brand. Thus, a properly designed website must go beyond coding, beyond the friend of a friend who says they develop websites, or the one person operations that hangs a “design shingle” on their front porch.

Graphic design must play a fundamental part of any web design. It not only is the creative spirit of your site but is critical to the overall branding strategy of a product, business or recording artist. Graphic Design encompasses everything from back ground images, banners and button controls to color scheme, text style, and graphics.

An ideal graphic design can give a huge boost to your website by increasing its visual appeal, professionalism, brand value and usability.

Visual appeal is vital to web design because it promotes communication of ideas to your viewers by stimulating aesthetic senses and increasing a feeling of connection.

Effective graphic design also lends an air of professionalism to your site. Visitors are more likely to consider your content worthy of reading if the overall website gives an appearance of authority on the subject.

Finally, good graphic design increases the usability of your site. Web visitors often have little patience for complex or confusing sites and will move on fairly quickly. You can encourage viewers to stay on your site by using graphic design to keep navigation simple, making sure your graphics are content appropriate, and choosing eye-pleasing colors and text styles.

Who you want to be?

The spectrum of job titles associated with web design can be mindboggling. Let's examine these roles and take some of the confusion out of determining who you wnated to be.

Graphic Designer - A graphic designer creates graphics primarily used in corporate identity (branding) and advertising. This may include designing logos, brochures, signage and advertising pieces in newspapers and magazines. In electronic media like the Internet, a graphic designer might create a template defining the look and feel of a website.

Web Designer - Web designers actually build the website, creating the pages and navigation. They may design their own graphics and layout for the site or work from a design concept created by a graphic designer, A web designer should have a thorough understanding of the basic web programming languages, web standards and usability.

Web Developer - Developers do the hard stuff that no else wants to do. They write code and setup software when a site needs complex features and advanced functionality. Their technical skills exceed those of a web designer and are far more knowledgeable about subjects like site security, e-commerce and database management.

In summary, a graphic designer and web designer play different but complimentary roles in the process of building a web site. The graphic designer creates a visual look, the web designer adapts that look to the pages as they build the site. A developer comes in when a site needs advanced features.

Here's where it gets confusing...

Sometimes people in the web business like to wear more than one hat.

A lot graphic designers also consider themselves web designers. The problem is that many only dabble in web design and have skill sets which are outdated and inadequate for complex web projects.

Web designers and developers who can build sites with amazing functionality don't always have the skills to make them attractive and visually engaging. Rather than bring in a graphic designer, they rely on templates and end up with a portfolio where every project has the same generic look.

And most dangerous of all... some web designers take on projects far beyond their skill level that only a developer should handle.

Compiled by Sumant Jogdand

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