Graphic Design: Global vs. Detail Changes September 11, 2009, by Chris Pelicano in Design
The graphic design process is really a process of refinement from rough concepts to finished deliverables (printed pieces, logos, web sites, electronic documents, packaging, etc.). Refinement means change, revision, alteration. Large changes should be confined to early stages of the process which gradually give way to smaller revisions as the process reaches the finished deliverable form.
As with so many other industries and tasks, graphic designers utilize the computer as their primary service development tool. These days, layouts are created, presented, revised, and delivered entirely within a digital environment. The "point and click" and "cut and paste" computer environment is well-known in the business world and has indeed made certain kinds of revisions faster, easier, and more efficient than they used to be. However, not all revisions are created equal and it is important to understand how true this is in the graphic design process.
A graphic design layout is really a container that holds various content elements: type, photos, illustration, logos, etc. The placement of each of these elements effects the placement of the others. (That is what design is ... and good design arranges the elements in a prioritized, pleasing and effective manner.)
There is always a limited amount of visual display real estate (the size of a printed piece of paper, the effective amount of screen display width, the label on a product, etc.) within which the designer must "fit" the content. This interrelationship means that a small detail change to one element can, and often does, effect the placement of the other elements. Multiple small changes can have a dramatic effect on the design and appearance of the finished piece as well as the amount of time and energy expended to complete the work. For this reason, layout revisions should be considered, approved, and conducted carefully.
Global changes refer to revisions that effect repeatable elements within a layout, such as type fonts, background colors & textures, brand consistency, color schemes, and color display systems (RGB for web and video or CMYK for print).
For example, selecting and applying a new type font to all the text in a layout will change the appearance of the document as well as the amount of room the text occupies. In a 200 page book, such a global change would cause the entire text of the book to reflow, effecting all of the paragraph breaks and probably the page count of the book as well.
Changing the color of the text, a different global change, would change the appearance of the book but not cause the text to reflow.
Another example ... a small detail change to the appearance of a product will require a global change ... the need to update all of the communications pieces which feature the product. So, some global changes cause multiple detail changes while others do not, and some detail changes cause global changes which require multiple detail changes.
The reality of global versus detail changes is precisely what experienced graphic designers are best at managing. They are in a unique position to advise clients on the budget ramifications of graphic design changes, especially during the layout and production phases of any project.
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