The field of graphic design is one that is primarily driven by visual elements that combine creativity and communication. Most people tend to assume that graphic designers only focus on visual media, but there’s more to graphic design. Written communication is crucial to being a successful designer. In order to maintain client relations, pitch ideas and complete projects, designers must be proficient in creating proposals, design briefs, project documentation, etc.
Creative directors / Design team members/ colleagues
Marketing & sales teams
Vendors / printers
The general public / target users
Genres
Project Proposals
Are essentially outlines of planned design/ project directed towards your client. The main goal is to pitch a creative solution that meets your client’s needs and receive approval . It should be a clear and persuasive document.
Small, folded physical booklets (can also be digital). They contain concise yet informative content & visuals with the goal of persuading or promoting somehting (product, event, service,etc).
Brochures
Creative Briefs
Come into play after a successful project proposal. They are design planning documents which aim to outline key information and expectataions of the client. In short, they help to keep everyone on the same page about a project.
Social Media Graphics
Visual-based designs that gain viewer’s attention, communicate a message & encourages engagement. These graphics are used on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, etc.
Rhetorical & Stylistic Guidelines
Writing in graphic design can feel a little complex and overwhelming sometimes. A lot of the time, we designers have to achieve a sense of balance in both the visual elements and writing of within our projects.
When it comes to thetorical guidlines, writing must have:
Purpose: It should inform, describe and/or persuade the audience of something.
Tone & formality: This is based on the mood & personality of the design or brand.
Credibility: This is established with proper grammar, jargon and use of official sources.
Clarity, Conciseness & Cosistency: Writing should be clear and fairly straight to the point. It should also be consistent throughout the entire design (both in tone and style).
An example of the stylistic guidelines in an identity brief:
Conventions & Citation Systems
Like most aspects of the creative community, graphic designers take citing of sources and giving credit to others very serisously. So keep that in mind Use copyright notices when apropriately crediting outside sources (images, fonts, other design elements). When it comes to formal writing, use APA or Chicago Manual syle used to cite information.
Correctly citing sources can be a bit tricky but taking advantage of online citation generators and tools can save you a lot of time and trouble.
But just in case you wanted to know the basic citation formats we designers use, I’ve included a few below.
Copyright notice for American Institute of Graphic Arts:
Chicago Manual style for citing visual elements:
Artist’s/Designer’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Work.Year [Medium]. Source or Website URL.Accessed Month Day, Year.
APA Style for citing typefaces & fonts:
Font Designer’s Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of font (Version) [Font]. Foundry or Website. URL
Recommendations
If there’s one thing I learned from stepping into the world of graphic design, it’s that you’ve really got to enjoy what you do. Now, of course that can be said for all jobs but it is truly important for creatives. In order to put your best work forward, thrive and grow in the field, you need to have passion and drive.
My best advice for producing top-notch writing as a designer is:
- To understand your audience & tailor your writing to their needs.
- You need to be clear & concise in order to maintain the understanding and attention of your audience (don’t confuse or bore them).
- Lastly, make sure that you achieve equilibrium between your visual elements/designs and the written aspects (I’m sure your designs are great but don’t let them overwhelm everything else).
Another piece of general advice from me:
Don’t fear failure, embrace it! The best artist and graphic designers create multiple iterations of the same designs before achieving the final, it’s all part of the creative process. If you’re too scared to try anything new you’ll only hold yourself back. So try new processes, methods & designs and welcome feedback and change with open arms!
