The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Ever-Changing Technology of the Century
When it comes to technology, the human race has advanced far faster and beyond anything they could have ever imagined in the past. From books to big-boxed slows computers with very little memory to advanced laptops and PCs that can perform millions of calculations in seconds, making old technology obsolete.
As technology has evolved, so has our view of design. While we might have thought that the bigger something was, the more powerful it was, today however, we know the opposite is true: there are microchips the size of flies that are some of the fastest computer chips in the world.
Fonts, colors, and sizes have been a big part of our ever-changing technology, with new different font typography being produced, color shades being discovered, and new sizes being explored throughout all areas of life, specifically in web design, graphic design, marketing, and advertising.
A-Trak records, Cassette tapes, CDs, MP3 players, among the many different platforms and systems that have been developed along the way would become obsolete, with our smartphones and iPods able to perform all the functions and replace all the technology we used for entertainment.
The camera was once the best technology, in which you still had to take the film somewhere to be developed. The Polaroid camera soon took its place, becoming the newest and greatest thing, as you no longer had to take photos to be developed, but they were the “instant” technology, until smartphones took over, and all photos became digital, with endless virtual storage places like Photobucket, Imgur, Flickr, Instagram, and Facebook.
A presentation was displayed on a white board in which markers and large printed paper was used, but technology would soon change that too, and the Powerpoint presentation would take over, soon being replaced by tablets that could be seen on a projector or large monitor screen.
Technology replaces technology as humans become more advanced and utilize technology to become more efficient. There is no control over how fast our technology is developing, but there are no limitations on technology, as nearly the entire human race embraces newer technology as it develops, and eventually, all of our old technology will become to us what we see and believe when we look at ancient societies, and soon, it will only be able to be found in a museum.
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The Ultimate Battle
OLD vs NEW
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Are you an old school or a newbie designer?
If you have ever worked in a Design Studio you will have experienced the constant conflict between “Old” and “New” Design… Join us as we reminisce fondly (not) about the classic tools we used to use. Or laugh along, if you’re too young to remember any of them.
Round 1 HISTORY
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Original Macintosh 128k Separate keyboard Macbook Gold Edition Built-in keyboard
You need some inspiration for your latest project… Where do you start? Easy, right? Load up Google and hey presto – endless inspiration.
Well, imagine trying to find inspiration BEFORE THE INTERNET…
Young designers can’t comprehend 10 minutes without an iPhone, let alone entertain the idea of trawling through books for inspiration. Well, older designers had no choice, not only did they spend hours at the library, but they would acquire a personal library of all their favorite design books.
Traditional Books – The Internet
BOOKS
THE INTERNET
Cost effective
Hard to search for a lot of information
Learn more – Faster
Excessive computer use can damage your health
Official information
Not updated
Constantly updated
Anyone can post
Portable
Heavy to carry
24 hour access
Need internet access
Round 3 LAYOUT
T-Square – Photoshop
Remember t-squares? T-squares were primarily used as a guide for drawing horizontal lines on a drafting table. A set square could be used to create vertical lines.
Especially knowing that now, all w need to do is drag and drop a ruler guide.
The Adobe Creative Suites are designed with layout in mind. Rulers, grids, guides, and smart guides all help create structured and concise layouts. InDesign is the first choice for many professional designers, publishers, and artists.
TIPS FOR AN EFFORTLESS LAYOUT
Use a grid
Choose a focal point
Use the rule of thirds
Use white space
Repeat design elements
Use a hierarchy
Round 4 TYPOGRAPHY
It’s easy to create a poster or a brochure with easy access points. There are numerous fonts readily available at the click of a button. However, before the days of Adobe and Fontbook, designers had to manually set type using a letterpress. This process was extremely time consuming, especially in comparison to modern process.
MOST LOVED FONTS
TOP 10
Helvetica
Futura
Garamond
Trajan
Myriad
Verdana
Franklin Gothic
Tims New Roman
Gill Sans
Bodini
MOST HATED FONTS
Top 5
Comic Sans
Copperplate Gothic
Brush Script
Papyrus
Courier
Type Gauge – Adobe Fontbook released in 2003
Round 5 COLOUR SCHEMES
How many colours are there in the RGB spectrum? You can create bold, vibrant, even fluorescent designs on screen. There is a broad array of colours available and a vast amount of colour scheems you can create. Your options are endless!
Before Photoshop and Illustrator, designers could only create schemes using Pantone markers, and the colour schemes you could create would depend on the amount of pens you could afford.
Panton Marker Pen – Pantone Swatches
COLOUR THEORY
Analogous
Groups of colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel.
Complimentary
Pairs of colours which, when combined, cancel each other out. Contrasting.
Split Complimentary
In addition to the base colour, it uses the two colours adjacent to its compliment.
Triad
Colours that are evenly spaced around the colour wheel.
Tetradic
Uses four colours arranged into two complimentary pairs.
Monochromatic
All the colours (tints, tones, and shades) of a single hue.
Round 6 PHOTOGRAPHY
Thanks to camera phones and apps such as Instagram, everyone can be a photographer (or at least think they can). Taking photos has never been easier.
Traditional methods of photography have long been admired but digital photography has an efficiency that most designers tend to sway towards. Amazing work can be created using a digital camera, but lets not forget those hours spent in a dark room in eager anticipation as prints developed before your y
Illustration is a topic of great discussion between many designers and artists.
What is better? The old techniques of print and etching or the new skills required to create digital art and CGI?
As many designers know, the traditional methods of printmaking are both time-consuming and frustrating, but there is also a wonderful sense of achievement in the hand-made. But, there is a lot to be said for the amazing work that can be created using a computer…
So.. Old vs New – Which do you prefer?
Fine Liner
Lino-cut Tool
Etching Tool
Dip Pen
Pencil
Drawing Tablet and Pen
Round 8 PRESENTATION
You’ve created an amazing design. You’re so proud of your work and you can’t wait to show the client. But how do you present your work?
Remember spray mount? Presenting your work used to require countless foam boards and gluing your fingers together. Carefully placing your sprayed paper onto the foam board only to find a small bubble in the middle. Fast forward and you don’t even need to print your work. Designers can carry devices with them and show their clients on their iPads – clean, bubble-less presetnations. Show offs!
![Old vs. New Graphic Design [Infographic]](https://cdn.confessionsoftheprofessions.com/infographics/newmedia-oldvsnew-graphidesign-v5-infographic.jpg)
