graphic design essay titles

Graphic Design Essay Topics

Graphic design has grown into a popular discipline which attracts individuals who are innovative and creative. The field of graphic design has expanded to include typography and industrial design. The graphic designer must be able to engage their audience through their work and ideas which should be interesting and useful. Graphic design inspires spontaneity and the ability to identify unique and creative ideas for the project that you are working on. Writing about graphic designer can give you a foot on the ladder with regards to developing creative and innovative ideas. When identifying an essay topic it is important that you choose a topic which is relevant and interesting to you. Your focus and aims should remain strong and clear throughout the project. Subdivisions of topics on graphic design can be seen below:

General Graphic Design Topics

Graphic design and digital technology, graphic design and business, culture, identity and graphic design, graphic design and marketing, graphic design and visual communications.

The field of graphic design continues to grow with more organisations wanting the use of graphic design within their offices, business, and advertising strategies. Graphic design should be able to grasp the attention of the intended audience so that there can be a sense of aesthetic appreciation. There are a great many influences in the field of graphic design, and it is important that you can choose a topic which will engage both yourself and the reader to show the potential of the further development of the field. Importantly, there are different sections within graphic design which can be further enhanced through technology. Some examples are identified below:

• What is graphic design?
• Is graphic design about the relationship of form and communications?
• What have the recent trends in graphic design been?
• What have been the main stages of development of graphic design?
• What are the factors that influence graphic design?
• What impact does a graphic designer have on their field?
• What are the principles of graphic design?
• How has graphic design evolved in the 20 th century?
• Are there similarities between graphic design and contemporary photographic theory?
• How are colours important in graphic design?
• Compare the similarities between the tools used by graphic designers and those used by conventional photographers.
• Does a graphic design require a passion for art?
• What qualities should a professional graphic designer possess?

While there have been many challenges with the advent of technology in the digital era, graphic design has been one field which has had the ability to change according to the environment and the development of technologies. The tools which were once important to the industry have been further developed and enhanced to be more specific to the goals of projects. The use of technology should be embraced in the graphic design industry and these developments should keep advancing. Below are some titles associated with graphic design and digital technology.

• How has new technology influenced the role of graphic design?
• What role does graphic design play in social media?
• How have the tools of graphic design changed?
• How has the evolution of computer graphics in the 20 th century influenced graphic design?
• What role does graphic design play in web design development?
• How have typefaces and print styles changed in the digital age?
• What are the different forms of media that can be used in graphic design?
• How have computers helped graphic design evolve?
• Is there still a role for traditional graphic design in the digital age?

Graphic design has become an important industry for the business environment. Here the industry cannot only advance, but it can also play a role in the advancement in the business environment. Below are some topics for this section.

• Is graphic design important to the success of a company?
• How can graphic design generate revenue?
• How important are appealing designs and attractive packaging to the consumer?
• How can graphics change a corporate identity?
• What difference can graphic design make to a company?
• How important are logos created through graphic design to business?

Culture and identity play a rule in the wider field of graphic design. Sometimes graphic design is dictated to by culture and identity and it is important to know why. Gender has also a role to play within graphic design and the influence of the capability of one gender over another. Below are some examples.

• Are there identifiable differences in the styles of male and female designers?
• Evaluate the impact of a graphic designer (male or female) in the field of graphic design.
• What are the main approaches used by male and female graphic designers?
• Can graphic design be used as a tool for women to be successful in this industry?
• Identify the role of women in graphic design.
• Are women any closer to have equal opportunities in leadership in graphic design?

The use of marketing has become a platform for many organisations to brand and promote their products. Graphic design can greatly influence this process. Some suggestions are identified below.

• How do customers remember the brand?
• What role does graphic design play in social media marketing?
• How can industry utilise the role of graphic design?
• How can graph design create brand loyal customers?
• How can graphic design successfully implement an advertising campaign through is graphics?
• How have different advertisements attracted people over the last 50 years?
• What impact does graphic design have on marketing strategies?
• How important is the role of graphic design in advertising?
• Can graphic design incorporate subliminal messages into marketing?

Being able to visually communicate with the audience is a significant part of graphic design. How graphic design is perceived is necessary to the clear message it presents, and this is often done visually. Here we can see some examples.

• How can graphic design influence visual communications?
• Does graphic design play an important role in government propaganda?
• What is the impact of visual information to service design?
• Can trends in graphic design be produced in the design of articles in popular magazines?
• What role does colour play in graphic design?
• Can meaning be enhanced through visual imaging?

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Graphic Essays and Comics

Overview   |   Recommended Software   |   Student-Made Examples   |   Other Examples   |   Instructional Video

A graphic essay (sometimes called a visual essay) uses a combination of text and images to explore a specific topic. Graphic essays can look like comics, graphic novels, magazines, collages, artist books, textbooks, or even websites. Graphic essays often first take the form of written essays and then have graphic elements added to enrich the reader experience. Unlike infographics, which also combine text and images, graphic essays are often more text-based and usually have a narrative arc or specific reading order.

Comics are a genre used to express ideas through images combined with text or other visual information. Comics can take the form of a single panel or a series of juxtaposed panels of images, sometimes called a strip. Text is conveyed via captions below the panel(s), or speech bubbles and onomatopoeias within the panel(s), to indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. Graphic novels are often considered to be a longer form of comics, typically in book form.

A web-based graphic essay can take the form of a blog or a single page website, such as a Microsoft Sway page or an interactive Prezi. For Microsoft Sway and Prezi graphic essays, see the examples below. If you are creating a blog we recommend visiting the Web-Based Projects page .

Graphic Essay Design Tip: Graphic essays can take many forms, so we recommend being creative within the scope of your project! Get some help from DesignLab to brainstorm options and talk through the various tools available!

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Recommended Software

There are many different software programs that can be used to create graphic essays. Below is a list of the software that we recommend for making a graphic essay. We organized the software by category and put the software from top to bottom from best to worst. We recommend using a software you know well or learning the software well enough to establish an easy workflow, so you can spend less time troubleshooting and spend more time on your project. Check out our Software Support page for links to tutorials for all of these programs.

General Graphic Essay Software

Web-Based Graphic Essay Software

Comic-Specific Graphic Essay Software

Student-Made Examples

Print style graphic essay.

Becoming a Witness by Jessica Posnock

Creative Graphic Essay

Virtual Communication by Max Hautala   *Award Winning*

Curb Magazine (2012) by Journalism 417

Web-Based (Magazine) Graphic Essay

Curb Magazine (Current) by Journalism 417

Web-Based (Sway) Graphic Essay

Language Influences Culture, Thoughts, and Identity by Kristen Luckow   *Award Winning*

Dyslexia by Maria Swanke *Award Winning*

Other Examples

Web-based (blog) graphic essay.

Switch It Up: Graphic Essay by Amanda Zieba

Graphic Novel

Graphic Novels in the Classroom by Gene Yang

Instructional Video