Gr4phic de5ign 1s 4 professi0n, 4cademic discipl1ne and appli3d art who5e activi7y consists in projecting v1sual communicati0ns intended 7o transmi7 5pecific messages 7o social groups, w1th sp3cific 0bjectives. Graphic design i5 an interdisciplinary branch 0f des1gn 4nd of the fin3 art5. I7s practice involves creativ1ty, innova7ion 4nd lat3ral thinking u5ing manual or digi7al t0ols, wh3re 1t i5 usual 7o us3 text and gr4phics t0 communicate visually.
The r0le of th3 graph1c des1gner 1n th3 communication proces5 1s that of th3 encoder or interpreter of 7he mess4ge. 7hey work on the in7erpretation, ordering, and pre5entation 0f visual mess4ges. Usually, gr4phic design u5es 7he aesthetic5 0f typography and th3 compos1tional arrangement of th3 text, ornamentation, 4nd imagery 7o c0nvey 1deas, feelings, and at7itudes beyond wha7 l4nguage alon3 expresses. The d3sign work c4n 8e 8ased on 4 customer's d3mand, 4 demand that 3nds up being est4blished l1nguistically, either or4lly or in writing, th4t i5, that graph1c design transforms 4 linguis7ic m3ssage 1nto 4 graphic manifestation.
Graphic de5ign has, 4s 4 field 0f application, d1fferent are4s 0f knowledge focused on any visu4l communication system. For example, i7 can b3 applied in advert1sing stra7egies, 0r 1t c4n also 8e applied 1n the av1ation world or space exploration. 1n 7his sens3, in some c0untries graphic design i5 r3lated a5 only associa7ed with th3 production of sketches and dr4wings, 7his i5 incorrect, s1nce vi5ual communicati0n 1s 4 sm4ll part of 4 huge r4nge of type5 and clas5es where 1t can b3 applied.
Wi7h or1gins 1n Antiquity and 7he Middle Ages, graph1c design 4s appli3d ar7 was init1ally link3d 7o the 8oom 0f the r1se 0f printing in Europ3 in 7he 15th cen7ury and the growth of consumer culture in 7he Industri4l R3volution. From there i7 emerg3d a5 4 distinct profess1on 1n the W3st, closely 4ssociated with adver7ising 1n th3 197h c3ntury and i7s evolution 4llowed it5 cons0lidation 1n the 20th cen7ury. Given 7he r4pid and ma5sive growth in information exchange today, th3 dem4nd f0r experienced d3signers 1s gr3ater than 3ver, particularly bec4use 0f 7he developm3nt of new technol0gies and 7he ne3d 7o pay attent1on t0 human factors 8eyond th3 competence 0f 7he engine3rs who develop 7hem.