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8 Graphic Design Projects Every Beginner Should Know About

Graphic design projects

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Understanding different types of graphic design projects for beginners.

The importance of graphic design projects in building a portfolio doesn’t need any kind of explanation. It is the primary thing that helps you to attract clients’ attention and bring uniqueness in your branding. Today, every company emphasizes heavily on creative graphic designs. They know its importance in the business representation, especially for those that are associated with the fashion industry.

Considering the high demand, many beginners want to move towards this field in a bid to make their careers successful. But unfortunately, only a few of them tend to achieve top names in it. The reason is that most of these people do not learn the art of graphic designing completely. Some people just tend to focus on logo designing, whereas some only think about web and UI designing.

Now, all of us know that the industry of graphic and web designing is evolving quite rapidly. It has now become crucial for us to keep our skills updated according to the latest market standards. Today, it is just not enough to learn one part of graphic designing. Instead, we have to evolve ourselves on multiple domains, so that we can grab the emerging opportunities quickly.

If you are also a beginner in graphic designing and want to learn a pathway to become professional, this article is precisely written for you. It will let you know about some specific graphic design project that can optimize your learning potential. Let’s first understand how big the scope of graphic designing is in the world.

The Wide Scope of Graphic Designing

Graphic designing

Graphic designing is a very broad term including multiple types of jobs depending on the requirements. Earlier, people only knew about this field with a tag of logo or banner designing. But, in the last couple of decades, things have changed greatly.

Today, many companies are offering graphic design services using a variety of tools and softwares. All of them are created to cater different types of functions. They have allowed graphic designers to work seamlessly without having any technical glitch. All they need to do is to just utilize their creativity to craft stunning designs that can grab eyeballs quickly.

The scope of graphic designing has tremendously evolved in the last few years. The emergence of UI and web designing has also paved a way for graphic designers to find work easily. That is the reason why every youngster knows about the importance of graphic designing, and hence want to make a career in it.

With the rise of freelancing, the demand for skilled graphic designers is also increasing in the world. Many businesses are frequently hiring freelance designers to handle their tons of projects. This shows how vast the scope of graphic designing has evolved in the world, encouraging every youngster to get attracted towards it.

Types of Graphic Design Projects for Beginners

Many youngsters are opting to become a graphic designer rightly due to its demand in the market. But many of them often face problems in becoming a top professional. There are many reasons involved in that, but the one most important among all is the lack of work knowledge.

It is therefore recommended to optimize your graphic designing learning according to the latest standards. You need to make sure that your skills are updated as per the emerging trends. It will allow you to work on any type of project regardless of difficulties in design and complexity.

To become a seasoned designer, you need to work on different types of graphic design projects. It will enhance your learning as well as enable you to get clients’ attention. Here are some of those areas where you should regularly avail graphic design projects.

Logo Design

Logo design

Every business knows about the importance of logo design. It is the primary source of their brand representation, allowing them to demonstrate a strong identity in the market. It is the major reason why every business wants to design a unique logo. They know how these logos encourage people to take interest in the products, as well as get converted towards it.

Considering the high demand of different types of logos , it has become a top freelancing source for many graphic designers. There are many marketplaces working on the internet where tons of graphic design projects related to logos are available for freelancers.

If you are looking to start your career as a graphic designer, tryout these logo projects. It will help you to know about the intrinsic details of logo designing, as how it should be completed starting from the scratch. You can learn how to design logos relating to different categories, increasing your own knowledge in the field.

Just like logo designing, there are also dozens of freelancing opportunities available in UI/UX designing . That is also one of those hot jobs that could help you to get connected with hundreds of clients. But, to do so, you need to have a sound knowledge of the cores of UI designing.

This process and method of UI design is totally different from the other graphic designing activities. It requires you to bring creativity in the website frontend that can attract the incoming traffic.

You can learn UI designing from tons of tutorials and other resources available on the internet. Many experts recommend YouTube as the best source to learn UI designing. It houses hundreds of tutorials aimed towards helping beginners to learn the art of UI designing.

Brochures / Flyers

Flyer design

Every marketer knows the importance of branding materials. They are primarily responsible to market any business strongly in the industry. It is the main reason why businesses always look for such designers who are well versed in creating quality branding elements such as brochures.

The usage of brochures comes really handy in tradeshows and other marketing events. Generally, companies distribute these brochures in those events to attract people’s attention. Therefore, they always want to get connected with those designers that can help them to create stunning brochure designs .

Being a freelancer, you can take these graphic design projects to enhance your professional portfolio. They are a bit different as compared to conventional banner designing. These brochures are designed with a mixed combination of content and graphical elements. As a designer, you need to learn principles of design and how to keep the balance between both, so that your brochure design can look great.

Icons are also termed very important for designing banners, logos, website content and more others. They are often designers with a custom style in order to assist any relevant design. This requires skilled expertise from a professional designer who knows how to create a font according to the design.

Today, you can find different types of freelancing opportunities available for creating masculine fonts . If you don’t have much idea about how to create them, take a look at the examples given on the internet. It will allow you to design creative fonts, precisely according to the modern standards.

YouTube Graphical Ads

Youtube ads

YouTube is undoubtedly the biggest online streaming platform in the world. It houses millions of videos relating from different categories. People from around the globe regularly visit YouTube to watch different types of videos . That is why its traffic just keeps on increasing with each passing day, making it the most popular video streaming global platform.

Considering this popularity, many marketers have started to target YouTube as a channel to attract clients. To do that, they need the services of a talented designer who can create engaging artwork for YouTube ads. This is a very high paid job that allows you to get connected with some of the top companies in the market.

You can create engaging videos and designs according to the brand requirements. This will be a great addition to your graphic design projects, giving your overall portfolio a stunning boost.

Infographics

Infographics are also becoming popular in the market due to their easy way of explaining things. They are used precisely to create designs that can help people to understand things quickly. But, the development of these infographics is not a straightforward process. It requires tactical knowledge on how to place different things in a single design, so that people can take a look at them all quickly.

You can find different types of infographics used by the marketers today. Most of them are built in a listicle manner, allowing people to notice various things quickly. As a designer, it brings a nice opportunity for you to enhance your graphic design projects portfolio by designing interactive infographics.

The good thing is that you can find many premade templates for designing infographics. Some of the websites like Freepik, Envato and more others are termed very good in this regard. These marketplaces will help you to find unique infographics templates, so that you can customize them easily with the relevant elements.

Banner design

Banners are also an important branding material due to their vast usage in marketing activities. They are used to grab people’ attention, rightly by displaying the best discount offers and product deals. You can find dozens of banner designing projects on marketplaces like Fiverr, Freelancer and more easily. Most of them are high paid, allowing you to build a strong graphic design projects portfolio.

All you need to do is to just enhance your skills on graphic design softwares like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and more others. These tools are termed pretty handy to learn the basic art of graphic designing.

If you don’t have good knowledge about their usage, take a look at the detailed tutorials given on the internet. They are precisely made for absolute beginners, so that they can learn the basics of graphics designing. Once you have the required knowledge of graphics, then you can easily take different types of graphic design projects. The demand of banner designing is pretty much more in the market, hence you can build a strong portfolio by getting its projects.

Business Cards

Business card

Every business knows the importance of business cards. It is termed as the most important branding material that allows people to know about your point of contact. That is the biggest reason why companies heavily emphasize designing these business cards with flawless perfection. They know that business cards showcase their identity and build a reputation for their business.

For freelance designers, it is best recommended to find those graphic design projects that are related to business cards designing. You can easily find these projects on sites like Upwork, Toptal and more others. All you need to do is to just build a strong profile on these marketplaces. People who are looking to hire skilled freelancers will quickly come to your profile and contact you upon finding the relevant work experience.

Best Graphic Design Projects for a High School Student

Being a high school student, you need to first find those graphic design projects that are easy to handle. This includes projects like logo designing, business cards designing and more others. Though it will be a bit hard to find some projects if you have no experience. But, if you will show the required expertise, then you can get some valuable graphic design projects.

It is also recommended to build some connections in the market to get quality designing projects. Once you will to do that, you can get long term projects allowing your portfolio to grow strongly.

Importance of Graphic Designing Projects for Portfolio Building

Frequently asked questions, final words.

That takes us to the end of this blog in which we have discussed different types of graphic design projects suitable for beginners. We all know that it has become a very lucrative field, rightly due to its demand in the world. Today, there are a lot of opportunities available for graphic designers. From IT to the medical field, the demand of graphic designers is everywhere making them a real asset for every company.

If you also want to become a graphic designer, you need to first work on the projects defined above. It will help you to know about the basics of graphic designing, allowing you to learn its art completely. This is indeed a very lucrative field that provides everyone great opportunities to work regularly.

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Top Graphic Design Projects to Sharpen Your Skills and Build Your Graphic Design Portfolio

The graphic design industry continues to harness the creativity and innovative ideas of graphic designers . As a result, it is crucial to be equipped with the right skills to place you in high demand. Embarking on graphic design projects is an excellent way to develop top-tier skills and build a robust graphic design portfolio.

We’ve compiled various graphic design projects for designers with different experience levels that can help sharpen relevant skills. In addition, we’ve included some of the skills, techniques, and tips to revamp your portfolio and land high-paying jobs. No matter what kind of graphic design job or design team you want to work for, there are plenty of projects available to instill you with essential graphic design principles.

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5 skills that graphic design projects can help you practice.

If you look around you, you will see the obvious signs of a graphic designer on virtually everything. From books to packaging wraps to software interfaces, it is evident that they subtly play an essential role in our lives. The design principles and the skills utilized define their identity and are integral to our appreciation of the world of graphic design. 

  • Creativity: A creative mind is central to the development of great designs. While creativity can be subjective, it is the foundation of every design concept, no matter how haphazard that concept is in the beginning. 
  • Communication: This describes the wholesome ability to listen to a client’s needs, process feedback, and effectively communicate creative ideas. It also refers to the ability to convey a message with visual materials. 
  • Typography: In context, this refers to the ability to represent written text in the form of art. Every designer must know how to tell a story using various text elements like font size, style, color scheme, and layout. 
  • Software Skills: Learning Adobe Illustrator , InDesign, and Photoshop is essential. These tools are a basic requirement for many job postings.
  • Coding: While many think coding doesn’t have a place in the design industry, having basic experience with HTML can be very useful for designers. Knowing how a website works can help you contribute to the idea generation process and give you an edge in the marketplace.  

Best Graphic Design Project Ideas for Beginners

As a beginner, the first projects you complete should develop your creativity, typography, communication, and software skills. You want to make sure to build foundational graphic design skills and techniques before taking on big jobs from clients.

Photo Editing

  • Skills Practiced: Software Skills, Creativity

This project exposes you to basic tools like Adobe Photoshop. Being able to manipulate an image will teach you everything from image cleanups to color schemes to enhancements. Also, you get to infuse some creativity with little projects like photo collages and storytelling.

  • Skills Practiced: Creativity, Software Skills, Typography, and Communication

Logos are a representation of what a brand or organization stands for. They speak volumes about what companies do and subtly express their values. Professionals often follow the Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) approach while designing logos, focusing on minimalism and the business’ core values. This fundamental principle is suggestive of the power of simplicity in graphic design.  

Business Cards

  • Skills Practiced: Creativity, Software Skills, Typography, Communication

This design challenge will allow you to practice the skills mentioned above. Every business relies on business cards as a means of introduction. They are also an expression of the company’s branding. Therefore, it is vital to capture the company’s essence through excellent typography and some ingenuity.

YouTube Thumbnails

  • Skills Practiced: Creativity, Software Skills, Communication

YouTube thumbnails aim is to encourage viewers to click on a video by telling a great story in just one small image. You must have an exciting thumbnail to enhance your content marketing campaign, which requires creativity and communication skills. Given how lucrative YouTube is today, being able to create the perfect thumbnail is an incredibly valuable skill.

Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Graphics

Social media is an integral part of our lives. While we browse through our feeds, we come across various posts that communicate different messages to us, but not all do so effectively. A good graphic is aesthetically pleasing and successfully conveys our messages and values. To create such designs, you can rely on existing templates that meet recommended standards.  

Best Intermediate Graphic Design Project Ideas

At this level, the projects are a lot more technical. They will sharpen your graphic design skills further but require a bigger time commitment. The following is a list of projects you can take on to practice your creativity as well as your software and typography skills.

Invitation Cards

  • Skills Practiced: Creativity, Software Skills, Typography

This project requires a lot of creativity. After all, an invitation card is a representation of the host’s class and taste. Creating an outstanding invitation design will test your typography and software skills. The challenge you are up to is to effectively, and aesthetically, communicate the details of the event.

Posters and Fliers  

Digital posters and flyers have to be visually appealing while satisfactorily communicating a message to the public. Creating posters and fliers for public relations and marketing campaigns will expose you to scaling and proper design layouts in digital platforms.

Infographics 

Infographics employ pictures, data visualizations, typography, and statistical graphics to tell a straightforward story or present information. Working on an infographic will give you experience with important tools like Canva and Venngage and allow you to exercise your creativity as you think of ways to represent information in a way that is visually attractive, impactful, and effective.

Book Covers

The cover of a book plays a key role in sales. While it is advised not to judge a book by its cover, the truth is that a book with a sloppy design won’t sell very well. It is always best to aim for a cover design that is stylish and captures the essence of the book.

