Exploring New Design Applications
I’ve always wondered what other software products and applications that are out there can help us achieve new horizons in the new decade as well as redefine what we as graphic designers can create at our fingertips.
One of the applications that I find myself drawn to is Procreate, which describes itself as a powerful and intuitive digital illustration app. I’ve personally used Procreate to design stickers, create digital artwork as well as make unique and original typefaces in my own handwriting.
Although it allows graphic designers to let their creative juices flow, Blue Sky Graphics makes an important note that, “Procreate is a fantastic tool for drawing and illustrating. When it comes to hand-drawn, visual art, Procreate is without a doubt many illustrators' first preference. However, other applications are designed specifically for graphic design, such as Photoshop, InDesign, Affinity Designer, and Canva…As previously said...if you plan to do a lot of graphic design, another application will be preferable.”
Even with the latest update with now allows for the creation and design of 3D models, Procreate isn’t the ideal application for graphic design specifically, but doesn’t fall short in providing ways to illustrate, create type and render 3D objects.
At this moment, it allows us to create many things, but sadly, it still falls short in some specific departments, such as photo editing and layout design. If one was to search for another application much like Photoshop, they would come across Canva.
For those who are unfamiliar with Canva, it’s marketed as a graphic design program that allows the user to use fonts, shapes, and elements to create designs. Diana of Adventures with Art makes an important note that, “Even though Canva seems “basic,” a lot of us don’t need the advanced techniques that you would find with other programs, like the Adobe suite. Personally, I don’t want to pay a high price for a program that has features I won’t use.”
For designers or even marketing teams, who need basic design techniques for their work to be successful, Canva and similar programs take a lot of the unnecessary tools that some designers never click on and keep it simple while still allowing for the creativity to run free.
It’s no secret that 3D rendering has become an increasingly desirable skill in the graphic design industry. Although, as Tech News Business states, “3D Designing Software is not a new concept. It has been around for decades and has been used by designers for creating models, drawings, and other artwork. Many companies have their own 3D design software, and it is now getting more popular in the workplace too.”
This realization begs the question of what software programs are the most efficient to help propel your work and business. 3D renderings can be seen in advertising and even physical objects made from 3D printers every day, which would make any designer curious as to how to begin using these tools and gain the necessary skills.
Tech News Business elaborates, “This new ‘industry’ has also given rise to a whole range of products that have caught the attention of ordinary people. The 3D printer software is very popular software and an invaluable tool that can help you in your company. But it’s not the only software that can be used to create 3D models. Software such as Blender, SketchUp, AutoCAD is very popular for creating 3D models or architectural designs.”
It’s incredibly important to keep up to date with the ever-growing market of graphic design because Adobe is simply not the only software capable of creating exceptional graphics anymore. We must expand our horizons and learn to test out everything around us because we never know what we’ll be able to create.