Design is an art with many nuances. Styles or types of design are all around us, without even noticing, from the simple designs of a child to the sketch you made to show your friends where your long awaited party would be.
Through design we capture many subjective ideas and artistic expressions, but we also portray realities, such as, for example, the parts of a piece of machinery. As you can see, these subjects are not related to each other, which gives rise to all the different types of design that exist today.
But what are the types of design that exist? If you are an artist or want to be one at some point, you need to learn the types of design that you can find in your journey through the creative world. This will help you to discover the options you need to develop as a designer, as well as to diversify your technique and constantly innovate.
If you don’t have the slightest idea about the types of design that exist and their characteristics, you’ve come to the right place, because we will teach you everything related to the types of design, in the end you will even be able to choose your favorite type of design!
So, are you ready to discover how versatile the art is?
Prepare your pencil to take notes and let’s get started!
Types of design
Design is art, it is expression, it is the representation of a reality. The art of design comprises a great variety of forms and structures that can hardly be condensed into a single type of design.
In this sense, according to Luis Gadea, professor of the course Drawing in Pencil: from beginner to specialist, “to know how to draw is to be able to interpret reality in a design, not necessarily to portray reality, but to use reality as a means of inspiration”.
Thus, not all realities can be represented in the same way, and not all types of drawings project reality or express feelings. If we draw, for example, a plan of a building to be built, there is no emotional component or feeling in that style of drawing, we are only representing the idea of a future reality.
As a result, you may wonder how design is classified. To begin with, there are different types of design, and these, in turn, are classified into subtypes with their own characteristics and purposes.
Mainly, the types of design can be divided into the following categories:
Artistic design
According to the Instituto Peruano de Publicidade, “artistic design is the type of design that hides in its traces the feelings of the artists who design them”.
In other words, this type of design represents objects or scenes from the artist’s perspective. In artistic design, contours and shapes are limited by means of lines and can gather all the characteristics of the design that the artist desires.
it is also the most expressive form of design, since it is a way of expressing what is felt, seen or imagined, whether realistic or not. However, if someone wants to represent some reality, he does it with fidelity and beauty.
Some types of artistic design can be realistic, such as portraits, or far from reality, such as caricatures, or even surrealistic or abstract.
Technical design
On the other hand, technical design is a type of design specific to the industrial area. This type of design is used to communicate details and ideas with a technological background of one or several objects.
In other words, the technical drawing graphically represents an object, in order to provide relevant information for future analysis for the construction and maintenance of the object.
Geodesic design
This is one of the most specific types of drawing. it is used to draw the spherical shape of our planet. The geodesic drawing is used to represent round objects, and is made by making corrections proportionate to the distance in which the points are located in reference to the poles.
Geometric drawing
As the name says, it refers to that type of design that is developed following the rules of geometry. To make a geometric drawing, it must be represented by means of flat figures or elementary lines, such as squares, circles, triangles, etc.
To make a geometric drawing, a measurement system is used by means of tools such as those you used to draw figures in school: lines, squares, squares, bussolas, angle transfer, etc.
Source: Unsplash
Types of artistic design
Now that you are familiar with the main types of design, let’s focus on the subtypes of the most popular classification: artistic design.
Artistic design is undoubtedly the one that allows the greatest creative freedom, since it is not subject to strictly measured rules or guidelines. Although different techniques are used according to the type, the possibilities it offers are endless.
Therefore, if you want to learn how to draw step by step, you should keep in mind that there is no perfect way to draw, because each artist has his own style and way of expressing himself.besides, the types of artistic design are so diverse that you can adapt to a specific one or combine them, it all depends on what you think is best for you.
The types of artistic design that you can experiment with to free your creativity and emotion are the following:
Simple artistic design
The best type of design to start designing is this one. You only have to use the easiest techniques and, perhaps, it is the form of drawing that you most like to do because of its simplicity. Here it is only important to know how to draw the lines, the composition, the proportions and the measures.
Portrait design
it is an artistic form that draws in detail the physical characteristics of a person. We could say that the intention of this type of drawing is similar to that of a photograph: to give a representation of how the person looks at a certain moment.
However, unlike a photograph, here the artist must use the same elements of the drawing to reflect a state of mind or personality in the portrait.
It is worth mentioning that this type of drawing does not have to be realistic in its entirety, it only has to portray one or several people with a certain style.
