What’s the Difference Between Graphic Design and Digital Design?

Understanding the differences between graphic design and digital design can be challenging, especially considering the terms are used interchangeably, blurring the lines between what each involves. Many people don’t even know there’s a difference between the two! If you’ve ever been eager to learn the difference between a graphic design company and an expert in digital design ideas, then you’ve come to the right place. This short guide will explain the key differences and similarities.

What is Graphic Design?

What do graphic designers do? Well, historically, graphic design has been around much longer than digital design. Graphic designers initially worked in print, mainly with newspapers, magazines, books, leaflets, brochures and other static images and logos.

The rise in technology in the 1990s saw an increasing demand for graphic designers, who could design graphics for websites, logos and branding alongside their traditional print work.

What is Digital Design?

While graphic design ideas mainly focus on static print images, digital designs tend to involve movement. These could include animated images, 2D or 3D modelling or interactive website pages. Digital designers are skilled at creating images that end up on our screens.

Digital designs may also include sound effects or audio to go alongside the visuals. As technology advanced in the mid-2000s, digital design companies became more in demand. However, they still utilise the same principles that are taught to graphic designers.

Is Digital Design the Same as Graphic Design?

There are some similarities. Digital and graphic design services both involve creating some form of visual communication related to a brand, image, idea or concept. The goal of the design agency is to create striking imagery, which then speaks to the target audience, creating an emotional connection with them. This, in turn, can help boost brand awareness, drive sales and generate interest in your products or services.

Simply put, digital design is a type of visual communication that presents a business’ brand, digitally. It’s graphic design specifically for use on a computer screen, phone screen, dashboard or digital interface.

Graphic design is - historically speaking - for print products, while digital graphics are used for interactive content. This is, of course, a generalisation when thinking of design in 2021. These days, print and digital formats overlap more than ever.

Many digital design ideas rely on the same elements as graphic design, such as:

• Brand identity and implementation
• Typography and font
• Kerning and spacing
• Typeface
• Logos
• Infographics

At the same time, graphic design projects now have to account for being distributed digitally. This is why the term ‘graphic design’ is often used as an umbrella term to describe both types of visual communication.

At the end of the day, a business looking to hire a graphic design agency would expect that agency to design for print and digital formats. Ultimately, the difference comes down to how the designs will be used by the business and which ones their customers will be most likely to notice and interact with.

Digital Social Media Design

Businesses striving for increased success are looking to achieve customer satisfaction through social media. The role that social media channels can play in helping a business grow, generate leads, build its brand and win more customers is unquestionable.

To keep up with the growing need to have a visible and consistent presence on social media, one of the more popular types of digital design is social media graphics. Whether it’s a Facebook header image, a Twitter profile picture or an Instagram post, social media graphic design is incredibly valuable and beneficial.

Abstract Creative Studio offer three packages which give  our clients templated graphics to use across all of their social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You can select the most appropriate social media design package to suit your business needs.

Our social media designs do far more than match your brand and colour; we take your brand and build it to create eye-catching, striking social media templates that your prospective customers can’t fail to spot! These packages are designed to give your business consistency across social media, which help your customers to recognise your brand. You can also edit these graphics yourself.

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Although the lines are still a bit blurred between graphic design and digital design, they have some similarities. However, whether you’re looking for print graphics or digital ones, at Abstract Creative Studio, we can help.

Find a Design Agency That Can Do Both

At Abstract Creative Studio, we design with your customers in mind. Our strapline is that we provide “bright design ideas for your business”, whether for use in print or digital mediums.

We can deliver the following:

• Brochures, flyers or leaflet design (online or in print)
• Branded social media graphics and templates
• Logos and icons
• Presentation templates
• Branding

We also provide monthly credit packages, which involve credits that you can use to ‘purchase’ a wide range of design services.

If you’d like to find out more, book a call with the Abstract Creative Studio team today.