ABSTRACT

Almost every object that human beings create reflects the product of a conscious design that organizes spatial forms. Graphic design involves the creation and coordination of many different production elements, including sets, properties, costumes, and performer makeup. It also involves computer-generated titles, backgrounds, and objects. Graphic designers rely on basic design principles, such as design elements, color, and composition. These basic design elements fulfill the requirements of a design, whether the designer uses a pen, pencil, paintbrush, or a computer-graphics application. Computer graphics programs have been written specifically for newscasts, election returns, costume and scene design, and animated sequences. Designers put these principles into practice when they approach specific production problems from the following aesthetic perspectives: realism, modernism, or postmodernism. This chapter examines aesthetic approaches to graphic design, principles, and applications. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the overall integration of graphic design with other production

components, such as lighting, performance, and visual and sound recording.