GRAPHIC DESIGN TERMINOLOGY YOU NEED TO KNOW
We've all been there, whether starting a new job or collaborating with professionals in an unfamiliar industry, encountering terminology you don’t understand can be super frustrating. And looking up definitions isn’t always helpful if they’re not from the perspective of your specific niche. So, whether you’re a graphic designer just starting out, or someone who works with designers on a regular basis, knowing what seasoned graphic designers mean by these specific terms will add a ton of clarity and confidence to your professional relationships. Revealed in this article are the insider, industry-specific definitions for the top 27 most misunderstood terms in graphic design.
Revealed in this article are the insider, industry-specific definitions for the top 27 most misunderstood terms in graphic design.
BRAND
A brand is the public's perceived image of a specific company or product, which is often carefully crafted to be unique, authentic, and memorable. Various factors such as brand voice, brand identity, and brand positioning play a significant role in molding this perception. It is crucial to understand that while a company can shape their brand perception, it is ultimately determined by the gut feeling of consumers on an emotional level as they experience the touchpoints associated with a company’s products and services. Some companies exist as a collection of brands, each with their own unique identity.
BRAND IDENTITY
Brand identity encompasses the visual representation and messaging used to convey a brand’s personality, story, voice, products, and services, ultimately setting themselves apart from competitors. Brand Identity goes beyond a mere logo and includes a range of communication and design assets that serve as crucial tools in identifying and differentiating the brand in the eyes of consumers.
VISUAL IDENTITY
Visual identity serves as a powerful means for brands to visually express their personality, values, and mission, distinguishing itself in the eyes of its target market. It encompasses elements such as the brand's logo, typography, color palette, photography style, patterns, layouts, icons, and illustrations, all working together to create a cohesive and distinctive brand image.
LOGO
A logo is a visual symbol or graphic mark that represents a brand, identifying its values, personality, and voice. Great logos are often unique, authentic and memorable, helping to distinguish the brand from its competitors and form a lasting impression on its audience.
LOGO MARK
A logo mark refers specifically to the visual symbol or icon within a logo design, often a simple and distinctive visual element that can be used independently of any typography to represent a brand.
WORD MARK
A word mark is a typographic logo that consists of the brand name. It focuses on unique and stylized letterforms to convey the brand's identity and establish visual recognition.
ICON SET
An icon set is a collection of small symbols that communicate specific meanings, facilitating easy navigation of websites, apps, or print layouts. Icon sets for brands are designed to be a visually cohesive element of their overall brand identity package.
LOCKUPS
Part of a final logo package is one main logo lockup and at least 2-3 alternate lockups. A lockup is simply the elements of your logo (text and mark) “locked up” together in a specific configuration (I.e. horizontally stacked, vertically stacked, badge, and more).
COLORWAYS
Another part of the final deliverables is your logo in a variety of colorways. At least 2 colorways (adjusted for a light and dark background) should be included in any final logo design package.
CONCEPT
A concept is an initial design option presented by a graphic designer to gather feedback from the client or creative director. Usually the amount of concepts for a project is defined at the beginning within the project scope. It’s common for graphic design projects to include 2-4 initial concepts, although more concepts are sometimes part of large projects with significant budgets.
REVISION
A revision is a round of modifications made to a design based on feedback or desired changes. It involves refining or adjusting elements to align with the client's vision and goals. Revisions are often done in rounds, so all points of feedback are collected at one time to be implemented for a subsequent wave of feedback or approval. Designers often charge a higher rate for a redesign than a revision. A redesign is anytime parts of a project have to be restarted with new information, different from the initial direction given by a client or creative director.
SPATIAL BRANDING
Spatial Branding involves the strategic design and implementation of a brand's identity and messaging within physical spaces, such as work spaces, coffee shops, retail spaces or church lobbies. It creates immersive environments that reinforce the brand experience and connect with the audience on an experiential, sensory level.
