This simply implies that computers are used to hasten the graphics design process just as microwaves are used to warm up food quickly. In essence, graphics design would still be possible even in the absence of computers and this is how life used to be back in the days when the world was still asleep as far as technology is concerned. So how exactly did graphic designers work without computers?

Manual and laborious

Before the computers, graphic design was rather a laborious and manual exercise that took several hours to complete even for very small projects. At the beginning of every job, the designer had to sit down and figure out what the client wants and think of the best way to start from scratch. It involved a lot of iterations since you first had to come up with sketches that would be shown to the client before you had the opportunity to proceed with the final design.

You may argue that the same process still applies to today. This is true but back in the olden days, you had to start the process of preparing each sketch from scratch unlike today when after you have the layouts right, all you have to do is make a few clicks of the mouse and you have different layouts.

A single design would be worked by different people

With the advent of the computers, only one person is needed to start and complete a design project. But before the computers came, there was what was known as division of labor in the design process. With division of labor, each person did only what they were good at during the process. For instance, if a designer were good in rapidography, their duty would be to wait and draw a line of the required size on the boards.

If somebody else was good with the Photostat camera, their main duty would be to position stats and show indications of where the cropping was to be done as well as the exact sizes and position of the photos on the page. Again someone else would be proficient with the mechanical boards, and their duty would be to help with the pasting and using the rubber cement to paste the Photostats on the correct positions where they are needed.

With the use of computers, division of labor is no longer relevant because most of the processes have been integrated into a software making graphics design to be an easy exercises. It is possible to draw a perfect line, resize the images, change the position of the image and do pretty anything you want with the layout without the need of external assistance.

How Printing was done

With the computers, printing graphics after you are done with the design is not much of a hassle. But before the computers, it was an exercise that required the expertise of highly experienced experts. The printers in graphics designs before computers and the advent of the modern printers used what was known as a mechanical. Each mechanical represented a page with the correct size of what was supposed to be printed.

For instance, if you wanted to print a page measuring 11.75 inches by 9.25 inches, then the mechanical would be adjusted to reflect these measurements either on a stiffer paper or cardboard. You were actually required to use the Photostats pasted on the mechanicals to show the separator the exact placement, size and position of every image. If there was a rule reproduced on a page, that rule had to be drawn by hand on the mechanical around the Photostat. You can thus imagine how hectic printing was back in the days.

How long it took to prepare the layout of a book

Preparing the layout for a book takes approximately fifteen minutes currently. However, before the computers, before anything was sent to the printer, it could take a couple of hours to get the materials ready for printing. It involved a lot of processes which included taking the Photostats to the studio to have them pasted down then sending them to the typesetting house before you could finally have them ready for printing.

Evidently, computers have made the process of graphic design to be simpler, faster and more efficient. By looking at the history of graphics design, designers come to appreciate the strides taken to make the industry what it is at the moment. One thing however remains unchanged. It is the design tools that have changed but not the core design principles. This is why Milton Glaser made the comparison of computers being to design what microwaves are for food.

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The graphics design industry is always evolving. 2015 was a great year for many designers. There were lots of design inspirations as people tried to explore new concepts in a bid to enhance quality and productivity. We also can’t fail to mention that many designers seemed to incline towards the adoption of design styles and trends that existed in the yester years.

For instance, the concept of retro design seemed to be picking up steam with the application of techniques that were used way back in the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s. As we get into 2016, we can only see a continuation of some of these trends as well as the discovery and adoption of new ones. From a designer’s perspective, here are some of the graphic design trends to watch out for in the year 2016-:

Shapeshifting

2015 saw more and more shapes coming into life through background, icons, logos and repeated patterns. This can only be expected to gain momentum in 2016 as it is apparently becoming more important for companies and organizations to create iconography that is appealing to the eye and which will be strategic to the marketing and brand awareness of the companies. This trend in shapeshifting is already evident when you look at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics logo, Windows 10 icon, Airbnb and a few others.

Infographics and custom illustrations

For the last few decades, people have enjoyed the use imagery and illustrations, but it can now be safely said that the trend is fast dying out as it is being replaced by the versatile and more efficient custom illustrations. The use of stock photography is dead. People are looking for more originality and authenticity in the illustrations. Originality is king, and people are keen on finding out what sets their companies apart then use it to market their products and services.

Typography

The entry of Google fonts in the world of typography has already made a significant change in the design world, and it can only be expected that this trend will continue well beyond 2016. Designers are no longer constrained to outdated web compatible fonts because they have a wide assortment of choices. This is of fundamental importance since fonts play a very great role in both web and graphics design.

Color Schemes

The trend as far as color scheme is concerned is revolving around the use of bold and rich colors. Designers are getting more adventurous with each passing day on playing out with these colors to come up with stunningly beautiful designs. The interior design world is already taking a lead with the use of these colors, and one might be made to believe that we are going back to the eighties.

Flat Designs

Many people thought that the concept of flat design was some fad that would come and go. Surprisingly, it has maintained a strong upward move because it is offering relief to the traditional design concepts. It has introduced a whole new thing that designers were not aware of, and with the great results already being seen, it can be expected that the trend will increase in 2016. Many designers are warming up to the “fad” due to the quality and the versatile options it possesses.

Digital Design Graphics and Marketing

The influence of digital design marketing is expected to grow exponentially in the year 2016, especially in the marketing arena. DIY graphic tools are becoming more popular by the day and outlets like Instagram are making it easy for businesses and designers to reach huge audiences through digital design.

Increase in the growth of advertising design

Marketers are becoming more aware of the influence of visuals in marketing, and since they are not expert designers, they don’t want to go it alone. This has led to the growth of what is now known as Advertising Design where marketers are working hand in hand with designers to make their marketing more effective. With this, it is only expected that the demand for designers by marketer will be on a strong upward trend in 2016 and beyond.

Rise of Monochromatic Schemes

Monochromatic schemes are also expected to become more popular in 2016. Many designers have shown a strong incline towards design that use different shades of the same color. It doesn’t just create an awesome coherence in the designs, but also leads to bold and sound designs. This is a trend that started in late 2012, but with the increased adoption by many designers, we can only expect that 2016 will see more people adopt the use of monochromatic schemes

These are just but a few of the trends we expect to see in 2016. There are others still, but as designers, the best we can do is to position ourselves and be ready for anything that can enhance our creativity and make us serve our clients better.

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