Magazines and Brochures

Designing the look and feel of a magazine or brochure is a complex project. It involves a range of elements, including advertising, visual representation, photography, art, and graphic design. Working on a magazine design will expose you to the design principles and standards used in print media. 

Advanced Graphic Design Project Ideas

At this level, graphic designers begin to carve a niche and specialize in a particular area. The skills required and practiced here cut across all the technical skills mentioned earlier. In addition, many advanced designers begin to venture into the world of coding, which tends to boost their designer credentials. 

Graphic designers are central to good branding. They define the visual identity of a company, shaping the public perception of it with elements like logos, color schemes, fonts, and slogans. Working on a company’s brand identity is a fun project that will allow you to use your technical skills to change how an organization is perceived by the media.

Mockup Designs

Mockups give you a taste of a concept or design before it is created, helping clients visualize what the final product will look like. Creating mockups involves a fair dose of creativity as well as dexterity with software like Balsamiq, Adobe XD, or InVision.

User Interface (UI) Design

  • Skills Practiced: Creativity, Software Skills, Typography, Communication, Coding

The complex field of UI design will test all the technical skills discussed thus far. You will even have to dabble in coding as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills are required to work on the customer-facing side of an application of a website. You will get a lot of fulfillment out of this project: creating an application or website interface is critical to the consumer experience with a digital product.

Product Design

Product design can be considered an extension of branding. However, rather than focusing on the logo or values of a company, the emphasis is on a particular product, its looks, sustainability, and packaging design. To go about this project, choose an existing product that’s interesting from a design standpoint. Reverse engineer this product and then redesign it following every step of the design process.

Motion Graphics

Motion graphics is animation in which text plays a major role. They are common in ads and movie titles. To work on motion graphics, advanced designers combine their basic graphic design skills with animation and filmmaking techniques. 

Creating good-looking motion graphics requires exceptional creativity, innovation, and storytelling. Typography, communication, and software skills are also vital to developing interesting motion graphics.

Graphic Design Starter Project Templates 

A graphic template is an excellent tool for beginners and even advanced designers that can save a lot of time. Templates allow you to edit predefined graphics and adjust them to your taste. Working with templates could also help to cure a creative block. The following are recommended templates for basic starter projects.  

  • Logos : These templates provided by Canva offer complete flexibility with the editing of layers, color schemes, typography, and shape to design the logo that best connects with your brand.
  • Social Media Images : Social media posts have to be attractive and engaging. If you cannot come up with posters and fliers that perfectly convey your message, freepik templates can be a helpful tool. 
  • Mockups : If you are having difficulty designing a mockup that accurately reflects the design concepts involved, these templates by Template.net should come in handy.
  • Business Cards : Designing a business card that represents your brand and business becomes a lot easier when you can simply customize a template. Check out these business card templates by PsPrint. 
  • Brochures : A brochure can be tricky to design considering the number of elements and skills involved. However, with these brochure templates by Envato Elements, you’ll have no trouble creating elegant brochures. 

Next Steps: Start Organizing Your Graphic Design Portfolio

Blue headphones on a pink and blue background.

The beauty of constantly embarking on design projects is that you’ll sharpen your skill while growing your portfolio. After a few months, you should have a solid portfolio that reflects your skills and experience and that attracts potential clients. Below, we give you a few tips on how to organize your graphic design portfolio. 

Keep It Simple

Simplicity is key when it comes to portfolios. Always go for a cleaner and straightforward portfolio look, remove distracting elements and unnecessary components. This ensures that your projects are accessible and that potential employers or clients can appreciate your creative designs. 

Keep It Updated

Never stop working on your portfolio, no matter how comfortable you get in your current position. Employers and clients won’t pay attention to your portfolio if all its projects are old. You need to be constantly working on new and exciting projects and adding them to your portfolio so that it is relevant and reflects your current skills.

Keep Your Target Audience in Mind

Strive to build your portfolio with items that resonate with your target audience and leave out anything that they wouldn’t find interesting. For example, if you are applying for jobs at a web development agency, your portfolio should be composed mostly of website designs.  

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Include a Brief Profile

Your portfolio should contain a brief personal description in which you introduce yourself and describe your skills and aptitudes. Include information about your level of education, work experience, and notable previous collaborations.

Never lie about your skills or previous experience or exaggerate the facts. If you get a project after having lied about your capabilities, you’ll find yourself in an uncomfortable situation when you are asked to do something that you are simply not ready to handle. 

Graphic Design Projects FAQ

First, read through the brief of the project to understand the task. Conduct adequate research, come up with a creative idea, and sketch the concepts. Finally, develop your concepts thoroughly before presenting them to your client.

The number of projects you should include in your portfolio depends on several factors, including your level of experience and niche. However, we wouldn’t recommend including more than six projects.

Focus on projects that allow you to exercise your creativity and communication. You also want projects that involve typography, coding, and different software programs. Finally, consider projects that can be completed quickly or that require you to come up with inventive solutions.

No, you can work with colleagues. In fact, it is advisable to collaborate with other designers on projects because it allows you to learn from other creatives while sharing your ideas. 

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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6 Graphic Design Project Ideas to Help You When You’re in a Creative Rut

Maybe you have some extra free time to yourself or perhaps you’ve hit that one major hurdle that every graphic designer dreads: a creative rut. Designers look to the former as an exciting opportunity to experiment with new graphic design projects, while the latter can be a disappointing, albeit inevitable season of life for any creative. Yet, what feels like a lull in creativity is actually the best time to lean into your projects.

It might sound a little backwards, but creative ruts are often drivers of inspiration. So, during this time, what can you do to keep your skills sharp, avoid a time suck and recharge your creative batteries? Challenge yourself to try something entirely new.

This is an opportunity to expand your skillset and extend your network through collaboration. Allow yourself the freedom to try things and mess up and use this time to build up your confidence; self-initiated projects may help you discover something you likely wouldn’t encounter in client projects.

But where should you begin? If you’re having a difficult time finding new graphic design project ideas to try, there are a few places you can start: like browsing student portfolios, checking out leaders in the industry or just scrolling through Instagram. Yo u’ll soon discover that there is motivation all around you.

To get you started, here are 6 graphic design project ideas you can try the next time you need a little extra motivation.

1. Timed Experiments

Looking for a quick way to unblock? Setting yourself a challenge that is restricted by time is a great way to increase creativity and produce some fun, unexpected results. UK based designer and illustrator Shaun Swainland set himself a challenge called The Ten Minute Type Project . The result is a varied collection of individual letterforms, words and phrases in a multitude of styles from graphic and 3D to hand-rendered. Even our own teachers here at Shillington are constantly taking on side projects and challenges to keep themselves sharp. It’s practice makes perfect for Cathy Sison who has perfected her calligraphy through posting daily inspirational quotes to her Instagram account .

Both Alan Barba and Nikita Prokhorov each practice the art of lettering through their quick, colorful explorations of anything from scripts and three-dimensional type to ambigrams.

Setting a short time limit like 10 minutes leaves no room for creative indecisiveness and instead brings in the kind of spontaneity that helps creativity grow.

2. Gamify your learning

Getting unstuck from a creative block doesn’t always have to be a serious endeavor.

Designercize takes traditional whiteboard exercises to the digital realm with a fun retro gaming, analog throwback design. Designercize helps you test your problem-solving skills as a designer. You simply choose a level of difficulty and a random design prompt is generated for you. Each prompt acts as a simple brief with information about what you need to design and who it’s for.

There’s also an optional timer if you’re up to the challenge. According to the creators, Zach Albert and Jake Fleming ,  in just 15 minutes a day Designercize gives you better design thinking, helps you make faster design decisions and helps with interview skills.

You can also gamify your learning with other people and connect with a larger design community

Playoffs by Dribbble is an online platform that allow designers to upload a Shot (design) and prompt the community to upload their own Shot inspired by the original. With anything from logos and poster design through to app screens and packaging, it’s a fun, inventive way to riff off other creative ideas and help expand your own.

Try these other brief generators to download generated briefs with a bit of structure to guide you:

  • Briefbox  (Bonus: our students and  Shillumni get a 40% discount off their services!)
  • Fake Clients
  • What Should I Design

3. Design to Redesign

A brand redesign occurs for a variety of reasons including an outdated image, a change in target audience, international growth, new management or even a bad reputation.

Sometimes establishing a new brand identity doesn’t necessitate a complete rebrand, but instead relies on finding a balance between tradition and modernity; merging the old with the new. Other times, a rebrand might mean a complete overhaul.

Check out Under Consideration’s Before-After archives for in-depth case studies on the latest rebrands by industry leaders. It is a fantastic resource to find inspiration in the whys and hows behind rebranding projects and a starting point in undertaking one yourself.

Take, for example, the rebranding of online learning community Skillshare . With a previous logo that wasn’t flexible enough for digital spaces, Skillshare created a new dynamic identity that is more legible and communicates their spirit of experimentation, exploration and discovery.

Or how about the rebrand of Eight , a company that designs products, content and tools to help people sleep better for optimum performance each day. Originally designed with calming colors to be used within a sleep-inducing environment and a logo that reflected the phases of the moon, the company has now seen a complete brand refresh. “The rebrand moved Eight Sleep from mattress company to sleep fitness company.  Borrowing cues from athletic brands, the new identity stands in stark contrast to the predominately cute and simple voice of the mattress category and creates a whole new category unto itself.”

Next time you’re facing a rut or are blessed with some spare time on your hands, choose a business you think might be facing one of the aforementioned issues and challenge yourself to revamp their brand image. You could choose to take on a larger global brand or perhaps you could choose a small business, local in your community and even pitch it to them down the line.

4. Passion projects

A great way to get yourself out from under the pressure of a creative rut is to pause and reflect on your passions.

Undertake a self-initiated graphic design project that reflects the things you feel connected to. Not only will this work reflect your personality, but it will also add a more personal dimension to your portfolio and help shape the kind of work that comes your way in the future. What if your passion, interests or sense of humor resonates with potential clients? Your self-initiated project could be a shortcut to landing your dream job.

“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them”—Chris Grosser

Try exploring a design project that represents your approach, process or simply something you love about design

London based graphic designer Duane Dalton , currently a designer at SocioDesign , explores projects that reflect his love of clear communication in design. One project, an extensive series of simple stamps, use only type and simple, uniform shapes. The design series is a nod to the minimalistic qualities that are often employed throughout the rest of his work in logo design and brand identity systems.

Duane’s second undertaking is a project called Album Anatomy . “An exploration in the art of reduction. It breaks down album imagery into its purest form by discarding any unnecessary information.” Purist and Swiss in its use of a strict grid for the album details, each design reflects Duane’s personal response to an album.

Instead of design themes, you could also try something that shows off your personality or individual beliefs instead.

In March of 2017 illustrator, Josh Ryan created his series Introflirted , a series of love notes for introverts. Combining fun illustrations with witty expressions that would resonate with any true introvert, his project is now being published into a book of 31 postcards to tear out and send to all the introverts in your life.

Another great example is taken from our very own Shillington student showcase , Juliette Van Rhyn’s packaging project for an alcohol-free spirit was inspired by Berlin’s club culture but with the idea of catering to a more grown-up crowd who still crave the “unique connecting experience” but without the hangover. Get inspired by her full graphic design project here .

5. Collaborations and Swaps

It can be a truly inspiring thing to have a creative partner to collaborate with. Not only can they help with a creative rut, but they can also prove to be a support source to lean on, help things run more efficiently and help an ambitious goal feel more attainable. They are also a second creative mind to inject into a project. It’s way more fun to let a project unfold as the product of two or more brains, rather than just your own.

London designer, illustrator and part-time teacher George Simkin recently teamed up with Shillington graduate Juliette van Rhyn to create Good Shape Studio , a creative outlet to experiment and “explore the intersection between design and play.”

However, a beneficial collaboration doesn’t always have to be with a fellow creative. Teaming up to trade skills with a collaborator with a different skillset or offering up services in exchange for the non-monetary benefit can also help you to extend your network and gain invaluable experience.

A skill swap can be a great way for new designers to get experience working with clients when first getting started, or even experienced designers looking to break into a new niche. It’s an effective way to figure out or refine your process and of course, there’s the added bonus of a living, breathing design out in the real world beyond your portfolio.

When New York-based designer Lauren Hom wanted to branch out into chalk lettering she decided to combine two loves of lettering and lunching into a graphic design project called Will Letter for Lunch and offered free chalkboard art for restaurants in exchange for lunch. What started as a fun project turned into landing major paid projects with large clients.

6. Design Challenges

Participating in design challenges is a great way to inject some creativity with a community connection as well. The self-discipline required to take on such an endeavor is not just a fun way to break free from a rut, but can also serve as a nice distraction from the creative restraints of client work and a vital tool in gaining new skills.

LA-based product designer Travis Kane graduated in 2015 and rose to the heights of Instagram-fame in 2019 with his poster-a-day project . Not only did the project act as a means of some cathartic self-expression, but it also led to many freelance commissions outside of his day job, mainly across music and fashion.

“I’ve always had a passion for personal work and taking the client out of the equation, just making stuff for the hell of it and to express how I’m feeling. I learned that the end result doesn’t really matter: it was more learning about myself in general than about design.” ( AIGA, Eye on Design )

Check out other poster-based challenges like Blank Poster and Poster Jam which challenge designers to create based on a weekly or monthly chosen word.

