Both readings, Graphic Design Theory and Design as Art, both focus on how design affects our culture and our lives. Both of the readings dive into the history of graphic design and ultimately they both show what it’s like to be a graphic designer or any type of designer in our fast paced world. The reading, Graphic Design Theory also touches on how design is all around us and it has such an impact but not impact at all. 

Design and graphic design is something around us all the time. It’s one of those things that you do not realize. So how could something around us everywhere go so unnoticed. In the reading Graphic Design Theory it says, “Design is visible everywhere, yet it is also invisible – unnoticed and unacknowledged.” I feel like this idea is what separates graphic design from many fields. It also states in the reading that design is a social activity. Designers rarely work alone and they are often responding to clients, co-workers, publishers, etc. Graphic Design takes a team of people and it’s a collaboration between the designers and whichever client. It takes multiple people to create a design and put it out in the world just to go unnoticed. But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing for a designer. Designers often stand behind their work and let the design shine. I think that the fact that design is everywhere and has an impact on people’s lives is interesting even though people don’t even realize it does. I think that is what separates this field from others.

Designers ask themselves the tough maybe even unsolvable questions because it is good to be challenged in this field of work. I feel like the design world is constantly changing and if designers don’t challenge themselves with these tough theoretical questions then the designer is going to become stagnant in a field that is constantly changing and reinventing itself. It’s good to have more thought behind something rather than nothing at all.

Problems that face designers today are exactly what I stated before. The world of design is constantly changing as stated in the reading, Graphic Design Theory. And so it’s sometimes hard for a designer to stay relevant and significant in such a huge field. It can be hard for a designer to stand out amongst many. The technology is constantly changing and so is the audience. So how can designers keep up with a world that’s constantly reinventing itself. For designers to solve these problems many went the simplistic and more modern route, rather than something realistic which could be more challenging. Many designs today are simple and that’s what makes them effective. Designers can also challenge themselves like I’ve stated before. If you aren’t trying to change with the times then you’ll get left behind.