What is Graphic Design?

I showed these two videos to Foundation Diploma students this year who were unsure what the difference between Graphic Design, Interactive Media and Media Production is. This might seem very obvious to certain individuals, but very confusing for others. Essentially, at Art and Design MCAST, Graphic Design involves some illustration, web layouts, print, editorial and packaging as well as some animation. Interactive Media is all of this - but minus the illustration part, web includes development and code, and print, editorial and packaging are replaced by 3d, flash, programming and some editing.

Media Production is something else entirely - this involves the process of script writing, filming, editing, post-production etc... Some students were even confused as to how Graphic Design is different from Fine Arts. The most basic difference is that in Fine Arts you have no client - so in a sense you are much more free to do whatever you like. Anyway - here are two excellent videos from Vimeo which clearly explain what Graphic Design is, and how it is perceived.

what is graphic design from Steve Quinn on Vimeo.


What is graphic design? from Design Council on Vimeo.