The 100 Day Project is the brainchild of Elle Luna and Lindsay Jean Thomson. The goal is to inspire and motivate makers from all walks to create daily. Choose any project, do it for 100 days and join an online global community by posting on Instagram with the hashtag #the100dayproject.

The Daily Logo Challenge , 36 Days of Type  and Inktober are all fantastic challenge that are sure to get your creative wheels turning.

So there you have it. A creative lull isn’t always something to worry about, instead, it is a fantastic opportunity to lean into projects and get experimental. So next time you find yourself with some free time or approaching that disappointing hurdle, think about trying some of the graphic design projects above.  This will help drive inspiration, sharpen skills, build your confidence and recharge your creative batteries. Turn that rut into creative rewards!

Article by Shillington London teacher  Hilary Archer . 

Artwork by Shillington Manchester teacher Ed Baptist .

Enjoyed this guest author post? Read this article from Shillington London teacher Mark Ellis on ‘What You Need in Your Creative Toolkit’ and ways you can develop as a designer to succeed in your career.  Learn about our  online graphic design course  and how you can become a designer!

Hilary Archer February 11, 2020

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Article: 11 Graphic Design Projects You Can Easily Do It Yourself

11 Graphic Design Projects You Can Easily Do It Yourself

graphic design projects to do

Created by Natalia Sada | https://www.behance.net/gallery/90812663/Luz-de-Barrio

Another good reason to do so is the chance to build up a portfolio. In graphic design, a stellar portfolio can help designers secure many jobs. At the same time, it is also a great way to help them gain more experience to do ranges of ideas. To get unrestricted access to a variety of websites for inspiration and to securely share information with future clients, consider a free VPN download . While DIY might only serve as free time graphic design projects and do not provide income, it does offer practice. 

The easy to do it yourself work itself is not particularly hard. At some point, it tells the sense of how the trends have changed to the more simple, free, and minimalistic detail. Doing the graphic design DIY will be a great warm-up and a way to envelop the new start. So, without prolonged intro, here are some DIY ideas that you can do in your free time:

1. Logotypes 

No one cannot say graphic design without a logo project. A logotype is one of the logo styles that focus on the use of typeface. Just as the logo, logotype work as a company or organization signage. Being a vital part of marketing and brand identity, marketing or PR teams tend to ask the help of graphic creators to do the job. 

But isn't it a complicated DIY project to do? Indeed, it is a hard project to nail, especially if you work with clients. However, it can be one of the easier DIY ideas that you can do as a practice. The design project demands the worker to make a graphic that represents the company. It needs a certain degree of understanding and research to convey the meaning. 

In other words, a logo must be considered appropriate for the company. It is called appropriate if the project can precisely imitate the company. So, how to do the DIY? Again the graphic design project can be complicated and need a lot of practice. As a Do it yourself idea, you can use the logotype work as a way to gain more experience and portfolio. 

There is nothing called a bad logo, only a bad decision. Playing around with color and typefaces is the primary key. The DIY graphic design also mainly uses the sense of KISS principle that stands for Keep it Simple, Stupid. It means that the majority of logo design uses minimalistic, understandable, and clean style to capture the millennial or modern audience. 

Following the changing trend and ideas also make the do it yourself idea more captivating to do. There is no end to making the design, so you can get more creative and make whatever logotype model. Putting your DIY logotype result also helps you gain more portfolios. Maybe some companies might see your job and eventually hire you to do the graphic project. 

But is it appropriate to call it an easy do-it-yourself idea since the process is very complicated? As a graphic design DIY project, you don't need to make it over-complicated. You can use free tools that help create vector images and create your logotype. The internet is also filled with stock icons with ranges of typefaces that give you endless possibilities.  

graphic design projects to do

Created by Andrew Footit | https://www.behance.net/gallery/124316241/Storica-Typeface

Everyone knows how important banners are in the design realm. From the digital banner to the physical one, you will find that banner will never cease sooner or later. It is part of the promotional media for companies that always appear. And the good news is, banner projects are almost always a constant job for designers. 

Talking about banners, the work can envelop the social media cover or the printed one. In graphic design projects, you can find many PR or marketing professionals who are always looking for it. They tend to ask designers to make a graphic banner that represents a product or service. It is also a very good DIY practice for designers. 

In the case of easy Do it yourself graphic design, banners pose an almost low challenge. The idea is that you don't need to wait for a client to ask. You can make a fictional company and its service and do a DIY project based on it. To make one good DIY banner, you have to make them with several simple rules. 

But overall, it is an easy project to fill up our portfolio. Be creative with the DIY design, take a look at the other graphic design models, and make yours. Do be afraid to post it and share it on your social media as a portfolio. The idea is to learn and practice. Over time, you will find yourself knowing the proper trick in DIY and making a high-quality banner.  

graphic design projects to do

Created by Kintal Creative Studio | https://www.behance.net/gallery/69625067/ASJN25-Event-Branding

3. brochures.

There is a reason why brochures will be your perfect do-it-yourself graphic design project to do. The first one is the high demand. Just like banners, you will find this project as one of the most demanded work. The process is pretty much the same as a DIY banner, which is to promote and tell about the upcoming event. 

In many cases, brochures are edited in a rush due to the short time to the upcoming event. To master the quick graphic design work, you can use it as DIY projects. Again, you can make a fictional company with the upcoming event. Try to make a brochure with a lot of ideas, elements, and design. Creating many designs will eventually help you get used to the project. 

At some point, you can also challenge yourself with some DIY challenges. Try to make a brochure for the same event with different themes. It may sound like a hard project for Do it yourself, but many programs allow you to do so. They offer templates and tutorials to make brochures, which make the graphic design DIY worth doing. 

graphic design projects to do

Created by Andrea Bianchi | https://www.behance.net/gallery/78444849/RiAperto-festival-Branding

4. infographics .

If you are looking for a little bit of a challenge in graphic design projects, try to do an infographic. As a do-it-yourself idea, you can say that an infographic will force you to get creative with visuals and data. You will have to make an image that can envelop every piece of information and make it easier to look at, even though the DIY is harder to make.

At some point, infographics are a DIY design project that is pretty much loved and hated by marketers. Thus, they tend to throw the responsibility and as designers to make it. As it is complicated to make, you can use it as a DIY idea to sharpen your creative thinking. Do you need to wait for a client? No, you can use a lot of online information to make an infographic. 

Take the opportunity to use the do-it-yourself project as a practice. There is also a lot of information, such as graphic design branches, that you can explain into a communicative infographic. The thing is, infographics are not a DIY project that demands a designer degree. Everyone can do it with some online free tool. That is why it is one of the best DIY to try.    

graphic design projects to do

Created by Adolfo Arranz | https://www.behance.net/gallery/37869347/Infographics-The-importance-of-the-rough-sketch

Icon design is pretty much one of the best DIY ideas to do in your spare time. The do-it-yourself project will never lose its popularity since it will always be needed in many media. You can call it a presentation, mockup, or website. One thing that makes icon graphic design interesting is the constantly shifting trend and ideas. 

You can find many customized pieces with ranges of design in the inter, from the simple small to the more elaborated details in it. Professional graphic designers can eventually charge heavenly for this project. So, why don't you try and make it a DIY project? It is simple and easy, as long as you know how and what program to use. 

Another good charm in doing so is the ability to gain cash from sharing your work. Some online platforms allow graphic designers to post their job and sell it. It also works with the DIY icon. Considering how people can buy and use icon pieces on the internet, you can also do so to do your personal DIY graphic design project. 

Take a fundamental example of using online apple and worm images. From the two samples, you got to make a very fun icon that shows a worm-eating apple. It is also easy to do the DIY ideas since you have a range of programs available, such as Canva or Vectr. Put the result as one of the portfolios, and tell people about your ability to create the do it yourself icon.  

graphic design projects to do

Created by Dima Groshev | https://www.behance.net/gallery/124016351/Design-principles-for-perfect-icons

6. ui mockups .

Since the use of online media is rising, you will find that web design gets more attention. It helps web graphic design projects get more spotlight and demand. One thing is for sure, designing a whole website is not easy to do it yourself idea anymore. But you can take a small portion of the work, such as creating a UI or UX design for your DIY project. 

So, the idea of this DIY project is pretty much introducing you to the new trending graphic works. If you look at the graphic design sharing platforms, many UI mockup designs are made for fictional companies. It is one of the ways people make a portfolio by creating non-job-related work. It can also come as a form of do-it-yourself idea to do.  

Doesn't it need some particular skill to master the graphic design project? Indeed, it is. One needs to learn and master how to make a communicative user interaction and experience design. It includes details from the web page to the other pages. But it also does not need expensive prototyping tools. So, you can do it as a simple DIY design project. 

How so? Try to learn from the fundamentals that designing a web page can be started from a concept. You can take it as a do-it-yourself idea to make your future web design. Play around with a vector graphic editor, add icons, web elements, design, and work with the alignment. It can be done in the most simple design and detail for your DIY graphic project.  

graphic design projects to do

Created by Mhm Muradi | https://www.behance.net/gallery/117565325/iPhone-12-pro-clay-mockup

7. business cards.

Business cards are another do-it-yourself project that even kids can do. As a professional graphic DIY work, it demands a professional hand to make a compelling product. It should appear communicative with a range of possibilities and details to include. But, it is also a great DIY project to sharpen your design prowess. 

How so? Business cards, in particular, do not demand overly complicated designs. It is a graphic project that can be done by everyone, even with little design knowledge. At the same time, business cards are also easy to make using many programs. You can use the simples do it yourself work through Microsoft word or creating a more pro one with Illustrator.

Those who love a manual DIY idea can even make it manually. Yes, by using the basic pen and paper idea. Remember that the do-it-yourself idea is not always for the client. It can be part of your portfolio-building ideas, which include creating as much design as possible. So, how to make it? The answer is easy, and you can use free graphic editor software. 

The key point of creating a DIY business card is the size. The common size is around 3.5 inches by 2 inches or 1050 x 600 pixels. It's pretty much it. You can simply add names and details to make the most grounded design. If you find software that offers templates, do so. There are many ways to make a breathtaking DIY business card. 

graphic design projects to do

Created by Noodlemaker | https://www.behance.net/gallery/91501459/Grandvity-Visual-Identity-System

8. social media graphic .

If you are a social media manager, you will need to learn how to make social media graphics. The two projects focus on creating a specifically designed cover photo for the profile. It is a graphic design project that you can make as a do-it-yourself idea. Do you need to hire a designer? No. What if you are a designer? At least DIY can be one of your portfolios. 

The thing about social media graphics is the overall image dimension. The platform sets the graphic element with a predetermined size, so it can fit the space properly. Everyone can put anything as their cover. But to make the DIY project have more meaning and function, make sure you can make them stand out and highlight the product. The artwork will be worth for customer engagement.  

graphic design projects to do

Created by September 5th | https://creativemarket.com/septemberfifth/4431955-Writers-Social-Media-Pack-Stories?u=kreafolk

9. youtube graphics .

Youtube graphic is also one of the graphic design projects that work as a do-it-yourself idea. It is a great idea for YouTube creators or graphic creators that want to spread their wings to the field. The DIY project itself is pretty much work, just like the social media cover. It is the face of the channel that serves memorable and stand-out information. 

So, to make it easy to do DIY, you need to pay attention to the channel image. The proper size for the design image is around 2560 x 1440 pixels. But the best dimension is around 1540 x 427 pixels since it helps make your cover visible across devices. For you who want to try it as an idea, try to use a pre-built template from many online graphic editor programs. 

graphic design projects to do

Created by PremadePixels.com | https://creativemarket.com/PremadePixels.com/5829634-Epic-Youtube-Thumbnail-Templates-Set?u=kreafolk

10. coloring book .

Surprisingly, another DIY idea that can help designers to practice is coloring books. You can find some books that include a more complicated picture for adults, a more creative book model, or the unique one. The idea of using this do-it-yourself project is to practice your color selection. At some point, the project can end up as a serious idea that attracts the audience's attention. 

graphic design projects to do

Created by Lana Samokhina | https://creativemarket.com/lana.samokhina/2094584-Cities-coloring-set-12-pages

11. photo collages .

Collages are always one of the practices on graphic design projects, which are worth doing as a DIY idea. It looks pretty simple but can serve as a powerful marketing power. The idea of collages itself is to combine a few images into one collage or frame. The cool thing about the do-it-yourself project is that you can do many ideas and make it unique. 

One thing that makes college gain particular appreciation is the ability to choose images that go well together. Creating a mesmerizing collage needs skills in color selection, harmonious style, or photography details. When the graphic DIY project is done right, it can be one of the stellar buildings for a designer portfolio. It is also easy to do it yourself with handy image software.  

graphic design projects to do

Created by Israel G. Vargas | https://www.behance.net/gallery/50096301/Robert-Capa-Tribute-collages

Final words.

A graphic designer needs constant practice. As it is part of the way to sharpen their skill, it is also a great idea to build a stellar portfolio. It does not need to be a very complicated DIY project. You can start with simple tasks such as creating icons or infographics. It is also available for those who want to do DIY. You can do photo collages, coloring books, or mockups to fill up some free time.