Source: Unsplash
Dead nature
This type of design concentrates on pasting natural or man-made objects and placing them in a certain space to be portrayed.
Its objective is generally aesthetic and harmonious, because, through this form of design, a sense of peace and harmony is transmitted.
Caricature
This is a type of design that stands out and shines through its exaggerated features and strokes to generate feelings ranging from comic to frightening.
These types of designs are most often found in graphic romances or animations for children, but are used in many styles and for many different audiences.
Illustration
This is the type of artistic design that is most commonly used to illustrate texts, as it serves as a complement to help understand or accompany the written text. The illustration helps the reader to visually understand the information.
this is where all the pictures you have seen in your school books or in a book you have read come into play.
Hyper-realism
A style of artistic design whose main characteristic is a deep and precise level of detail, that is, a realism that is concerned with obtaining even the smallest detail of something in particular.
According to the site Pure Architecture, this type of design “is extremely detailed, as it tries to be very difficult to distinguish from a photograph”. This type of design will undoubtedly jump into your mind and make you question if it was actually captured by a camera or if someone else portrayed it.
Quadrinhos
Quadrinhos are a type of layout that follow a logical or linear sequence that tell stories. These can vary from humorous vignettes to massive and detailed volumes in many genres, such as romance, drama, science fiction, action, etc.
Image: Unsplash
Grafite
This is one of the types of design that is made with spray inks and usually in public spaces to attract attention. All kinds of feelings are expressed in these drawings, although, due to the way they are exhibited, they often reflect the attitudes of the artists in the society in which they live .
There is much controversy about this expression of artistic design, and some even think that it should not be included in the types of design, because it is often equated to acts of vandalism. However, this does not diminish its characteristics and essence as an expressive design.
Landscape
Natural landscapes are also very relevant nowadays, as they are one of the most important graphic elements in a dinner or portrait. The central idea of the landscape is to transmit emotions to the viewers; for this, artists can portray any kind of environment: a forest, a desolate land, a moving street, etc.
Image: Unsplash
Personagens
Finally, among the different types of artistic drawings, we can find this category that includes only fictitious characters, which generally have a fantastic origin, such as monsters, humanoid and mythological creatures, etc.
Some artists combine styles such as portrait and caricature to create unique and more marked characters.
Types of technical design
This is the second most common type of design due to its application in industrial sectors. Technical design is the means of clearly and precisely describing the shapes, dimensions and characteristics of material objects.
According to the Pure Architecture portal, “Technical drawings are graphic representations, such as lines and symbols that follow specific conventions of scale and design”.with this type of design, you can make plans for the creation of bridges, buildings, houses, among other projects.
But what is technical design for? Contrary to the subjective nature of artistic design, technical design must be completely objective. Its function is to represent objects in the most detailed and precise way, in order to transmit the necessary information to build, design or maintain those objects.
If you are wondering how many types of technical drawings exist, here are the details, take note!
Architectural design
These types of drawings are used for constructions in general, such as houses, factories, bridges, buildings, companies, churches, among many others. it is a graphic representation of how it is or will be the place to be built, as well as sections, facades, columns and details that constitute it.
Image: Unsplash
Topographic design
This type of technical drawing shows us all the elements that exist in a certain place, for example, buildings, fences, roads, rivers, lakes, forests, as well as elevations and plains.
This type of design is used to get a general idea of what a place is like in geographical terms.
Urban design
With many similarities with topographic design, what differentiates urban design is its focus on the elements that make up a city, such as gardens, streets, avenues, buildings, parks or recreational areas.
Mechanical design
This type of technical design is used in industrial machines, vehicles, garages, ships, airplanes, motorcycles, among others. Mechanical design is used to understand the mechanism of a machine, as well as the parts that compose it and how they interact with each other.
Electrical design
If a building or a house requires electricity, the type of technical design known as electrical design is used. By means of symbols, all the electrical installations and circuits of the premises are shown, as well as everything related to their control or management, for example, switches, connections, panels, etc.
Electronic design
Contrary to the electrical design, this type of technical design shows the connections and details of electrical components or devices, such as communication and industrial equipment, power sources, transistors, among others.
Geological design
This type of technical drawing is very useful for the mining and petroleum industries. With the help of these drawings it is possible to identify the layers of the earth, as well as the location of the targets for extraction.