Week 1 Page 2: Why Graphic Design is Important
Why Is Graphic Design So Important to Screen Design?
The focus of this course is to teach basic design rules and techniques that can be applied to screen design. As a first step, it's important to consider what important contributions a person with graphic design skills can make to a successful site or digital layout.
Graphic design is an essential aspect of screen design. While programmers and coders make a site or app functional, designers make a web site understandable. Their role is to organize the content so that it is visually appealing, professional-looking, and easy for site visitors to interpret. Let's look at these aspects in more detail:
Visual appeal and professionalism: The fierce competition on the World Wide Web makes it essential for a site to attract and keep its visitors. Research has shown that site visitors form an impression about a web site in 1/20th of a second. With only a split second to catch viewers' attention, a site needs to be eye-catching and professional-looking in order to stand out from its competitors. This is where a graphic designer's skills come into play.
Interface design: A site needs to be user-friendly in order to retain its visitors and keep them coming back. Designers know how to visually organize content and structure to make a site easy for visitors to interpret and use.
Designing a successful, visually-appealing site is not a simple task. It involves intensive brainstorming, planning, research and communication. As Jason Beaird says in your textbook, The Principles of Beautiful Web Design:
"If you're spending time developing a web site, you should take time to design it"
Here's an interesting article about a research study to find out how quickly site visitors form an impression about a web site: