Word & Image

Lately, we have been discussing the notion of design combining words and images. Brian Fies's lecture on comics was a perfect example of this, and it got me thinking about other areas of design that so perfectly combine word and image. Of course, my first thought was something very close to me, graphic arts. Growing up with a graphic artist for a father (who used to work in the advertising section at The Sacramento Bee), I am very familiar with the way in which an image, accompanied by text, can create a strong advertisement. So from there, I decided to do a little research into the graphic arts, and how graphic artists effectively pair images and words.


According to AIGA, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the main tools of a graphic design are "image and typography." A graphic designer must be able to take the concept that a client visualizes in his/her head, and make it a reality. In advertising, the graphic artist must be able to take an image of the client's product, find the most appropriate words and typeface, and balance them in the most successful manner with that image. Graphic artists do not often do this alone, however. Much in the same way that the words and images must collaborate effectively, so must a designer collaborate effectively both with his/her team and the client. Effective collaboration can then lead to a successful marriage of both word and image.