Graphic design is all around us! From food packaging, commercials to user interface, it has become part of what we see every day.
Graphic design as a discipline refers to the skill of representing an idea or an object in a visually appealing way. It is a tool for visual communication. Graphic design uses words, shapes and colors to communicate a concept of an idea or object.
The value of graphic design is often associated with marketing because visually appealing advertisements lead to sales but there are other numerous benefits of graphic design. It can also help kids in a number of ways!
Hone their design thinking
There is an ongoing misconception that design refers to embellishments. Design in fact is the act of creating something with an intent or purpose. The misconception must have stemmed from how the word “design” is used.
Designing something to look beautiful does not really mean that the act of designing something is beautifying it. Designing can make an object beautiful and at the same time functional and purposeful. Beautifying something is not designing’s sole purpose.
There are 5 phases in design thinking that are used by designers to make better products or services. These phases can be taught to your kid and they can apply this to their decision making process!
1 Empathize – designer’s empathize with a user or customer’s needs. Aside from making something pretty that a user or customer will love, they need to make a product or service useful or acceptable to the user or customer.
Your child should learn the concept of empathy at an early age, this will help them cope with other people or situations in the future.
2 Define – the problem or need must be defined to make it actionable. Teaching this concept to kids will make them proactive problem solvers and not merely reactive. They must always strive to know what a specific problem is so they can find the best course of action for it.
3 Ideate – once the problem or need is defined, the next step is to find a solution or solutions for it. Kids can be encouraged to think outside the box.
4 Prototype – this term is usually used to describe the initial solution for a problem or need. If you’ll teach this concept to kids, this is the solution or steps to be taken based on the defined problem of need. This phase will redefine the problem or need as needed and create solutions for it as needed.
5 Test – this is the phase of the design thinking process that will determine if the solution is the best solution out there.
The design thinking process can teach your child that failures are part of solution making and should not be something that they should avoid. Of course, mistakes are not intentional but in the event that it does, make sure to learn from it.
Improve how they understand visual cues
Graphic design is a good way to improve your child’s visual analysis. Since graphic design is everywhere, you can show them the box for their favorite cereal and ask them if the visual design on the box is a factor in their preference. If yes, ask them what did the visual design make them feel and/ or think.
Develop their creative confidence
Graphic design can be in the form of typography, user interface development, logo making and so much more! Your child can delve into any form of graphic design. This will help them learn drawing techniques and their own aesthetics.
If your child has a knack for drawing and explaining things, they can have a promising future as a graphic designer!
Bibliography
Collias, K. (n.d.). Design thinking for Kids. Knowwithoutborders.com. Retrieved July 17, 2021, from https://knowwithoutborders.org/design-thinking-for-kids/
Vipond, D. (2015, July 21). Explaining graphic design to four-year-olds. Medium.com. https://deanvipond.medium.com/explaining-graphic-design-to-four-year-olds-fe9257ffaf3d
