It’s likely that you already know that every industry has its own vocabulary––it’s like a language only they can understand. By having a terminology distinct to each industry, it’s a way that workers can effectively communicate with one another and ensure their projects meet the correct execution of the project.
Design certainly falls into this category as a specialization that has its own language and terminology. For those who aren’t in the graphic design industry, it’s a little bewildering when they hear graphic design terminology being thrown around. Although it’s not necessary to become fluent in graphic design, it can be helpful to know the essentials regardless of what industry you’re in.
Whether you’re working with an in-house designer, in another field that may potentially cross with graphic designers or simply someone interested in graphic design, there are some graphic design words everyone should know. Let’s take a look at how you can speak designer.
Design: How it Looks
Balance
Balance is ensuring that the design elements are placed so that the text and graphic design elements are evenly distributed. Designers use different methods to execute this; symmetrically, asymmetrically, and radially.
- Symmetrical: When all of the design elements are equal on both sides of a central line.
- Asymmetrical: When the text and graphics are not equal on both sides of a central line.
- Radial: When elements radiate from a central point to create balance.
Composition
When designers refer to composition, they’re generally referring to the arrangement of design elements that work to form a whole image. When you look at designs, you’re rarely looking at just one thing; you’re looking at a variety of elements that are combined together to create an overall image. Composition is exactly that; it’s the number of different visual design elements that are created and arranged together in the perfect way to create the design.
Rule of thirds
The rule of thirds is when a designer uses a grid of three rows and columns. Where the lines converge are the focal points. Designers then use the focal point to determine where to play the most important design elements.
Alignment
Alignment is the way that design elements such as text or images are lined up or arranged. They could be left, right, center, etc.
Proximity
Proximity refers to how close or far apart design elements are from one another. Usually, great designs will have design elements that are similar grouped together.
White space
This is sometimes referred to as negative space, and is simply the part of the design that doesn’t have any imagery or text.
Typography: The Letters
Copy: This is the text used for a design or website.
Script: Fonts that are based on historical or modern handwriting styles. These are typically more fluid than other traditional typefaces.
Serifs: The serifs are the small curves, lines, and the ‘feet’ that are sometimes added to the ends of strokes on letters.
Sans-serif Font: Since sans means “without,” sans-serif font is when letters don’t have serifs.
Orphans: A single word or short line that’s located at the end of a paragraph or the beginning of a column or page. It’s typically separated from the rest of the text.
Widows: Similar to orphans, widows are a paragraph ending line that’s at the beginning of the following page or column. It’s similar to the orphan in the way that it’s separated from the rest of the text. It can also be located at the beginning of a new paragraph that starts at the bottom of a column or page.
Lorum Ipsum: Dummy text used as a placeholder until the copy is put in.
File Formats: How it’s Exported
The difference between vector and raster graphics
Vector graphics are smaller graphics that are able to be enlarged without losing their quality. Think of these as billboards or business cards. Raster graphics, on the other hand, are designs that use pixels on a grid and each pixel has an assigned color value. Typically designers use raster graphics when they want to assign special effects, manipulate photos, or assign color correlation. These images can be enlarged without losing quality.
AI: This is an Adobe Illustrator file, used to represent single page vector designs. This file format was developed by Adobe Systems
PDF: A portable document format which was also developed by Adobe. It can be universally downloaded and is able to be opened and viewed by any computer, regardless of the type. Usually designers use this format when sharing previews of designs to clients.
GIF: A GIF, or Graphics Interchange Format, is a raster file format. This is used for animation and transparency purposes. GIFs always have very small file sizes since they are only able to display up to 256 colors.
PNG: PNG, also known as Portable Network Graphics, is a file format that doesn’t lose its quality when it’s compressed.
Web: The Website
Landing page: The section of any website where customers are sent after clicking on search results or digital ads linked. There can either be a single landing page for a website or multiple.
SEO: Search Engine Optimization is the design of a website or webpage (more commonly the precise copy that is on it) tailored to enhance the site’s ranking on search engines. Ultimately, this is to drive more traffic to the website or webpage.
Metadata: Metadata is a short description containing information about an item’s content, such as an image.
Conclusion
Understanding basic graphic design terminology can be incredibly valuable, regardless of your industry or level of experience.
While you don’t need to be an expert, familiarizing yourself with key concepts like balance, typography, file formats, and web design can make collaborating with designers smoother and more efficient.
Whether you’re working on a creative project, reviewing marketing materials, or simply expanding your knowledge, knowing these terms will help you communicate ideas more effectively and appreciate the thought and strategy behind great design.
So next time you find yourself in a conversation with a graphic designer, you’ll be able to speak their language with confidence!