Do I need a Graphic or a Web designer?

Published by Peet van Niekerk on 18th October 2019

What is Web Design?

Web Design consists of many different skills and disciplines in the production and maintenance of websites. The different areas of web design include various graphic elements; user interface design (UI); authoring, standardized code and proprietary software; user experience design (UX); and search engine optimization (SEO). Often many individuals will work in teams covering different aspects of the design process, although some designers will cover them all.

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic Design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving using one or more of typography, photography, and illustration. The field is considered a subset of visual communication and communication design, but sometimes the term “Graphic Design” is used synonymously.

Graphic designers create and combine symbols, images, and text to form visual representations of ideas and messages. We use type, visual ideas and page layout techniques to create visual compositions. The biggest difference really comes in where some designers can also Code and some can’t. Whereas in Web Design some Coders can Design…but most can’t. NO REALLY. I’ve been there.

The Difference is the Platform

The main difference between Graphic Designers and web designers is the platform. Graphic Design can be applied in either Print or Online Media. Web Design is well…mostly web. Print and Online both have their limitations and variations. However, Graphic Designers come with a lot more freedom than a Web Designer does. Web Design professionals must balance good design with speed and efficiency for the web. There are some professionals out there that are accomplished at both, but it is rare that they are masterful since they tend to have more strengths in one or the other.

1. Visual elements

Colours.

The colour mode used for Graphic Design and Web Design are completely different. For printing, Graphic Design usually uses CMYK colour mode. The colour use on Graphic Design is more focused on visual impact and visual flow guidance (at this point like the design of the BANNER in Web Design), whereas Web Design uses RGB, which is a “Screen colour” – and sadly, what’s on screen won’t print the same.

Fonts.

Usually, in the design process, the choice of font is more flexible in Graphic Design because it’s not necessary to worry about the implementation of the final effect. All the text will eventually output for the graphics printing. Web designers however need to take many more things into consideration. It only has a small scope of fonts available, in order to avoid the pressure on the server by the output. Due to the characteristics of HTML, all fonts are based on the default font of user’s operating system. With the development of technology, this gap has gradually narrowed. A safe bet is usually just using Google Fonts. Google Fonts is a library of 952 free licensed fonts, an interactive web directory for browsing the library, and APIs (Application Programming Interface) for conveniently using the fonts via CSS and Android.

In Closing

Web Designer:

It used to be that Web Designers were the people who could design and produce websites. In recent times however (Hallo Wix and WordPress) somehow the middle (a basic understanding of the Design) is being skipped, and instead the use of templates is on this rise. These seem to be ignoring the fact that you need to understand the medium / THE CLIENT. A template used for a Labrador breeding company will not work for representing a Financial Advisor! Thanks to this burst of DIY “Tools”, every website is starting to look like the next website. This is increasing the need for a Graphic Designer to determine what it should look like first and then the Web Designer to ensure it comes out as planned.

Required skills: JavaScript, Jquery, PHP, web application development, UI design

Graphic Designer:

To achieve the creation purpose, the graphic designers usually get focused on some professional skills. Such as font layout, visual art, page (page layout) and other aspects. However, it’s NOT just visually where a Graphic Designer needs to shine. It is their Job to make sure the Brand is Unique in its own attributes, visually appealing to its specific target market but above all has the longevity to withstand becoming “just another”. Yes, it boils down to the Owner / Client (seeing it’s their business) but design should never ever be seen as an Add to Cart / Checkout Transaction”

Required Skills: Adobe Creative Suite – Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Adobe XD, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, typesetting, concept development, marketing material, HTML, CSS and Maybe some Javascript

Good News.

We can do Both and We have both a Graphic Designer and Web Designer. Above all, we have what seems to be hard to find these days – Someone who has passion for the medium, which means you won’t be seen as just another client. We want you to grow. Need you to, cause if you don’t…we don’t.