In an era where technology is quite prevalent in the everyday lives of civilians, jobs in the field of technology have developed to keep up with this technological market. A career in graphic design is one of many occupations that have come to be as a result of technology, and with it, comes many institutions that offer courses that can assist students in their quest for a career in the field of graphic design.
What Is Graphic Design?
Graphic design as a profession has been in existence for a lot longer than visual design. The term “graphic design” first was seen in an essay by William Addison Dwiggins in the early 20s, however, in reality, the graphic practice dates back to the very earliest artwork created by humans.
Graphic designers began designing for print publications such as books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, catalogues, and the like. Graphic designer responsibilities include putting together page layouts, advertisem*nts, marketing materials, and oftentimes more specialised products like typefaces.
In the 1990s, as web design became feasible as a method of communication, graphic designers began to expand their offerings into web design. It made sense since many fundamental design principles stayed the same whether designing for print or digital. With just a little bit more training on the technical aspects and restrictions, graphic designers are very capable of creating a website.
The 5 Different Types Of Graphic Design Courses in South Africa
We live in a visual culture which is now being blended with the technological advances we are seeing today. While there are a variety of different types of graphic design courses, they all have particular elements and components that the graphic designer will attempt to adhere to.
Utilising good design elements and practices not only adds to web design, marketing materials, mobile app design as well as social media posts, but in some cases, the graphic design stands as the main focus of such pieces. If you are doing creative design, corporate design, billboards, digital publishing, or print design, most graphic designers tend to stick to the five key graphic design components.
5 Key graphic design components
1. Product design
Product design is the process of recognising a market opportunity, clearly identifying the problem, developing a proper solution for that problem and then validating the solution with real users.
2. Branding design
When speaking about branding design, it usually refers to key brand elements such as the logo, colour scheme, and typography together with other design components which make a brand stand out from competitors as well as be recognisable to consumers.
3. Website design
Web design is the process of planning, conceptualising and arranging content online. Today, designing a website goes beyond aesthetics to include the website’s entire functionality. Web design also includes web apps, mobile apps as well as user interface design.
4. Print design
Print design, which is a subset of graphic design, is a type of visual communication utilised to communicate information to an audience through intentional aesthetic design printed on a tactile surface, which is designed to be printed on paper rather than presented on a digital platform.
5. Animation design
Animation design is the art of creating visual effects and animations for several different multimedia, as well as video games, videos, and digital assets such as websites and apps. These animations and effects can be 2D or 3D (CGI) and go from a simple loading icon which indicates something is happening behind the scenes to a full-scale animated video.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT GRAPHIC DESIGN COURSES AVAILABLE IN SOUTH AFRICA?
There’s a wide variety of graphic design course in South Africa from various institutes such as Digital School of Marketing which offers:
- Basic Graphics Design Course
- Advanded Graphics Design Course
- Adobe Design Applications Course
- Intermediate Graphics Design Course
- Principles of Graphics Design Course
How Many Subjects Does The Graphic Design Course in South Africa Have?
A graphic design course in South Africa has 19 subjects.
Are Graphic Design Courses in South Africa Accredited?
The only graphic design courses in South Africa, which are accredited, are those on offer at the Digital School of Marketing.
Which Type Of Graphic Design Is Right For You?
Graphic design is a fantastic career choice for those who have a creative vision for their future. By getting into an increasingly digital career, you can work from absolutely anywhere in the world. With in-demand graphic design skills, you could choose to find steady work in a multinational organisation, work with local companies on ad campaigns, or perhaps you could freelance, choosing your clients and working to your schedule.
STUDY TO BECOME AN ADVANCED GRAPHIC DESIGNER WITH THE DIGITAL SCHOOL OF MARKETING
If you want to become an advanced graphic designer then you should check out our Online Graphic Design Classes. 