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66 Graphic Design Ideas To Spark Your Creativity

December 23, 2021 (Updated: May 4, 2023)

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Marketers have a unique role, where they get to be both creative and analytical on the job. The creative side is fun until you come across a project that causes a creative block. Having tactics to break through the brain fog and develop new ideas is a helpful resource for your marketing toolbox. Today, we’re looking at different design movements and art techniques to give you new graphic design ideas with topics like:

23 Design Movements for Graphic Design Ideas

43 art techniques for graphic design ideas.

If you love this post and find it useful, get even more creative ideas to enhance your graphic designs with aesthetics and design tools.

An artistic movement is a design style with distinct characteristics, followed by a group of artists during a specific time period. Many art movements also share a common goal or philosophy to influence how viewers see and experience the world. Designs from these eras and periods may help spark new ideas you can use in your marketing materials today. Here are examples to help inspire your next graphic design project:

1. Abstract

The abstract art movement takes real-world objects but makes them look different from how they look in real life. For example, an abstract drawing of a tree may not show it growing upward, but side to side, or in pieces. Artists like Pablo Picasso popularized this style in the 19th century. The elements that make a design abstract vary by the designer and their view of the object, not as it is, but how it could be. Characteristics of this style include the use of ambiguous shapes, unexpected element placement, inversion, and unexpected color usage.

2. American Kitsch

movie poster for attack of the 50 ft. woman

Image via  Wikipedia

American Kitsch became popular in the United States from the 1940s to the 1960s. Art déco, another artistic movement, served as its inspiration. Today, people associate this style with movie posters from the era, especially ones from the science fiction genre. Characteristics of American Kitsch include bold colors, cartoon-like illustrations, contrasting fonts and images, dramatic poses, and aerodynamic shapes.

3. Anti-Design

Anti-design is an artistic movement that had a philosophy to prove to its viewers: everything that was once revolutionary eventually becomes commonplace. Instead of accepting this philosophy, anti-design artists choose to go against commonly held standards. The movement rejects principles like usability, homogeneity, or anything considered “the norm” in society or design. The current wave of this movement focuses on characteristics such as clashing colors, illegible typography, crowding of elements, and the illogical use of white space.

4. Art Déco

new york city art deco graphic design ideas

Image via  Amazon

During the 1920s and World War I era, art déco was a symbol of sophistication, wealth, and luxury. We often associate it with architecture and visual arts. In its heyday and modern revivals, this design movement is one of the most popular in marketing and advertising. Characteristics of the style include geometric shapes, vertical lines, capitalized type, high-contrast tones, bold colors, and flat depth.

5. Art Nouveau

Art nouveau was a popular architecture and decorative art design movement, but can also apply to graphic design. The style became popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States and Western Europe. Characteristics of the style include bold outlines, illustrative style, the use of natural forms, and features of female-presenting subjects.

6. Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts isn’t just a day camp activity name. This international art movement focused on craftsmanship and traditional imagery. It often features folk or medieval figures and type. The movement started in Britain and moved through Europe and North America from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. It reemerged in Japan in the 1920s. Characteristics include lots of texture, illustrated typography, simple fonts, and historical themes. Popular color schemes include neutrals, like browns and creams.

7.  Bauhaus

bahaus red, white, yellow, blue, and black grid graphic design ideas

Image via  Creative Market

The primary goal of the Bauhaus movement is to bring function, design, innovation, and craftsmanship together in art design. The unusual name comes from its founding location, the Staatliches Bauhaus art school in Germany, where students popularized these designs in 1919. Characteristics include simplicity, grid organization, geometric shapes, contrasting colors, and visual hierarchy.

8. Brutalism

The Brutalism movement began in the 1950s and was most commonly used in architecture but also made the jump to digital design. This style has some similarities to minimalist design but its own hallmarks, including influences from industrial or building materials and design. Characteristics of the movement include monochromatic color, lack of ornamentation, modular designs, repeated patterns, lack of editing, and layered pieces.

9. Early Modern

Modernism is the idea of rebelling against anything traditional, like previous styles. Early modernism is the first phase of that movement. Designers used it for everything from art to architecture, and even furniture. Characteristics include geometric shapes, photos instead of illustrations, clean fonts, and minimalistic  layouts.

10. Futurism

Futurism was an art and social movement that started in the early 20th century in Italy with parallel movements worldwide. Its focus was fitting for the time of the Industrial Revolution, with an emphasis on technology, speed, objects, and transportation. Characteristics include eclectic styles, neutral or muted colors, new technology, and offset text.

Like other art movements in this list, the grunge era also coincided with the popular music of its time. It originated from the 90s subculture movement of the American northwest, in areas like Seattle. The style embodies an urban feel combined with elements of the punk era, which came before it. Characteristics include dirty texture, crooked elements, stains, torn elements, and hand-written or hand-drawn pieces.

12. Hero Realism

three hero realism graphic design ideas posters

Image via  Medium  by  Faizan   Bhatti

Hero Realism rose to prominence during the time of Socialist and Communist regimes in Europe and Asia. Designs featured a human figure that was the “hero” of the piece. The supplemental text acted as a call to action (CTA) and encouraged people to do something, such as sign up for a draft or buy a war bond. The Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter posters from WWI and WWII are popular American examples of this style. Characteristics include one focal human subject, realistic imagery, bold and clear fonts, and a poster style.

13. Late Modern

Late modernism was another phase of the modernist movement that came after World War II. It became popular in the contemporary art of the 1950s. This movement followed many of the same principles as early modernism, but with an anti-design twist. Characteristics include non-decorative typeface, distorted geometric shapes, and informal or unplanned structural layouts.

14. Maximalism

Maximalism aims to fill the empty space of a design. Artists use a variety of colors, shapes, and objects to meet that goal. It’s the opposite of the minimalist movement. To understand maximalism , think of a hidden-picture puzzle. Each time you look at the puzzle, you find a new object stashed throughout the entire design because it takes up all the available space on the page. In maximalism, the graphic designer has the freedom to decide just what elements to use to take up that space, as long as it fits the project’s theme.

15. Minimalist

The minimalist movement has been around for years, but it most recently became popular again in the 2010s for interior design. The name suggests exactly what sets this style apart from others: sparse use of elements. Another hallmark of minimalism is not using any more elements than necessary to make your point. Characteristics include neutral tones or secondary colors, the use of negative space, no field depth, and linear elements.

16. Post-Modern

Post-modernism is a stylistic phase that followed modernism. It became trendy in the 1970s and 1980s. You may recognize post-modern art for its lack of rules or structure, like anti-design, and its combination of elements from a variety of other distinct movements. Characteristics include collage illustrations, clashing colors, a tilted axis perspective, and overlapping elements.

17. Psychedelic

blue, pink, and orange psychedelic jimi hendrix purple haze poster

Image via  Behance  by  Guro   Jeppestol

The psychedelic movement influenced art and music associated with the 1960s and 1970s decades in the United States. Its origins came through inspiration from clothing, literature, philosophy, and the culture of the era, especially the hippie counterculture of the western part of the country, such as in California. Characteristics of the style include bold and clashing colors, images and type in art nouveau style, hand-drawn and illegible fonts, and curvaceous forms.

sex pistols god save the queen punk graphic design ideas

Image via  99designs

The punk movement originated in the 1970s in collaboration with the rise of the music scene by the same name. Many designers of the period didn’t train in art or design. These creators worked with bands and volunteered to help make their posters, flyers, and cover art. Most pieces have a do-it-yourself feel, like something anyone could create. Characteristics include collage style, photographic imagery, low-quality images, grainy effects, and rough texture.

19.  Retro-Futurism

mock up book cover of phobe bridgers' punisher album cover as a stephen king novel

Image via  Twitter  by @ chemicalcuts

Retro-futurism may sound like a contradiction, but it’s actually a combination of other design movements. It takes inspiration from nostalgic and retro designs and how those eras viewed the future. Then it combines those principles with current trending subjects. For example, take any merchandise today that uses the Friends TV series font but not for products promoting the show. This is an example of Retro-Futurism because it combines the nostalgic feel of the font from the 90s TV show with trending subjects of today.

20. Social Consciousness

Socially conscious design has become more popular as the world focuses on social responsibility and topic issues like climate change and human rights. Key focus points within socially conscious design include:

  • Authentic representation: This segment focuses on preventing misrepresentation of a person, group, or culture in designs. It also avoids using cultural or religious symbols or images in an insensitive or defamatory way.
  • Diversity: The segment helps represent all segments of a target audience or geographic location in a design, not just one group or subsection.
  • Sustainability: This segment focuses on how graphic design ideas reflect a company’s or client’s views on environmental issues and helping the planet.

21. Steampunk

The steampunk movement became a subculture trend in the 1980s. It used inspiration from the 19th century, such as the Victorian era or the Industrial Revolution, to inspire its fashion, design, and overall aesthetic. Characteristics include vintage inspiration; neutral brown, gold, and black colors; and industrial objects, such as gears or gaslights.

22. Swiss International

The Swiss International movement earned its name from its origins in Switzerland in the 1940s. It’s mostly used for poster design because it combines typography, photographic images, and grids. Characteristics include simple design, matte color palettes, asymmetrical layouts, sans serif fonts, and the use of negative space.

23. Victorian

The Victorian movement references the period of Queen Victoria’s reign in Britain from 1837 to 1901. This period extended longer in the United States. We commonly associate the style with architectural homes of the era, but it also influences clothing and both interior and graphic design. Typical elements of Victorian style include elaborate decorative borders and fonts, symmetry, ornate imagery, banners, and minimal straight lines or edges.

Artistic techniques are the procedures or processes used to make designs. Most techniques get their distinctions from the ways they use the seven basic elements of design: line, color, shape, value, texture, space, and form. Combining multiple styles into one design helps create unique logos or projects that could help your brand stand out from the competition. Consider these art techniques and principles when searching for graphic design inspiration:

With all the computer programs available to designers today, it’s easier to create 3D designs for graphic projects. The biggest hallmark of this technique is that the images aren’t flat. This means they use principles of perspective and shading to make them look like they have depth. Areas of focus include lighting effects, shadow, and the illusion of volume.

2. Calligraphy

Calligraphy is a lettering practice that dates back to ancient dynasties across Asia and Europe. It’s a visual art related to writing that forms ornate letters with a pen or ink brush. The lettering in calligraphy often includes many bends, curves, and curls. It can also have geometric shapes or designs.

3. Charcoal

Charcoal drawing and painting combine the color aesthetic of monochrome with the hand-drawn qualities of illustration. These types of designs rely on visual tones and exploring shading and contrast to create a full image using just one type of drawing tool. You can replicate this style using computer design programs.

4.  Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is a painting technique that focuses heavily on the contrast of light and dark within the piece. The name itself comes from the Italian words that mean light and dark. Works in this style help you understand the elements of value, light source, and shadow to inspire your projects.

Collage comes from the French word “ cooler ,” which means “to glue.” Traditional collage arts include taking scraps of paper, objects, or other materials from different original sources and pasting them together to create one new project. You can also create digital collages using photo editing software to snip and snag elements to create one digital document. This style is a popular influence on artistic movements like punk and post-modernism.

6. Conceptual

conceptual art of a house flying like a hot air balloon for graphic design ideas

Image via  99designs  by @ miridi

The terms conceptual design or concept art are most commonly used in fields like film or video game design. This technique often indicates a pre-production phase where you’re just coming up with ideas, but they’re not polished or finished yet. Concept designs often have a cartoonish or illustrative style. They may mimic reality but look like a fictional version of settings or objects rather than something you’d experience in real life.

7. Dissonance

Dissonance in design occurs when two or more elements send opposing messages. This can happen in any area, such as between the words and images or the colors and the background. The most important point is that there is a visible level of contrast among the elements. Using blur, opposing colors, and images or fonts with different aesthetics can help you achieve this technique.

Doodling is a more informal type of illustration with a less refined finish. Doodles may not look like they come from a graphic designer at all, but a student or amateur artist. Incorporating doodles into your projects may give them a more childlike or relaxed quality. Doodles can be highly personal to each designer thanks to their hand-drawn elements.

9. Embossing

Embossing is an artistic process of creating an impression on an existing surface. You can do it on paper, cloth, metal, or glass. Words and logos receive embossing effects to help them stand out and be more visible to the human eye than flat techniques like etching. This technique teaches you about depth, perspective, and shadows. Many photo and design editing programs have an embossing tool that lets you add this effect to different elements in your project.

10. Embroidery

Embroidery is a type of textile technique that uses a needle and yarn or thread to create a design on another object. It’s common in fashion and housewares for ornamental design. Because embroidery uses stitching, it creates a different type of pattern than you’d see in other types of artistic mediums.

11. Escapism

The definition of escapism is the desire to look for distractions from an unpleasant reality by engaging in fantasy. This is a broad term that each designer can interpret differently. This technique doesn’t have a distinct set of characteristics. If you intend to incorporate escapism into your designs, consider themes like vacationing, outer space, or fantasy worlds with characters, like wizards and dragons.

the lion king yellow and blue flat poster graphic design ideas

Image via  Speckyboy  by @ steveretka

Flat style relates to minimalism in its design because it often focuses on one main visual element accompanied by  nonintrusive text. Designers initially created this technique for graphical user interfaces like websites and apps, but it’s common in graphic design now, as well. Areas of attention include lack of depth, neutral tones, straight lines, and the use of negative space.

