4.0- Transition of graphic design to digital age

In this digital world where technology greatly evolved, where does graphic design stand?

In the case of 'Her', graphic design sets the theme for the user interface.

Upon researching on this topic, I stumbled upon the term graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI  includes elements such as windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scroll bars and iconic images . Before the existence of GUI, interactive user interface in computers consisted solely of text aka command-line interface (CLI) (TechTarget.com, 2006).

 CLI

As new technologies surface, the field of design has been broken down into more specific categories. DesignationBlog (2015) refers user interface design (UI), user experience design (UX) and graphic design (GD) as three similar but different kinds of design. UI design pertains to the design of interactive elements, and as such lives almost exclusively in digital media, such as on a computer, tablet or smartphone. While UX designers perform usability/pain point analysis to determine if the product is producing the desired result. If not, refinements and revisions are made based on user data to make the end result better and more efficient. GD on the other hand concerns more about aesthetics (colour, images, logo). They might looks pretty different from one another after thorough dissection in definition, but the common point they all share is solving problem using visual communication.

Below are some example that shows how the principles in GD are intertwined with UI design:

 

(Fadeyev, D. 2008)

The usage of colour to navigate user's attention.

 

(Fadeyev, D. 2008)

 The usage of contrast to manage focus on a website.

  

 

Possible thesis statement: 

1. Graphic design is not completely obsolete in the digital world.
2. Graphic design can relate to user interface.

References:

DesignationBlog, (2015). UX vs. UI vs. Graphic Design: Three Different Kinds of Design. [online] Available at: http://designation.io/blog/ux-vs-ui-vs-graphic-design-three-different-kinds-of-design/ [Accessed 28 June 2016]

TechTarget.com, (2006). GUI (Graphical user interface). [online] Available at: http://searchwindevelopment.techtarget.com/definition/GUI [Accessed 28 June 2016]

Fadeyev, D. (2008). 10 Useful Techniques To Improve Your User Interface Designs. [image] Available at: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/12/10-useful-techniques-to-improve-your-user-interface-designs/ [Accessed 28 June 2016]