A Guide to Graphic Design and The Best AI Tools For 2024

Introduction

Graphic design is the art of visual representation of any thought or message. Humans prefer visuals over long essays or boring speeches. With graphic design, you can attract people with new themes, images, and color combinations. 

Graphic design has a tremendous range. You can start with a simple business logo and work your way up to complete website or video game designs. Companies use graphic design in digital marketing, online interfaces, corporate identities, product launches, packaging, motion graphics, letterheads, environmental design, websites, motion graphics, and overall illustrations.  

The demand for graphic design has skyrocketed in the social media age. You can attract people towards your product or service with effective design. 49% of SMBs (small to medium businesses) call graphic design “Very Important” for their success.

The global graphic design market was worth $49.8 billion in revenue in 2024. If you have a passion for design and aesthetics, you should consider the graphic design profession. The field offers many creative and money-making opportunities.

What are the basic Principles of Graphic Design?

To learn graphic design, you should familiarize yourself with its basic principles. All designs in the world come from different combinations, applications, and iterations of these principles. As a designer, you should develop a sense of how, why, and when to use these fundamentals to your advantage.

These basic principles of graphic design are:

1. Balance

Balance refers to the distribution of all design elements in a design. The placement of shapes, text, boxes, and images should give a pleasant feeling. You can choose a symmetrical (horizontal or vertical axis), Asymmetrical, or radial balance as required.

2. Alignment

Alignment means creating a sense of order in a layout. The technique arranges different elements with respect to the baseline, portfolio, and related items to create harmony.

3. Color

Color is the foundation of visual art. A graphic designer should learn about the visual texture, application, and trends related to color. You can learn about the contrast or combination of colors by experimenting with color palettes.

4. Hierarchy

Hierarchy is the process of highlighting information in periodic order. Designers use colors, size, brightness, repetition, and other design characteristics to emphasize information in chronological order.

The typical examples of hierarchy include large font for page titles, H2 &H3 headings, bold font for important information, and the inclusion of different shapes to create a focus on a point.

5. Contrast

Contrast refers to implementing different color schemes in a graphic design. The colors complement each other to enhance the overall impact. Contrast brings freshness, creativity, and uniqueness to a design. You can contrast Bright & Dull, Light & Dark, and Thick & Thin to add different layers to a work.

6. Rhythm

Rhythm is the repetition of design elements to create a consistent structure. For example, the theme color will repeat on every page in the website design. Similarly, while designing a company profile, you will use the company logo, website, and email on all pages to create a rhythm.

7. Proximity

Proximity means the special distance between different shapes, texts, and images in the overall design. A design should neither look clustered nor empty. Both extremes create a negative impression, resulting in low response. Therefore, a designer must learn to encapsulate the information with adequate spacing.

Role of AI Tools in Graphic Design in 2024

AI tools have revolutionized the graphic design industry. These tools use cutting-edge AI technology and machine algorithms to find your design’s best combinations, themes, and layouts. They can automate routine tasks like crop, focus, color adjustment, proximity, etc. The tools improve image efficiency and are customized based on current market trends.

The global market of AI tools stands at $5.54 billion in 2024, with a projected CAGR of 22.2% from 2022-2028.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, you should incorporate AI tools to create high-quality graphics. This article highlights the best AI tools for Graphic Design in 2024.

1. Canva

Canva is a one-window solution for graphic design. The tool excels at creating social media posts, T-shirts, and websites. The platform offers various templates, images, backgrounds, fonts, and other options. Canva also offers built-in editing tools for collaboration.

The interface is very simple and efficient. You can carry out all procedures using a simple drag-and-drop method, making it ideal for beginners. Canva is available in Free, Individual, and Team plans. The software is compatible with web browsers, iOS, Android, and Windows operating systems.

2. Adobe Illustrator

Coming from the family of Adobe tools, Adobe Illustrator offers premium-quality graphics. The tool specializes in graphic design, illustration, drawing, fine typography, and painting. It can also create 3D designs with a parametric 3D drawing tool. Adobe Illustrator is compatible with Windows, Mac, and iPad.

Adobe Illustrator can be integrated with multiple social media platforms. It offers diverse vector drawing tools to boost creativity. The wide range of features enables Adobe Illustrator to facilitate a project from start to finish.

3. Figma

Figma is ideal for individual and small graphic design teams. The platform offers unlimited cloud storage. Businesses can utilize Figma for on-canvas commentating, animation, and customization. You can also integrate third-party apps to expand its functionality.

Figma offers hundreds of creative shapes, fonts, and colors for designing. The overlays, transitions, imaging, video editing, and adjustment options are world-class. The platform is compatible with Windows, Linux, macOS, and Chrome. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly. In case of confusion, you can trust on customer support, which is available 24/7.

4. Vectr

As evident from the name, Vectr specializes in vector graphics. This top tool is famous for its graphics quality and bright colors. It offers real-time editing and an AI-based workflow, which allows you to automate the workflow from start to finish.

Vectr is a comprehensive learning hub for beginners. The platform has a library of tutorials and guides for newbies to learn about the tool’s features. The image quality is superb, and the resolution is high. Vectr is compatible with macOS, Chrome, Windows, and Linux.

5. Visme

Visme is a well-rounded graphic design app. It allows you to create social media posts, videos, business presentations, infographics, and marketing content. The app offers a built-in graphic library, including design elements and templates for different posting styles. You can also use a social media calendar and scheduler for regular posting.

Visme facilitates real-time collaboration for teamwork. You can discuss, create, and edit different designs with mutual consensus. The app can be integrated with other popular apps like Dropbox, Slack, etc. Visme is recommended for Windows and Mac users.   

6. VistaCreate

VistaCreate specializes in creating robust social media content. The tool offers a range of updated templates for influencers and digital marketers. It includes a comprehensive brand kit to host colors, logos, and fonts. You can also access a menu of drawing tools for animation and photo editing.

VistaCreate offers scheduled posting. Based on this, you can offer to upload social media posts after regular intervals. Vista is compatible with iOS, Android, and Web browsers. 

Bottom Line

Graphic design is among the most in-demand skills in 2024. Specializing in graphic design can unlock numerous national and international opportunities for youngsters. This article presents the introduction and basic principles of graphic design. We have also enlisted the best AI tools for graphic design available in 2024. Please read it and take your first stride toward becoming a world-class graphic designer.