Designers solve a wide range of communication problems, collaborating with a variety of clients. To best explain the goals of any visual communication, we categorize communication intention and problem solving with specific applications falling under one or more categories. There are specific applications within these categories.

Advertising involves generating and creating specific visual and verbal messages constructed to inform, persuade, promote, provoke, or motivate people on behalf of a brand or group. Advertising applications include print, television commercials, radio, outdoor advertising (also called out-of-home or OOH), banner ads, guerrilla/unconventional formats, mobile advertising, videos, branded utilities, websites, web episodes (web commercials), web films, online episodic programming, e-marketing etc.

Branding is a comprehensive and strategic program for a brand or group and may include creating a brand, brand name, brand identity, package design, environmental design, website and other onscreen applications, promotional design, and advertising. Some primary branding applications include brand naming, brand conception, brand strategy, brand identity, brand revitalization, rebranding, brand launch, brand environments, digital branding, global branding, corporate branding, social cause branding, branding for nonprofits, and political branding. Branding and identity design are similar, but branding is a broader category.

 Identity design or brand identity involves the creation of a systematic visual and verbal program intended to establish a consistent visual appearance and personality—a coordinated overarching identity—for a brand or group. Identity design applications include logos, visual identity, corporate identity, and branding across media.

Corporate communication design involves any visual communication applications that communicate internally with employees, create materials for a sales force or other employees, as well as applications used by a corporation or organization to communicate externally with other businesses, the public and stockholders, and customers. The emphasis is on maintaining a consistent corporate voice throughout any and all applications.

Environmental design can be promotion, information, or identity design in constructed or natural environments and defining and marking interior and exterior commercial, educational, cultural, residential, and natural environments; Environmental design applications include branded environments, corporate headquarters, civic developments, architectural interiors, environ mental graphics, exhibits (trade show, museum, and educational, among others).

Information design is a “highly specialized area of design that involves making large amounts of complex information clear and accessible to audiences of one to several hundred thousand” (definition by the American Institute of Graphic Arts [AIGA]). Whether the application is an exhibition, chart, website, pictogram, subway map, instruction booklet, or choking poster, the graphic designer’s task is to clearly communicate, make information easily accessible, and clarify and enhance any type of information for the user’s understanding.

Interactive or experience design is graphic design and advertising for screen-based media, including web, mobile, widget, kiosks, digital out-of-home, CDs, or DVDs, in which the user interacts with the application. Interactive design applications include websites, widgets, social networking, video sharing, photo sharing, blogs, vlogs, games and other entertainment, and mobile applications.

Motion graphics is screen-based visual communication moving in duration, including film title design, TV graphics design, e-mail videos, mobile motion graphics, motion for video-sharing platforms, and promotional motion presentations for any screen.

Package design involves the complete strategic planning and designing of the form, structure, and appearance of a product’s package, which functions as casing, promotes a brand, presents information, and becomes a brand experience.

Promotional design is intended to introduce, promote, or sell brands (products and services), ideas, or events and to introduce or promote groups, not-for-profit organizations, and social causes. (The goals of promotional design and advertising applications can overlap.)

Publication design involves the design of editorial content for print or screen; it is also called editorial design and book design. The publication designer makes content accessible, interprets content to enhance communication, enhances the reader’s experience, creates visual interest, and establishes a voice, character, and structure for a publication. Publication design applications include book design, magazine design, newspaper design, newsletters, booklets, online publications, vlogs and blogs.

Typographic design is a highly specialized area of graphic design focusing on the creation and design of letterforms, typefaces, and type treatments. Lettering is the drawing of letterforms by hand.

(Graphic Design Solutions 4TH ed. Robin Landa)