13.  Foreshortening

Foreshortening is an artistic perspective technique that focuses heavily on angles and light sources. It often depicts human figures, though you can do it with any subject. The focus of the piece often appears at an unexpected or unusual angle to create a different view than you’re used to seeing. Like other perspective styles, this type can create an optical illusion to make a flat subject look like it has depth.

14. Geometric

Geometric design is an old principle, dating back to B.C. historical periods and locations, like those of ancient Greece. This technique is based on the rules of geometry and has a focus on shapes, often squares, circles, rectangles, and triangles. Areas of attention for this technique include straight lines and symmetry.

15.  Glassmorphism

Glassmorphism is a practice typically used in web or app design. This technique uses frames, buttons, and backgrounds to look like there’s glass on the screen. Use blurring, shapes, light, depth, shadowing, and color to achieve this effect. If using glassmorphism , keep inclusion to a minimum to make it the focal point of a project and draw the viewer’s eye to it.

16. Graffiti

Graffiti is a cousin of street art because it takes place in a public setting. It’s different in that graffiti is technically illegal if the artist doesn’t have permission to display their work where it appears. This style uses handwritten or typographic elements like words or phrases rather than images to convey the message. Use this technique for inspiration for lettering lines and curves.

17. Illustration

You can spot illustrations by their hand-drawn, or replicated-hand-drawn style. There are subcategories of illustrations that fall into this broad category, like conceptual art. These designs are interesting because each artist creates them differently with their own style and flair. Even if you get your inspiration from illustrations, you may add your own individuality to your creations.

18. Impasto

van gogh's starry night painting

Image via  The Van Gogh Gallery

Impasto is a painting technique that uses thick, repeated layers to make the brush strokes visible in the final project. While not 3D, the image may appear to be because the lines and shapes are thick and seem to rise off the page, screen, or canvas. Areas of focus include light, texture, and tone.

19. Ink Wash

Ink wash painting is a historic East Asia brush painting practice. Using materials similar to calligraphy, this technique requires the artist to apply black ink to paper or silk to create the designs. Areas of focus include the thickness of lines, types of brush strokes, and color gradients.

20.  Kinetic

Kinetic art gets its name from its subjects, those with movement. It often focuses on machines with working parts, mobiles, or light that can change with time or manipulation. You can incorporate kinetic movement and design into both 2D and 3D pieces. Focus areas include joints, lines, and patterns of movement.

Mosaic is a design technique that comes from arranging small colored tiles on a flat surface. It’s an old practice that dates back to Mayan and other ancient civilizations. The small tiles are often opaque fragments of glass or other materials like gems, stones, or shells. The background surface is typically industrial, such as concrete. Mosaics can form just a pattern or a larger image.

Op art is an abbreviation for the term “optical art.” This type of design aims to show and understand the illusions and optical effects of perception. It was a popular technique in the 1960s and 1970s. Characteristics include a focus on contrasting colors, depth, shading, and the movement of lines.

23. Panorama

Panorama is both a painting technique and a photographic style. It’s formed by putting a sequence of images side by side to show a longer, larger view than what you could see in one canvas or photo frame. Panoramas can help you understand layout and framing for graphic design projects.

24. Parametric Patterns

Parametric patterns differ from other backgrounds or shapes because they use intricate geometric structures to make the design. Each line moves and morphs based on its position relative to another. This technique gets its name and its construction from mathematical parametric equations, a type of high-level math function rooted in geometry. Areas of focus include fluidity, 3D depth, and a sense of movement.

25. Personification

Personification is the concept of taking an inanimate object and giving it human qualities and characteristics. Personified objects in writing, film, or TV often keep some of their “object” qualities. For example, in the Disney version of  Beauty and the Beast , the enchanted objects can walk, talk, and act like humans. But Mrs. Potts, the tea kettle, comes to a boil when she’s angry. You can use the concept of personification in your designs to help sell your products or services.

26. Photorealism

Photorealism is a subtype of illustration where the designer uses hand-drawn methods to replicate an original photo image. The finished product looks realistic, but the artist created it with their hands and tools. You can replicate this style with design programs on your electronic devices.

27. Pointillism

Pointillism is a painting technique first used in Paris in the 1880s. The artist uses individual dots of paint, ink, or other materials to create an entire image from smaller particles. With this technique, you can use different colors, create a variety of shapes, and even include shading, depth, and gradient. Up close, you can see all the individual dots, but when you step back, you see one cohesive picture. You can replicate this style on the computer using a design software program.

28. Pop Art

Pop art was a new and exciting style in the 1950s and 60s, which focused on representing American popular culture in iconography. It used themes of famous products, pastimes, and celebrities to tell the “American Story,” or sometimes to mock it. Focus areas include bold colors, grainy texture, and heavy typeface.

29. Quilting

Quilting is a textile art form that involves stitching together two or more layers of fabric, with padding in between, in unique patterns. It’s a common tool to make blankets, pillowcases, clothing, or wall hangings. Patterns include the nine-patch, log cabin, pinwheel, and eight-point star. Each pattern uses a series of geometric shapes—like squares, rectangles, and triangles—but the arrangement makes each one unique.

30. Sand Painting

Sand painting is a precise art form associated with some North American and Indian indigenous cultures. It involves using crushed, colored sandstone, pollen, charcoal, or other dry materials to create a design. Because of its cultural origins, common subjects include Mandalas or other designs with intricate, repeating patterns.

31. Splatter Paint

Splatter paint originated in New York in the 1940s and was a derivative of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Jackson Pollock is one of the most famous splatter artists. You can use this technique with almost any type of paint on any surface or canvas. It’s often chaotic because there’s no easy way to control where the drops fall. Characteristics of this style include a lack of uniformity, gravity, and circular shapes.

32. Spray Paint

Spray paint is the most commonly used tool for graffiti and some types of street art. It comes in aerosol cans, with a nozzle that allows you to spray liquid near or far from the canvas. This can affect the color, saturation, and design pattern.

33. Stained Glass

Stained glass style is most often associated with windows and religious institutions, but you can use it for many artistic projects, including graphic design ideas. The glass gets its color from a metallic oxide coating during manufacturing. Then those pieces get placed in a frame and melded together with materials like stone, lead, or metal. In design inspiration, focus on characteristics like vibrant colors, use of heavy lines, fractured layouts, and opaqueness.

34. Stop Animation

Stop animation is a common term in  moviemaking , but it can also influence your static and dynamic graphic designs. This animation technique films a subject by repeatedly stopping and starting each frame. It gives inanimate objects or figures the impression of moving. It may use 2D or 3D subjects, such as paper cutouts, clay figures, or live-action people or items. This style may be popular for graphic designers who work in  GIFs , social media, or other types of clips.

35. Surrealism

Surrealism is an artistic style closely related to escapism but preceded that technique. In 1924, writer André Breton discussed the concept of bypassing consciousness to understand how thought functions. This style shows things that may not make sense in the conscious world. For example, consider dreams. Sometimes you know you’re supposed to be looking at an object you know well and your conscious mind understands that, but in the dream, that thing doesn’t look like it normally does when you’re awake. This understanding, paired with confusion, is the guiding principle of surrealism.

36. Tactile

tactile rainbow coral reef made out of clay with the words be real below it

Image via  Behance  by Natalia  Kuzmina

Tactile designs are most common in real-world images and graphics. They’re a type of adaptive image for those with blindness or visual impairments. Similar to how braille is a series of raised bumps for reading, a tactile graphic has raised or textured parts so people can experience it with a sense of touch rather than just seeing it with their eyes. Though it’s not possible yet to do this with a digital image, you can mimic the way one looks on the computer. Pay attention to color, shading, depth, and texture.

37. Tie-Dye

The earliest evidence of tie-dye goes back to the 6th century in China, Japan, and India. In the United States, tie-dye became popular in the 1920s. The concept of using colored dye to create patterns on clothing and accessories is most often associated with the 1960s and 1970s counterculture movements and rock music of the hippie era. Characteristics of tie-dye include bold colors, blending, bleeding, use of negative space, and circular patterns.

38.  Trompe L’oeil

The phrase trompe  l’oeil  is French for “deceives the eye.” This technique encourages optical illusions to trick your eyes and brain into thinking the image is three-dimensional. Subjects often include people or everyday objects. Designers may use the border of the piece and layering to enhance the illusion. Focal characteristics include framing, depth, shading, and perspective.

39. Typography

graphic design ideas black t-shirt with headphones logo that says right between your ears

Image via  99designs  by @ stevenmink

Typography focuses mainly, sometimes only, on turning your word and font choice into the entire focus of a design. The words themselves may form shapes, or the fonts may be the primary subject of the pieces. This is a common design choice for logos, posters, and other branding materials.

40.  Ukiyo-e

Ukiyo-e  is a type of Japanese printed or painted artwork that uses hand-carved woodblock to make scenes and designs. The style may be something familiar to vector graphic designers because it uses some of the same elements. Characteristics of  ukiyo-e  design include flat colors, bold outlines, and limited perspective.

Voxel  is a digital art that uses 3D pixels, called volumetric pixels, to create an illustration or animation. Similar to 3D art, areas of focus include shading, depth, geometric shapes, and lines. The video game  Minecraft  and the 2015 movie  Pixels  both incorporate this style.

42. Watercolor

Watercolor design is as simple as incorporating the look and feel, or actual watercolor painting, into your project. You can create anything in the watercolor image, from geometric shapes to backgrounds. Characteristics of this technique include bleeding and blending color, gradient, texture, and imperfect edges.

43. Wood Carving

Wood carving is exactly what it sounds like: creating an image, object, or sculpture with wood. Like other sculptors, woodcarvers often start with a log or plant of wood and cut, chip, and carve away negative space until they’re left with the desired result. Looking at these designs can help you understand positive and negative space in a work.

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20 of the best graphic design projects to inspire you to enter this year's A' Design Awards

You don't have long to enter this year's A' Design Awards , the world's leading annual competition that gives you the chance to be internationally recognised and join the very best artists, architects and designers.

Souldrops Detergent by Réka Baranyi

Souldrops Detergent by Réka Baranyi

Every year projects that focus on innovation, technology, design and creativity secure an A' Design Award. Categories range from Good Industrial Design and Good Architecture Design to Good Communication Design and Good Product Design, and there are 100 of them to choose from, so there's something to suit every creative discipline.

For now, we're delving deeper into last year's winners, focusing on the winning graphic design projects from packaging to visual communication. This will hopefully give you some encouragement to put forward your own work for consideration. Scroll to the bottom to find out how to enter. In the meantime, here are Creative Boom's top 20 graphic design winners of the A'Design Awards in 2017.

1. Excalibur Limited Edition packaging by Fengsheng Cai

The inspiration behind the design for Excalibur whisky by Fengsheng Cai came from the legend of the sword of King Arthur as well as his armour.

Featuring the bottle inside the packaging, it rises up slowly with the opening of the outer case. "The package is shaped like a teardrop diamond," explains Fengsheng, "meaning every dip of the whisky is as precious and glorious as the diamond."

Excalibur limited edition packaging by Fengsheng Cai

Excalibur limited edition packaging by Fengsheng Cai

2. Omdesign 2017 promotional packaging by Omdesign

Omdesign's promotional packaging celebrates the 165 national and international awards they have won in the last three years, using sustainable materials in light of Portugal's devastated forest following fires and extreme drought in 2017.

Omdesign 2017 promotional Packaging Promotional packaging by Omdesign

Omdesign 2017 promotional Packaging Promotional packaging by Omdesign

3. Amaro 33 packaging by YG Design

For Amaro 33, a new grappa-based liqueur, YG Design created contemporary packaging for a traditional drink that would appeal more to a younger audience. During the day, the label looks elegant and modern, but at night it brightens up and glows in the dark.

Amaro 33 by YG Design

Amaro 33 by YG Design

4. Souldrops Detergent by Réka Baranyi

Souldrops is a laundry detergent brand whose packaging and identity by Réka Baranyi really stands out from the crowd. You could call its design revolutionary, as there is no other detergent in the world that shares the same look and feel. We especially love the reimagined bottle shapes and the dreamy palette of pastel colours.

Souldrops Detergent by Réka Baranyi

5. Santaren Rum Bottle by Estudio Maba

A narrative design inspired by old engraving graphics, the packaging for Santaren rum suggests that the drink takes a long time to produce. That it's old and therefore full of feeling and history. Estudio Maba's packaging evokes a calm elegance of the distilling process as its amber hues contrast delicately with its lush textured label.

Santaren Rum packaging by Estudio Maba

Santaren Rum packaging by Estudio Maba

6. Flo Alkaline Water by Matter Branding

"With water being an elemental part of existence, the main concept behind the brand is how nature comes to life with the nurturing quality of water, a quality that flows through every aspect via the cycle of life," explains Matter Branding of its packaging design for Flo Alkaline Water.

Matter adds: "We were approached to work on the creation of a premium brand for the only Alkaline water to be released in Egypt, with a brand name and design that are unique and strong enough to become the most aspirational, Egyptian, water brand in the market. With a modern, progressive and artistic persona, we set to work to create an intricate brand that conveys its values of being bold, sophisticated and vibrant."

Flo Alkaline Water by Matter Branding

Flo Alkaline Water by Matter Branding

7. Licha Packaging by Uvisual

Licha, a local tea brand in Taiwan, is inspired by "the affection of gifts", emphasising the brand experience of "sweet quality, fresh mellowness and long lasting aftertaste". Licha has always worked closely with local tea farmers in Taiwan to source teas with a rich and full flavour and an enduring aftertaste. Its products include gift sets, teas and iced teas.