FEATURE WALL
A feature wall is a visually prominent and distinctive wall within an interior space that is intentionally designed to communicate a vision or create a focal point. Finely crafted to be cohesive with a brand’s visual identity and tone of voice, feature walls often consist of hand painted murals, vinyl decals, unique finishes, and/or bold typography. Establishing a meaningful focal point of this kind can activate a space, create an immersive environment, and inspire connections.
VECTOR (OR VECTOR FILE)
A vector is a graphically represented line, defined by mathematically specific points, curvatures and colors. Unlike raster files (which are made up of grids of colorized pixels), vector files are editable and can be scaled infinitely without losing quality, making them ideal for logos and designs that will be printed in large-scale, like banners and signage. Common types of vector files are AI (adobe illustrator), SVG (Scalable Vector Graphic), and EPS (Encapsulated PostScript).
TYPEFACE
A typeface refers to a specific design of a set of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols, that share consistent visual characteristics. Most typefaces include a variety of fonts within their family. (i.e. Helvetica is a typeface, while Helvetica Bold Italic is a font).
FONT
A font is a specific style of typographic characters within a collection that makes up a typeface. It refers to the specific variation or format within a typeface family, such as bold, italic, or regular. (i.e. Helvetica is a typeface, while Helvetica Bold Italic is a font).
KERNING
Kerning is the adjustment of the spacing between individual characters in a word or text to achieve visual balance or improve legibility.
TRACKING
Tracking refers to the adjustment of the overall spacing between a group of characters or within a block of text. It involves uniform adjustment of the space between letters to enhance readability or achieve a desired aesthetics.
BLEED
Full Bleed refers to the extension of an image, color, or design element beyond the trim edge of a printed piece. Bleed ensures that there are no white borders around the design when trimmed, allowing for a seamless appearance.
CMYK, RGB & PANTONE
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black), RGB (Red, Green, Blue), and Pantone are color modes used in design. CMYK is primarily used for print, RGB for digital displays, and Pantone (also known as PMS) is a standardized color matching system used for consistent color reproduction in printing.
MODULAR
A modular design is a flexible system of components that can be combined and rearranged to create various layouts or configurations.
MONOLINE
Monoline refers to a design style characterized by the use of single-weight, uniform lines throughout an illustration or design. It creates a clean and minimalist style.
BADGE
A badge is a type of design that uses an enclosure of a specific shape, to collect typography and iconography in a combined stamp or emblem. Badge design is often used in branding to offer a nostalgic and classic lockup variation.
TYPOGRAPHY
Typography is the art and technique of arranging and designing typefaces to visually communicate written language. It involves selecting appropriate fonts, organizing text elements, and creating a harmonious and visually appealing composition of typographic characters.
COLLAGE
The collage style in graphic design is achieved using cut-out images and textures to create a layered, often retro-looking composition. Inspired by the creative expression of analog methods, it’s a flexible, less rigid approach to arranging elements of a design.
RESPONSIVE LOGO
A responsive logo is one that is adaptable and optimized for different settings (I.e. dark background v. light background or full size v. icon size). Often achieved by simplifying details or shifting colors, responsive logos create a more flexible, usable, and robust brand identity system.
TOUCHPOINT
A touchpoint refers to any interaction or point of contact between a brand and its audience. Brand touchpoints can include websites, physical spaces, signage, products, packaging, apparel, social media or anywhere a consumer encounters a representation of a brand.
AUTHOR
Hi! I'm Tiffany Kelly, owner of The Honest Pixel, an independent graphic design studio in Winter Garden, FL. I've been a creative professional all my adult life. I have a Master's Degree in architecture from RISD and over a decade of experience in graphic design. I've learned so much about design, freelance, and owning a business since starting The Honest Pixel in 2022.
I aim to be a trusted and authentic coach for other graphic designers, freelancers, or owners of small studios. I share honest tips and wisdom about things I'm putting into practice within my own business. My goal is to encourage and build up other creatives in a real way that broadens your community and impacts your success.
I aim to be a trusted and authentic coach for other graphic designers, freelancers, or owners of small studios. I share honest tips and wisdom about things I'm putting into practice within my own business. My goal is to encourage and build up other creatives in a real way that broadens your community and impacts your success.
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