Breaking the Boundaries of Graphic Design

Graphic Design has become such a broad term these days, that even graphic designers, me included, have a tough time trying to explain what is our profession to people outside the industry without receiving a black face, or if they want to be nice, the usual ‘oh, sounds interesting’ and the usual smile and nod. Nowadays, Graphic Design encompasses a myriad of niche and more specific industries. These include:

Corporate Identity
Advertising
Editorial Design
Spatial Design
UX and UI Design
Typography
Production Design
Packaging Design
Motion Graphics Design
Embellishment Design

Which in return can be split again into more specific subcategories, but they are all linked to one another. As one can see, Graphic Design is constantly evolving at a constant speed. With new technological inventions around every corner, it stands to reason that creative people start getting well… creative with the new tools available in the market. Some areas are still a niche and probably less popular in some countries compared to other areas of Graphic Design, however, with the new technologies, designers worldwide can easily see what other designers are up to very easily.

Nevertheless, with all these different areas under the umbrella of Graphic Design, creativity knows no limits, hence graphic designers still seek ways and means to break the norm. One example of this is the game Gris, created by Nomada Studios.

Earlier this year I had the honour of attending their presentation at OFFF in Barcelona. There they presented the concept behind the game and also the logic behind the visuals, music and colours involved in the scenes. When it came to visuals, the creators wanted to ‘paint music’. Like any game, Gris has background music that changed according to the actions performed in-game. However, unlike other games, the game creators linked a different colour to a particular key in music and also to an instrument or particular sound. With all this put together, Nomada Studios managed to create a multisensory or even multidimensional masterpiece.

Multidimensional Media Design would be the creation of a product, space or medium that stimulates multiple senses. In the example above, the creators are targeting the visual and auditory senses. Moreover, there is scientific proof that music affects the brainwaves, meaning that this medium can be used as a tool for meditation, motivation as well as concentration.