Uvisual's brand expands on the idea of sending gifts by creating western-styled sophistication, integrating the classic and the chic, and highlighting characteristics of different products with bright and colourful packaging, thus promoting the fine teas of Taiwan to the world.

LiCha Packaging by Uvisual

LiCha Packaging by Uvisual

8. Maker Oats brand packaging by PepsiCo Design

PepsiCo's brand packaging for Maker Oats was inspired by Scandinavian simplicity. The design language embraces simple geometry paired with clean iconography and san serif letterforms while also translating traditional premium cues into a modern interpretation.

Simple, natural, and high quality are the design principles the agency used to create the Maker brand. Black and white with an intense hit of colour. Simple iconography to communicate. A few little moments of delight to show you how thoughtful Maker Oats are.

Tropical Lighthouse vinyl record by Robert Bazaev

Tropical Lighthouse vinyl record by Robert Bazaev

9. Tropical Lighthouse vinyl record by Robert Bazaev

This project by Robert Bazaev was inspired by tunes and sounds of the tropical forest, and the main musical inspiration is oeuvre of the musician and artist Mtendere Mandowa famous under his stage name Teebs. His music contains special beats and vibrations combined with a light vibe of retro creating alien landscapes in imagination.

Maker Oats brand packaging by PepsiCo Design and Innovation

Maker Oats brand packaging by PepsiCo Design and Innovation

10. In The Mood for Coffee packaging by Salvita Bingelyte

"I immediately thought of monkeys since they are a common thread among the five coffee regions represented," says designer Salvita Bingelyte of her packaging for In The Mood for Coffee. "I was inspired by their expressions and behaviours, which seem to reflect their moods, much like us humans.

"By using monkey illustrations with expressions that reflect their mood, it creates an impressionable and long-lasting image, playful and a bit ironic, especially with a hat on their head."

In The Mood for Coffee packaging by Salvita Bingelyte

In The Mood for Coffee packaging by Salvita Bingelyte

11. Death by Chocolate by Alain Aebersold

We love this album artwork by Alain Aebersold for Death by Chocolate, a Swiss rock music band. Inspired by the album's name, Crooked for You, Alain wanted to work with a crooked and surreal landscape, as he explains: "I got a lot of inspiration from old science fiction illustrations of others worlds. Worlds with landscapes that aren't seen on earth, something special, and at the same time familiar.

"Another inspiration was all the iconic music artworks. Artworks like The Dark Side of the Moon from Pink Floyd or Unkown Pleasures from Joy Division. Something that sticks in people's heads. Something that becomes one with the music."

Death by Chocolate by Alain Aebersold

Death by Chocolate by Alain Aebersold

12. Calendar 2018 Puzzle by Katsumi Tamura

This clever 3D calendar is something you have to put together yourself. Designed by Katsumi Tamura, it's a puzzle that becomes a useful tool as well as an attractive desk accessory.

"I think it's wonderful if there is a calendar that's like a toy," Katsumi explains. "Users can change the form freely and make various forms: waterwheel, car, and original object. The puzzle is a calendar consisting of various pieces in circle, triangle and square shapes. Play with the colourful, patterned pieces and put them together any way you like."

Calendar 2018 Puzzle by Katsumi Tamura

Calendar 2018 Puzzle by Katsumi Tamura

13. Mangata Patisserie Bakery visual identity by M — N Associates

As Mangata Patisserie launched to become one of the most luxury bakeries in Saigon, serving beautifully designed cakes to a sophisticated audience, M — N Associates was appointed to create an identity to reflect its high-tea concept. "The owner has been wandering, researching and studying for a long time in French and Belgium to find exclusive recipes," says the Saigon consultancy.

"Endorsing the minimal lifestyle of Northern Europe, the name is chosen for its unique meaning, a feeling for falling in love, romantic and delight, like a beautiful novel, a love song, something comes without thoughts but from the bottom of hearts."

Mangata Patisserie Bakery visual identity by M — N Associates

Mangata Patisserie Bakery visual identity by M — N Associates

14. Way of Knowledge book design by Yuta Takahashi

Inspired by the designs of cloisters and leather bound bibles found in churches and the images of "doors we imagine when we visualise the human thought process", Yuta Takahashi combined these concepts for his book design for Way of Knowledge and the Holy Spirit, written by Michael Debus.

As the likely readers are researchers and people well versed in their fields, Yuta also took inspiration from the writing implements and notebooks they might use.

Way of Knowledge book design by Yuta Takahashi

Way of Knowledge book design by Yuta Takahashi

15. Tri-leg calendar by Katsumi Tamura

Another great 3D calendar by Katsumi Tamura, this time focusing on a more minimalist design. The Tri-leg is made up of three-legged units. "By assembling the triangular pieces and stacking them so they are easily visible, you can create a beautiful work of calendar art," explains Katsumi.

"Quality designs have the power to modify space and transform the minds of its users. They offer the comfort of seeing, holding and using. They are imbued with lightness and an element of surprise, enriching space."

Tri-leg calendar by Katsumi Tamura

Tri-leg calendar by Katsumi Tamura

16. Different Everyday by Bao Xiying

Bao Xiying's unusual dot-to-dot calendar is a clever concept: as each day passes, you can join the dots until, at the end of each month, you have drawn a completed building. Each month stems from the buildings in Tongji University in Shanghai, China.

"I deeply admire the modern and unique architectural style on campus and I can often be inspired by the academic atmosphere and interaction created by these buildings," says Bao. "Tongji University is celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2017, which is why this calendar is designed exclusively."

Different Everyday by Bao Xiying

Different Everyday by Bao Xiying

17. Anti-Glitch Foundation by André Arruda at Papanapa

Anti-Glitch Foundation is a post-production company which approached Brazilian studio, Papanapa, to develop its new visual identity. It wanted the new brand to represent the technological, creative and automated process behind its services.

"Our research and exploration process lead us to a rich visual universe inspired by the 8-bit language; the incomprehension and inconsistency left by glitches, and the half-tones present on low-res technology," says designer André Arruda.

"We also incorporated many film structures' concepts such as fragments, montage, exaggeration and conflict, as the fundamental basis for the entire visual system, increasing the narrative within the brand.

Anti-Glitch Foundation by André Arruda at Papanapa

Anti-Glitch Foundation by André Arruda at Papanapa

18. Haymarket brand identity by 25AH Design Studio

For Haymarket, a Scandinavian luxury hotel based in Stockholm, 25AH were inspired by the building's strong history and by the 1920’s art deco movement. "Our objective was to create an identity that felt natural at the same time as it was unexpected. We, therefore, created the concept 'Greta Garbo meets Lady Gaga' which we used as our strategic tool when creating the brand identity."

Haymarket brand identity by 25AH Design Studio

Haymarket brand identity by 25AH Design Studio

19. SAHB Poster by Naoyuki Fukumoto

Naoyuki Fukumoto created this wonderful poster design for Space, Art & Human Body, an exhibition at the Tokyo University of the Arts in the Faculty of Fine Arts.

"In order to appeal directly to the concept of this exhibition, I superimposed a double image of the astronaut and Vitruvius. Astronauts are symbols of 'Universe', Vitruvius is the symbol of 'Art' and 'Human Body'," Naoyuki explains.

SAHB Poster by Naoyuki Fukumoto

SAHB Poster by Naoyuki Fukumoto

20. Watson Vegan Truck by Donovan Bernini

Donovan Bernini's visual identity for Watson Vegan Truck is inspired by fast food trends but also from ancient craft store signs which used capital lettering fonts. Because the brand's unique selling point was based on organic food and a premium offering, the identity used a dominant pastel green colour and a refined graphic design.

Watson Vegan Truck by Donovan Bernini

Watson Vegan Truck by Donovan Bernini

If you want to submit your work and enter the 2018 A' Design Awards , you have to register online and follow the simple instructions. Entries will be judged by an international panel of over 200 leading designers, prominent academics and influential members of the press.

If you win the coveted prize, you'll get special treatment with lots of publicity, an award trophy and certificate, a gala night of celebrations at Lake Como in Italy (with the chance to network with the best in the industry) and inclusion in an exhibition for all the winners. You'll even be included in a special edition, hardback yearbook of published works.

Of course, we don't need to remind you that awards are an excellent way to showcase your skills and expertise. They add that extra layer of credibility, proving to potential clients that you're worthy of their attention. Winning an A' Design Award also means you can add its logo to your website and marketing materials for life.

Deadline is 30 September 2018 and winners will be announced on 15 April 2019 (watch this space, as we'll be sharing them on Creative Boom too). To find out more about the A' Design Awards, visit whatisadesignaward.com .

graphic design projects to do

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10 Projects to Improve Your Design Skills

Bethany Cartwright

Updated: September 16, 2022

Published: February 14, 2018

Design is -- and always will be -- a big part of marketing.

design projects to improve your design skills

But that doesn't mean every single marketer needs to be an expert designer. After all, the skills needed to be an effective marketer cover a wide breadth of expertise areas. Taking a note from Rand Fishkin's T-Shaped Marketer concept , marketers need to have a baseline knowledge of many different topics and a depth of knowledge in one topic.

graphic design projects to do

Source: The T-Shaped Web Marketer, Moz

So where do design skills come into play?

I don't think it's a stretch to say that every piece of content you create needs to have some awareness of design. From something as big as your website, to something as small as your social images: it all depends on good design.

Download Now: 150+ Content Creation Templates [Free Kit]

And while many marketers might be lucky enough to have a design team at their disposal, it still helps to have an understanding of what make a good design to effectively work with that design team.

Even if you do have a design team, chances are, you may need to create designs yourself every now and then when resources get low.

Whatever the case might be, improving your design skills starts with practice.

To help you get started, I've put together 10 design projects I think every marketer should try to start practicing their design skills. 

And, if you want to learn all about the tools, tips, and tricks non-designers need to know, join us for a live workshop -- Design for Non-Designers: How to Create Beautiful, Engaging Content for Social and Beyond -- with Adobe Designers and HubSpot content strategists. Register Now!

In the meantime, start practicing your skills with some of the following design projects.

1. Design Your Personal Website

One of the best ways to practice your design skills for a practical use is to develop a personal website. Personal websites can be as a creative or straightforward as you want them to be. The process of making one will help you think about how you want to represent yourself. And, best of all, you'll end up with a professional website to link to for networking and more.

Below is an example of a creative , beautifully designed personal website. Don't be afraid to get creative and change your website design over time as your skills improve.

website-1

Image Source

2. Write and Design an Infographic

If you're a content marketer, one way to stretch your design skills while still creating content for your job is to create an infographic. People process visual content 60,000X faster than written content alone, so an infographic is a great way to combine both visuals and written information.

Start with a concept and make it visual. There are tons of amazing infographics out there for you to draw inspiration from.

website-2

3. Local business Website Homepage

If you're an aspiring web designer or want to take a leap and test the limits of your skills, try designing a website for a local business. Local businesses don't often tons of pages on their site. Instead, many just need a central homepage with basic information like hours, contact information, etc.

Below is a local business homepage from a cafe in Cambridge, MA called Cafe Luna . The overall design is relatively simple, but it does it's job in portraying the aesthetic of the restaurant while also displaying necessary information that's most relevant to website visitors.

website-3

4. A Set of 10 Social Images for Twitter and Facebook

Most content marketers interact with social media frequently, whether your a community manager or are asking your community manager for social promotion. One way to increase your design skills is to volunteer to design a set of social images for a campaign you want to promote.

I'd suggest commiting to creating 10 unique images for any one campaign. With a tool like Canva , it's very easy to create images with the correct social media dimensions in a bulk set. See below for an example.

When you create a set of 10 images for one campaign, you'll also find yourself iterating on previous designs and getting with each image you design.

graphic design projects to do

5. Set of Icons

If you want to get better at uniform design, try creating your own set of icons. Come up with a list of 10-20 ideas you want to represent in icon form. It could be as simple as 20 different foods you want to create as icons. 

Don't cheat by using a platform like FlatIcon (although, if you ever need icons to use in your content creation, I highly recommend the site for finding illustrations). Use a tool like Adobe Illustrator to work with lines and shapes to create a set of uniform icons that fit a theme. Icons are great because they can be used over time and help you practice creating a cohesive theme.

website-4

6. Ebook Cover and Layout

Working on an upcoming ebook or long-form content campaign? Focus on improving your design skills by going above and beyond on the ebook cover and layout. Learning to lay out long-form content in a visually appealing way goes a long way for practicing your design skills.

As a best practice, try using Adobe InDesign for ebooks. It's a powerful tool that's made specifically for creating long-form content like books. 

website-5

7. A Week of Instagram Posts

Designing images for Instagram is different from designing images for Twitter and Facebook. As a highly visual mobile-first platform, designing Instagram posts will help you think about design from a mobile-first angle.

Try using Adobe Spark Post for creating Instagram images. It has a wide variety of tools and pre-built designs for you to play around with and create something new.

If you focus on creating a week or more worth of Instagram posts, you'll be practicing your design skills and creating a backlog of images your social team can use when they have open editorial slots.

website-6

8. A Branding Starter Kit

A big component of learning design skills is learning the ins and outs of color theory and typography. Want a practical project to hone in on those skills? Design a branding starter kit. Whether for your brand or just for practice, a good brand kit will include a typography hierarchy, a cohesive color schemes, and visual guidelines for future designers and collaborate.

