In a previous blog post earlier in the quarter, I wrote:

“Graphic Design is the discipline of assembling, organizing, creatively interpreting, and visually communicating information and imagery to a designated audience with the intent to influence them towards a client goal.”

While I don’t at all disagree with my previous opinion about the definition of graphic design, I now feel like I have an understanding that the industry is in flux and has varying opinions about this topic. In my last project, I ran across a definition of Graphic Design on the AIGA website that really resonated with me:

“Graphic design is a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas. The designer works with a variety of communication tools in order to convey a message from a client to a particular audience. The main tools are image and typography.”

I feel like my definition is pretty close to that and we are aligned in many ways… especially when it comes to the client message and the audience. I like how this definition says that it’s a process though. Much of the conversation surrounding the definition of our industry seems to focus on what we do as being a “process” rather than a “service” … this implies the client’s involvement in the end result, which I could agree with more.