We explain what design is and what its characteristics are. Also, what is graphic, industrial and architectural design.
What is Design?
The word design has a very wide range of definitions, since it is applied to many areas of human knowledge in a more or less differentiated way. However, by design we generally refer to a process of mental foreshadowing, that is, of creative planning, in which the solution is pursued for some trouble concrete, especially in the context of engineering, industry, the architecture, the communication and others disciplines related.
Broadly speaking, design is nothing more than the imagination of an object, that is, its conception taking into account aspects such as shape, appearance, functionality, operability and its useful life. Designers, therefore, do nothing more than create physical objects, graphic or of any other nature, that serve a specific and established purpose in advance. For example, an industrial designer may prefigure pieces of machinery for automobiles, or more efficient forms of plumbing, while others may dedicate themselves to creating furniture, toys, telephones, and so on.
Design as an autonomous discipline plays a vital role in the contemporary world, to such an extent that it has been assimilated into practically all areas of human endeavor, and is among the most demanded study careers internationally.
Design features
A designer is a person who has trained his creativity focusing it towards more pragmatic aspects, so that it can offer solutions adapted to the problem it faces. For this reason, design as a discipline is usually a bit general, a set of knowledge applicable to various fields of work, but which makes use of geometry, arithmetic, logic, illustration, marketing, the sociology or computing for a process which, fundamentally, comprises the following stages:
- Observation Y analysis. Since the need for design arises from the daily life of the human being.
- Planning and projection. Proposing a way to solve the detected need.
- Construction and execution. Leading to reality what was projected and subjecting it to the test of its operation.
The graphic design
This is perhaps one of the most popular branches of design today, given the visual aspect that predominates in the culture contemporary. It is about the creation and projection of graphic objects: illustrations, compositions, logos, images, fonts, etc., used in various industries and Mass Media, attending to aesthetic, communicational and symbolic aspects.
This branch of design has, in turn, segments applied to various fields of interest, such as:
- Editorial design. He specializes in graphic work of layout and preparation of covers for books, magazines and other printed publications.
- The advertising design. He specializes in the creative work behind the advertising and the marketing of products Y services from consumption, thus creating advertisements, advertisements or commercial illustrations.
- The corporate design. He specializes in creating business graphic motifs such as logos, packaging and illustrations that reflect the corporate identity of a company. business or organization.
- Web design. He specializes in the design aspects of Internet and to the 2.0 world, which is why he often ventures into the audiovisual and interactive, even making use of knowledge of the computing and the programming.
Industrial design
Industrial design pays attention to the shape, use and lifespan of objects.
This is a branch of design that deals with conceiving serial and / or industrial products, that is, consumer or capital goods. Paying attention to the shape, use and lifespan of objects, it seeks to maximize their functionality and make them better, more satisfying to the public. consumer. In this sense, the industrial designer is dedicated to:
- Automotive design. Or car or parts for them.
- Aeronautical design. Or planes and ships or parts for them.
- Furniture design. Or furniture and shelves or parts for them.
- Product design. Which can be household appliances, ceramics, glass, plastics, etc.
- Toys design. Or spare parts for them.
- Design of machinery and equipment. With various manufacturing or productive purposes.
Due to the complexity of these processes, industrial design tends to require knowledge very specialized in terms of materials, machinery and services, who want from their study throughout a university career.
Architectural design
It is a type of design focused on satisfying the specific needs of human habitable spaces, whether in its aesthetic or technological aspect. That is, it provides technical and constructive solutions for the exercise of architecture, of which it serves as a subsidiary discipline. Arguably, architectural design deals with the creative aspect of architecture.
Fashion design
The creation of outfits, clothing, accessories, footwear, jewelry and other objects of ornamental or functional use for the human being It is the field of specialization of fashion design. He applies his creativity to the understanding and management of cultural, aesthetic, social and consumer trends of a certain time in a certain place, at the service of the style and ingenuity of its creator. It differs from cutting and sewing in the latter: in its artistic aspect, far from the mere profession of making a garment.
Fashion designers play an important role in the fashion industry, often exhibiting their designs at catwalk shows, where various Models they wear their garments before an attending public. Fashion is, in that sense, one of the main cultural expressions of various human cultures, and they play a prominent role in the preservation and transmission of moral and social values and ways of life.