Use big-name brand style guides, like this one from Medium , as your inspiration when building your first style guide.

website-7

9. A Set of Standard Email Templates

Wish you had better emails templates to work with? Why not take a stab at designing them yourself? You might need to secure web development resources to have them coded, but designing them yourself will help fill a need for your team all while helping you practice your design skills.

Make sure to focus on a cohesive design while creating a few templates for different needs, like:

  • Blog subscriber email template
  • Email newsletter template
  • Offer promotional template
  • Welcome email template

website-8

  Image Source

10. Landing Page Images for Your Content Campaigns

Last but not least, a great way to improve your design skills is to put energy into designing images for your landing pages. Not only will you improve your design skills, but creating new images gives you a great opportunity to test your conversion rates and improve CRO over time.

Don't just stick with a basic ebook cover in an iPad. Try out header photos with corresponding agenda images, like the one from our Four Days of Facebook campaign below:

Don't forget to A/B test those images to see how they affect conversion rates!

website-9

Image Source 

Practice Makes Perfect

When it comes to becoming a better designer, practice is key. It doesn't happen overnight. Start with small projects you think you can handle and work your way up -- don't try to tackle all 10 projects in one day!

Practice makes perfect, but it also helps to have tools and tips from seasoned designers. That's why HubSpot and Adobe teamed up to bring you a live workshop -- Design for Non-Designers: How to Create Engaging, Beautiful Content for Social and Beyond. Join us live or watch it on demand. Register Now!

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Don't forget to share this post!

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8 Easy DIY Graphic Design Projects

8 Easy DIY Graphic Design Projects

If you are not a professional designer or lack a graphic design background, choosing the DIY approach may be more beneficial. This allows you to enhance your graphic design skills while having fun, or perhaps you have a few graphic design ideas that you want to explore.

Viewing each DIY project as a stepping stone towards progress is essential. Whether experiencing a creative block, seeking inspiration, operating on a tight budget or lacking professional design skills, DIY projects can be an excellent way to delve into graphic design.

Evolution of Graphic Design is Here to Stay

Yes, PR and marketing graph design comes have become expensive over time. And that’s because graphic design continues to evolve at a faster pace. It is the main reason companies hire talented freelancers or independent contractors to save money and receive the best graphic design service.

DIY Graphic Design: It’s Easier than You Think

Contrary to a naïve misconception, graphic design applications have become simpler and easier than ever. So, why is it so hard to create a logo for a company ? Well, you have to be subtle and intuitive to create a logo. If you want the design to be truly great, it would be more practical to hire a professional graphic designer who understands intricacies such as curves and perfect lines.

Focus on 8 DIY Graphic Design Projects

Now, without further ado, let’s look at the 8 most easy and straightforward DIY graphic design projects you can try today:

1. Infographics

Infographics have become an essential graphic design tool for communicating information practically and effectively. They have become a staple element in modern blog posts and are highly favored by digital marketers for their ability to simplify complex information through data charts.

Creating intuitive infographics doesn’t necessarily require advanced graphic design skills. Anyone can create stunning infographics with tools like Canva and a bit of bravery, curiosity, and creative ingenuity. It’s essential to experiment with different visualizations of your complex data and determine which style stands out the most.

Logos are the official representation of an organization or company and creating an attractive logo requires a personalized approach and attention to detail. To create the best logo, it’s important to focus on the needs, culture, and business position of the company. The most effective logo becomes synonymous and natural to the company.

A DIY logo should be appropriate and precise at the same time.

For a DIY logo, simplicity and appropriateness are key. The logo should accurately reflect the essence and values of the company while following the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle. Take some time to examine the logos of major brands and note their clean, catchy, understandable, and minimalist design.

You don’t need to be an expert in Adobe Illustrator to create a simple logo. Free tools like Wix Logo Maker can help you create a professional-looking logo with ease.

3. Brochures

The last thing you want to do is design your brochure in haste. On the bright side, now you can create a professional brochure on various online and dedicated graphic design platforms. Once you figure out the brochure details, you can try out various color palettes and aesthetic choices that make the brochure appealing to users.

PR, communication, and marketing professionals today design brochures for specific events or promotions. Avoid using complicated software and use a simple online platform like Lucidpress or Canva . In fact, you can browse an ocean of brochure templates. After you select a design, you can adjust the template and add more features. It is a much better option to craft a brochure design from scratch.

4. Banners and Photo Collages

Banners are not so different from social media covers. It would be fair to state that banners are the most standard graphic design for PR and marketing professionals. Whether it’s print banners or digital ad banners, you can design a banner in a few steps.

You can use Canva or Creatopy to design banners effortlessly. Just follow the basic design rules and your banner will look like professionals design it. Similarly, you can use a collage maker to create a series of photo collages for business or personal use.

For instance, you can use free photo editing tools like PicMonkey and Fotor to craft impressive collages. You can use designed templates and add image effects to make collages look more attractive. Focus on authenticity and simplicity in each collage to ensure a creative experience.

5. Business Cards

Business cards still represent the professional face of a business entity. In fact, designing business cards is more common than you think. For instance, when a company hires a new executive or manager, it already has a dedicated business card template. 

You can use the vector graphics editor to create visually impressive business cards. Pay attention to the size of the DIY project to create a perfect design. Ordinarily, 1050 x 600 pixels is the common standard for business cards.

It is hard to think about websites, mockups, and presentations without icons, right? Well, now you can make your custom designs of icons. Besides, professional graphic designers charge a lot of money for a single icon package.

Entrepreneurs and startup business owners who decide to design their personalized icons garner more attraction. In the end, designing icons boils down to simplicity. But if you don’t want to design icons from scratch, you can buy high-quality icons from Iconfinder. After that, you can customize as per your specific needs.

If you want to play around with graphic designs online, Canva is undeniably the best platform. You’d be surprised to find basic and complex graphic designs on Canva. But for the most part, you should be able to take care of icon customization independently.

7. UI Mockups

If you’re not a graphic designer, UI mockups may sound too complicated, and that’s fair. But you can’t communicate with your developers about the user interface when you don’t have the budget to hire a UI/UX designer team.

In this case, you don’t have to opt for expensive tools. Instead, get a free mock-up software or vector graphics editor. You can use the Moqups tool to craft detailed and simple UI mockups. Remember, your UI mockups don’t have to be perfect. They should just be good enough to help you convey your UI ideas to developers.

8. YouTube Visual Graphics

To become an influential YouTuber or social media manager, you must learn to craft various ideas for graphic design projects. Most YouTubers with dedicated channels have acquired pro graphic design skills over time.

Your objective should be to teach yourself throughout the journey.

Start with designing the cover image of your channel and then move on to the icons. Consider the sizes of the cover to find pre-built design templates. As mentioned earlier, you can use Vectr or Canva platforms to create YouTube designs.

DIY Graphic Design Projects: What Should be YOUR Approach?

From non-graphic designer to beginner designer, you can focus on DIY projects to make a swift transition. Your objective should be to teach yourself throughout the journey. If you want to learn or polish your graphic design skills, practice is the key.

As a graphic designer, you must understand that your work speaks for itself. You will need graphic design project ideas. So, gain complete creative freedom over your work and make the most out of each project. Your combination of skills, completed projects, and graphic design experience is bound to impress others.

As a beginner graphic designer, you should follow the lead of creative directors and professional graphic designers who exercise utmost caution in each project. Also, take your time no matter what DIY project you want to start. 

In retrospect, you must be broadminded and innovative from the start to start any graphic design DIY project. Besides, you no longer have to depend on traditional methods to create graphic design. In the digital age, more than enough tools can help you render an impressive graphic design.

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79+ Creative Canva Project Ideas For Students

Canva Project Ideas For Students

  • Post author By Pooja Barman
  • October 30, 2023

In today’s fast-paced world, creativity is a highly sought-after skill. Students, in particular, can benefit tremendously from honing their creative abilities. Canva, a user-friendly graphic design tool, offers many creative possibilities to help students unleash their artistic potential.

Creativity is not only essential for art students; it’s a skill that every student can cultivate. From presentation design to social media graphics, Canva provides an array of templates and tools that can be used across various subjects and extracurricular activities.

In this blog, we will explore 79+ creative Canva project ideas that students can use to boost your creativity.

Also Like To Read: 149+ Best Antenna Projects for ECE Final Year Students

  • Table of Contents

What Is Canva

Canva is a free online graphic design tool that lets anyone make great images even if they have never done design work before. It comes with many themes and design elements, like pictures, fonts, shapes, and backgrounds.

Over 190 languages are supported by Canva, and more than 100 million people use it every month. It’s a popular choice among both new and experienced artists because it has a simple layout and lots of useful features.

Here are some of the things you can create with Canva:

  • Social media posts and graphics
  • Presentations and reports
  • Posters and flyers
  • Logos and branding materials
  • Invitations and greeting cards
  • Business cards and resumes
  • Ebooks and worksheets
  • Websites and landing pages
  • Videos and animations

Can I Use Canva For School Projects

You can use Canva for schoolwork, for sure. It is popular with students of all ages because it is simple to use and has many themes and design features that are great for making school projects like;

Best Canva Projects For School Students

1. Presentations

Canva has a lot of presentation designs that you can change to make presentations for your classes that are both visually appealing and useful.

Canva lets you make interesting and useful reports about many different subjects.

Canva is a great app for making signs for school events like science shows and history projects.

You can make flyers for school clubs, sports teams, and other events outside of school with Canva.

5. Mind maps

Canva has many mind map designs that you can use to arrange your ideas and thoughts for school projects.

6. Worksheets

Canva lets you make worksheets that your students or friends can interact with.

Canva is a great app for making images that help you understand data and information for school projects.

79+ Most Interesting & Creative Canva Project Ideas For Students

Following are the most useful Canva project ideas for students are help you create a good project.

  • Social Media Graphics
  • Resume Design
  • Event Invitations
  • Business Cards
  • Presentation Slides
  • Certificates
  • Logo Design
  • YouTube Thumbnails
  • Greeting Cards
  • T-shirt Design
  • Resume Templates
  • Newsletter Design
  • Recipe Cards
  • Instagram Stories
  • Album Covers
  • Business Proposals
  • School Projects
  • Party Banners
  • E-book Covers
  • Graphs and Charts
  • Magazine Covers
  • Mood Trackers
  • Infographics
  • Business Plans
  • Portfolio Websites
  • Quiz Posters
  • Annual Reports
  • Email Headers
  • Zoom Backgrounds
  • Thank You Cards
  • Research Posters
  • Wedding Invitations
  • Mood Boards
  • Digital Art
  • Word Search
  • Recipe Books
  • Business Documents
  • Blog Banners
  • Product Labels
  • Twitter Headers
  • Educational Posters
  • Survey Forms
  • Event Programs
  • Letterheads
  • Storyboards
  • Podcast Covers
  • Product Packaging
  • Creative Writing
  • Art Portfolios
  • Mood Journals
  • Resume Builders
  • Science Posters
  • Art Critique Slides
  • Book Covers
  • Poetry Books
  • Writing Prompts
  • Journal Covers
  • Storytelling Flyers
  • Journal Pages
  • Music Playlists
  • Color Palettes
  • Event Tickets
  • Virtual Backgrounds
  • Concept Maps
  • Case Studies

Most Interesting Canva Project Ideas For Students

Amazing canva project ideas for beginners, good canva project ideas for high school students, canva project ideas for elementary students, art canva project ideas, how to use canva for for school projects.

Here are the following steps are help you to use a canvas to create Canva projects for school projects.

  • Pick a style that fits the topic of your project and the kind of visual content you want to make.
  • Change the template to make it fit your brand and style.
  • Use pictures and fonts of good quality.
  • You can make a design that looks good and tells you something by adding text, shapes, and other design elements.
  • Carefully check your work for mistakes before turning it in.

Conclusion – Canva Project Ideas

Canva is a versatile and user-friendly platform that offers students countless opportunities to develop their creativity. By engaging in these 79+ creative project ideas, students can enhance their design skills, boost their creativity, and prepare themselves for a world that values visual communication and artistic expression.

So, whether you’re a student looking to impress your professors, boost your online presence, or simply have fun, Canva has something for everyone. Start your creative journey today and watch your skills flourish in no time.

Is it legal to use designs from Canva?

Yes, it is legal to use designs from Canva as long as you comply with their terms of use and any applicable licensing restrictions.

Can you legally sell things you make on Canva?

Canva’s CLA allows both Free and Pro users to sell their designs on printed merchandise, like posters, mugs and even tote bags.

Do I own the rights to my Canva logo?

Canva’s logo templates are customizable and can be used by anyone. This means that your rights to the logo are non-exclusive and you can’t register it as a trademark.

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Inspiring Wax Museum Project Ideas

12 Flooring Trends Design Experts Say Will Be Big in 2024

From wide plank flooring to terrazzo, here's what homeowners should embrace this year.

flooring trends 2024

Their flooring trend predictions are as varied as you might expect. There's an appreciation for natural materials, like limestone and travertine, to ground a bathroom's design scheme. There's also consideration for tiles with statement colors and large-scale patterns to inject personality into a space. Of course, you can always go for chic rugs that boast graphic prints or mix low and high piles. There's no shortage of durable and visually appealing flooring ideas these days.

