Graphic and Web Design: Differences and Similarities

In the design industry, there are two equally similar and different terms that many people tend to either misinterpret or interchange: graphic and web. Even though graphic and web design have some similarities, they are, in fact, apples and oranges from the same garden. Being unaware of the distinction between these two domains of design is a boundary and can even be dangerous. Let’s look at these concepts in more detail.

What is what & who is who?

Both graphic and web design imply the creation of images, graphs, typography, and all kinds of graphics to give an abstract idea a shape. However, the approach of each type differs a lot, and here is how.

Graphic designers usually work with prints, which allows them to use their skills for logos, posters, brochures, some business cards, and everything that can end up being a print work. It pays to know that graphic design is heavily tied to website design and, therefore, is used for website projects as well. What graphic experts do is they create a required graphic work and send it to web experts for further use.

At the same time, website designers are associated with web work only. Roughly speaking, web designers are web versions of graphic designers, though this needs clarification. Web designers’ aim is not just an eye-catching and selling design, but its effective implementation within the frames of a project, aka website. That’s why UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) designers are always trying to find the optimum balance between beautiful and responsive web design.

Graphic and web design: differences and similarities

Skills: For web designers, it’s essential to have fluency in coding languages since programming is a major part of their work. Graphic designers, in their turn, should master their skills in graphic software, which is, however, essential for website design too.

Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, and Adobe InDesign work perfectly for both graphic and web design. The only thing is that professional graphic designers have a more extensive list of software.

Requirements: You hire web designers when you need to create a fully responsive web design for a website. Accordingly, you hire graphic designers for making graphic art prints, no matter for what purpose: your business card or web pages.

Hopefully, this information will finally clarify the difference between graphic and web design. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Beluga Lab, a professional graphic web design agency in New York.