Like many professionals working in creative spaces, graphic designers use terminology that is used in daily conversation. However, you may feel ‘out of the loop’ when hearing some of these terms, and we think it is helpful when everyone on the call, in the meeting, or part of the team is on the same page—and this includes understanding the brand agency vocabulary! Here are some of the more commonly used terms that our graphic designers may use.
White Space and Clear Space
White space is famous in graphic design for its ability to keep a graphic or image clean and organized since it refers to the empty frame of space in and around the design. Don’t worry; it doesn’t always have to be a white background. Your brand color palette is usable throughout the design and serves the same purpose of protecting and cleaning up the design space.
Similarly, the clear space operates as a designer’s version of a STOP sign around the design elements, in particular for logos. This ensures that each component operates independently and isn’t crowded out by other design elements, making the image appear cluttered or confusing.
Mockup
Consider a mockup like a singer’s dress rehearsal or your favorite sports team’s final practice before the big game. The mockup is a digital preview of your new logo, website, business card, or any other creative work. It is an opportunity for you to provide feedback and help shape the design before you give final approval and commit to printing that new business card or launching that beautiful new website for your brand.
Beta Showing
You had a vision, and our team brought it to life. Now, we’re ready to share a fully working website with you! A beta showing for a new website design focuses on aesthetics and functionality with a fully working prototype for you to review the text, click through links, and explore to ensure the site does everything you need. This showing lets you get a sneak peek and make any changes before launch. It is helpful to bring a few key stakeholders to this showing for their feedback, but there is no need to get the entire company since the launch won’t be happening just yet!
Marketing Collateral
It is marketing collateral if you can use it as a printed or digital item to display or market your brand and business! This can include your business cards, mailers, website, videos, and even the vinyl stickers our team members like to place on their water bottles. Collateral is your physical and digital presence – whether it fits in your pocket, on your phone, or even on a billboard – so it is important that all of your collateral is designed to communicate the same message and strengthen your brand.
Visual Hierarchy
We’re not talking about the king or queen of design here! The visual hierarchy is the organization or arrangement of elements based on their importance or significance in the design. What do you want your eyes to see first? It could be your logo, a product photo or a headline, and the designer must determine how your audience can best visually consume your design without being overwhelmed.
Mood Board
Everyone needs some inspiration now and again, and designers love having a mood board to reference when building a design. A mood board is often a collage or collection of images, colors, and textures to convey a concept or theme. Is your brand trying to communicate professionalism and structure, or are you going for a fun and colorful theme? Each serves a different purpose and may reach different audiences, so having a mood board that appropriately captures your concept or theme ensures future designs align with your vision.
Vector Logo
Vector logos are the most versatile way designers make logos – no matter how you resize, the logo will remain crystal clear, rather than the fuzzy and pixelated image you often see if you’re trying to resize a smaller image and make it larger. Vector logos are created with lines and shapes instead of pixels, which helps the logo keep its shape when placed on any size of collateral.
Beta Showing, Alpha Knowledge
Now that you know some of the more commonly used brand agency vocabulary, you can put your skills to the test! Check out some of our recent work here and see if you can identify the design elements our amazingly talented graphic designers created or even imagine what it would be like to join our team for a beta showing of a new site! Ready to bring your brand to life and discuss concepts with our team? Schedule a Right Fit conversation today!