Take a look below for the complete list, which has all the inspiration you need for a budget-friendly refresh or a full renovation . Looking for more of the year's top interior design trends ? Check out these stories:

Trending Paint Colors | Bathroom Trends | Kitchen Trends

Rich Walnut Hardwood

a white couch and a lamp

"In line with the resurgence of color saturation, pattern, and traditional design elements, there's a return to rich, walnut hardwood floors over modern washed gray and bleached light oak. This finish blends beautifully with vintage furniture and decor and adds a historic depth, saturation and richness to any home." — Kelsey Menoian, Havenly Creative Lead

Rugs With Low and High Piles

neutral living room

“Rugs that mix high and low piles are trending for 2024, proving simplicity can make a statement. For example, the Iman Rug’s unique mix of touchable textures evokes a sense of coziness and comfort, especially for the colder winter months. Adding a neutral rug with various textures and piles is one of the easiest ways to turn your floor into a focal point.” — Ashley Stark, co-founder of Ashley Stark Home and creative director of STARK

Natural Materials

a white dining room with a chandelier and a table with chairs

“One that sticks out at me as a perennial style and less of a trend is natural flooring. Incorporating natural elements into a home, specifically new construction, is crucial for cultivating a sense of warmth and an inviting atmosphere. In a project nestled in the Texas countryside, we used reclaimed Texas white oak flooring throughout the home. Paired with French limestone walls and bold marble features, the natural, locally-sourced flooring serves as the keystone for this project's organic modern aesthetic. We will be seeing a range of natural flooring choices as a leading design trend in 2024.” — Paloma Contreras, interior designer

Large Shapes and Patterns

a dining room with a table and chairs

"The bold floor is making a massive comeback, especially in black and white. It's a Hollywood Regency experience that is being refreshed into much larger shapes and patterns. My own line for DUCHATEAU was inspired by the Dorothy Draper styles of the 1940’s but given a more contemporary twist with scales. As seen in RuPaul’s home, they add instant drama!" — Martyn Lawrence Bullard, interior designer

Wide Plank Flooring

a room with a bookcase and a couch

"Flooring with cool tones are way outdated now. Instead, we will continue to see more wide plank wood floors in warm tones. They'll be paired with warm natural tiles like unglazed terracotta." — Jennifer Fisher, interior designer

Square Patterns

a black and white tiled hallway

"Squares are taking shape throughout interiors. Whether seamless or in a checkerboard pattern, the look is a nod to trending neoclassical style with Art Deco influence. It’s an upscale approach to everyday spaces." — Ashley Biscan, interior design and trend expert, Floor & Decor

Patterned Tiles

natural wood vanity in new bathroom

"Patterned tiles have become a popular trend, because they offer a fantastic way to infuse personality and character into a space. These tiles come in a wide range of designs, from intricate geometric patterns to floral motifs and everything in between. This versatility allows you to find a pattern that suits your style, whether it's modern, traditional, or eclectic." — Marie Cloud, interior designer

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

a kitchen with a wood floor

"Luxury vinyl plank flooring is going to be really popular in 2024 because the durability is unmatched. With kids and pets, other flooring can get scratched so easily. People choose this flooring since it's scratch-resistant and won’t show wear and tear. My own flooring line, Christina Collection Flooring, can withstand high-traffic areas like kitchens and hallways. It will look new for years to come!"— Christina Hall , interior designer and founder of Christina Collection Flooring

a bathroom with a tub and a plant

"Grounding spaces in natural materials create restorative rooms. Honed stone and matte hardwood are essential elements to an authentic design. Rooted in earth tones, limestone, travertine and wood are the warm neutrals that stay fresh season after season." — Ashley Biscan, interior design and trend expert, Floor & Decor

a white table with a plant on it in front of a fireplace

"A dimensional rug, featuring a combination of high and low piles, can significantly enhance the sense of luxury and texture beneath your feet. An example of this technique is seen in my Tundra rug, designed for The Rug Company, which plays with scale to create a sumptuous tactile experience." – Adam Hunter, interior designer

a room with a large window and a patio with plants

"Terrazzo has long been a versatile flooring choice. For 2024, we are seeing terrazzo used in strong pattern play. It's not just a material for mid-century houses and airport lobbies — this imaginative flooring can be both beautiful and hardy." — Martyn Lawrence Bullard, interior designer

Understated Rugs

a table and chairs in a room

"In lieu of splashy statement rugs, I expect homeowners will invest in quieter, textural rugs that are custom-sized, which will create a more tailored look, optimize their floor plan and give more longevity to the space." — Brian Paquette, interior designer and Ernesta ambassador

Headshot of Monique Valeris

Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping , where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor . In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."

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IMAGES

  1. 10 Graphic Design Projects You Can Easily Create Yourself

    graphic design projects to do

  2. Best Graphic Design Portfolio Examples

    graphic design projects to do

  3. 10 Graphic Design Portfolio Examples (Easy Enough To DIY!)

    graphic design projects to do

  4. 22 Graphic Design Ideas & Examples

    graphic design projects to do

  5. 20 of the best graphic design projects to inspire you to enter this

    graphic design projects to do

  6. 5 Brilliant Graphic Design Online Portfolio Examples to Inspire You

    graphic design projects to do

VIDEO

  1. Graphic Design Practice Projects 3

  2. Graphic Design Tips

  3. 7 Projects to include in a beginner Graphic Design Portfolio

  4. Essentials of a Graphic Design Suite You Should be Using Easily for Professional Designs

  5. My 2023 Graphic Design Projects || #graphicdesign #graphics #graphicdesigner

  6. The Ultimate Guide for Beginner Graphics Designers!

COMMENTS

  1. 8 Graphic Design Projects Every Beginner Should Know About

    Table of Content Understanding Different Types of Graphic Design Projects for Beginners The importance of graphic design projects in building a portfolio doesn't need any kind of explanation. It is the primary thing that helps you to attract clients' attention and bring uniqueness in your branding.

  2. Graphic Design Projects for Beginners and Experts

    Embarking on graphic design projects is an excellent way to develop top-tier skills and build a robust graphic design portfolio. We've compiled various graphic design projects for designers with different experience levels that can help sharpen relevant skills.

  3. 9 Project Ideas for Graphic Design Portfolio

    As a graphic designer, your job is to help a company create its brand identity, starting with its color palette and logo design. Keep in mind that all your design projects play a critical role in increasing your client's brand visibility.

  4. 6 Graphic Design Projects & Ideas to Boost Creativity

    Designercize helps you test your problem-solving skills as a designer. You simply choose a level of difficulty and a random design prompt is generated for you. Each prompt acts as a simple brief with information about what you need to design and who it's for. There's also an optional timer if you're up to the challenge.

  5. Blog :: Top Graphic Design Projects of 2022 :: Behance

    Top Graphic Design Projects of 2022. Published December 13, 2022 by the Behance Team. In 2022, designers incorporated bold, confident typefaces and subtle monochrome palettes to create statement identity, branding, and packaging designs. Here are some of the best graphic design projects that the Behance community created this year.

  6. 11 Graphic Design Projects You Can Easily Do It Yourself

    1. Logotypes No one cannot say graphic design without a logo project. A logotype is one of the logo styles that focus on the use of typeface. Just as the logo, logotype work as a company or organization signage. Being a vital part of marketing and brand identity, marketing or PR teams tend to ask the help of graphic creators to do the job.

  7. 11+ Types of Graphic Design Projects for Freelancing

    Jul 20, 2023 | 19 Min Read Design & Creative Article Graphic designers are as committed to function and usability as they are to style, a perspective that's driving growth in an industry that could reach $75.8 billion by 2029. Companies want to tap into that expertise—and that's creating a carousel of new opportunities for you.

  8. Discover Design Ideas & Graphic Design Inspiration

    30. Horseshoe Design. 2. artsigma. 23. 1 2 … 100. Explore top designs created by the very talented Global design community at 99designs. Find creative inspiration and design ideas for your next project.

  9. 66 Graphic Design Ideas To Spark Your Creativity

    1. Abstract The abstract art movement takes real-world objects but makes them look different from how they look in real life. For example, an abstract drawing of a tree may not show it growing upward, but side to side, or in pieces. Artists like Pablo Picasso popularized this style in the 19th century.

  10. Graphic Design Projects that Inspire and Empower [2024]

    Graphic Design Projects offers hands-on learning to build your Graphic Design skills. Designed with job-related tasks in mind, each project provides a unique opportunity to practice and acquire new skills. Expert guidance is available through pre-recorded videos to assist you along the way. Elevate your skill set with Graphic Design Projects!

  11. 10 daily creative design project ideas to get you inspired

    10. Design around the same object each day. This a challenge that gets harder over time, but really pushes creativity, as by day 99 you're likely to have explored a lot. Manu Aranz did a ...

  12. 20 of the best graphic design projects to inspire you to enter this

    Every year projects that focus on innovation, technology, design and creativity secure an A' Design Award. Categories range from Good Industrial Design and Good Architecture Design to Good Communication Design and Good Product Design, and there are 100 of them to choose from, so there's something to suit every creative discipline.. For now, we're delving deeper into last year's winners ...

  13. 10 Projects to Improve Your Design Skills

    10 Projects to Improve Your Design Skills 1. Design Your Personal Website One of the best ways to practice your design skills for a practical use is to develop a personal website. Personal websites can be as a creative or straightforward as you want them to be. The process of making one will help you think about how you want to represent yourself.

  14. 50 amazing graphic designers to inspire you

    A self professed get-the-hell-outa-here New Yorker, Dan Cassaro's works have received accolades from The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal and more. Cassaro focuses on type, lettering, logo design and powerful 70's rock and roll in his beat-up Brooklyn studio. 17. Dana Tanamachi.

  15. 100+ Great Photoshop Tutorials for Clever Beginners

    4. Create an Instagram Story Template with Adobe Photoshop. Instagram stories can be great Photoshop projects, believe it or not. In these Photoshop tutorials for beginners, you'll learn to quickly create Instagram story templates for your accounts. Create an Instagram Story Template with Adobe Photoshop. 5.

  16. 8 Graphic Design Projects To Earn Your First $100

    2. Design a Menu. When it comes to great graphic design projects to make your first $100 as a designer, another good place to look is at your local restaurants. That's because many local restaurants have horribly designed menus. With a quick redesign, you can help restaurateurs increase their revenue by far more than $100.

  17. Create beautiful graphics with Canva

    Inspire future generations with the power of design. Become an education creator. Create and publish your own resources on Canva and earn by sharing. Plans and pricingPlans and pricing. Free. For anyone to design anything, on their own or with family, friends, or others. No experience required.

  18. Make over your life: 7 design projects in 7 days

    Make over your life: 7 design projects in 7 days Visual documents Presentations Graphs and charts Photos and videos Video editor YouTube video editor Photo editor Photo collages Business cards Cards Invitations Mugs T-Shirts Hoodies Calendars Labels Marketing Logos Posters Flyers Brochures Social media Websites Stickers Yard signs QR Code Generator

  19. 8 Easy DIY Graphic Design Projects

    Oct 25, 2023 8 Easy DIY Graphic Design Projects Brandi Marcene Follow If you are not a professional designer or lack a graphic design background, choosing the DIY approach may be more beneficial. This allows you to enhance your graphic design skills while having fun, or perhaps you have a few graphic design ideas that you want to explore.

  20. 79+ Creative Canva Project Ideas For Students

    What Is Canva Canva is a free online graphic design tool that lets anyone make great images even if they have never done design work before. It comes with many themes and design elements, like pictures, fonts, shapes, and backgrounds. Over 190 languages are supported by Canva, and more than 100 million people use it every month.

  21. 15 Graphic Design Tips for Beginners & Non-Designers

    Blog Design Inspiration 15 Graphic Design Tips for Beginners & Non-Designers Written by: Orana Velarde Dec 03, 2020 A good set of graphic design tips always comes in handy when you are a beginner graphic designer, or even a non-designers on the journey to teach yourself some practical graphic design skills.

  22. How to Make a Graphic Design Portfolio + Tips and Examples

    Let's explore the steps to create a graphic design portfolio website: 1. Get a Website Builder. A website builder offers a straightforward approach to creating an online portfolio. It can help designers make professional graphic design portfolio websites without any site development or coding experience.

  23. 21 Graphic Design Projects For Freelancers

    21 Graphic Design Projects to Outsource Graphic designers provide a range of services that can not only take time off your hands as a business owner but also enhance the image of your brand through high-quality visuals. The solutions they offer contribute mainly to your company's marketing efforts.

  24. Learn How To Become A Graphic Designer

    The BLS projects graphic design jobs will grow at a slower-than-average rate between 2021 and 2031, with employment increasing by only 3% during that time frame.

  25. Six graphic design courses listed on Dezeen Courses

    The courses not only provide students with fundamental graphic design knowledge but also nurture the development of their personal style, storytelling abilities and research skills.. With a strong ...

  26. Top Graphic Design Careers

    The graphic design discipline uses art and technology to create images that communicate ideas. It brings context and emotion to text to make messages clearer and more interesting.

  27. Giles Revell, Photographer · Projects · Environment

    Sep 21, 2014 - Rainforest Action Network (RAN): Studio8 Design and Giles Revell, photographer

  28. 12 Biggest Flooring Trends for 2024, According to Design Experts

    Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the ...