Graphic Design and Video Game Design in the Modern World?

By Clinton Courier | August 9, 2022 |

With the growth of internet businesses and the digital entertainment industry, positions for graphic designers have been rapidly increasing in number. Various studies show us that the visual aspect of any project is quickly becoming the most important part of marketing. Therefore, the role of a graphic and video game designer is crucial, so are they the same?

The quick answer is that while their line of work sometimes aligns, the main difference is in the scope their work covers. In this article, we will be taking a closer look at these two important roles in the modern technological era.

What Are the Responsibilities of These Two Positions?

Firstly, the graphic designer’s role is to create a visual brand for the project they are working on, whether it be a product or a company. They design and create project logos and are largely responsible for the advertising part of their company’s campaign. In the marketing game, the graphic designer is the vanguard of their project. Their work is the first thing customers see and it is precisely what draws them to the graphic designer’s company.

Secondly, the video game designer usually has to be a jack of all trades. While their line of work does sometimes include visual design, they also have to think about other concepts for their project. To name a few, these can include the structure of levels in the game or the placement of interactable objects or non-player characters. Sometimes a bigger company hires multiple game designers to work on the different aspects of the job. However, there is usually just one person in smaller and medium companies doing the various roles.

Essentially, this means that game designers cover a wide area of roles for a project while a graphic designer highly specializes in his work position.

Differences and Similarities

While these two roles work towards the same goal and in comparable ways, there are some differences in their modus operandi. They mostly relate to how they approach their work and what the final outcome is.

Product Output – Where the graphic designer is mainly responsible for logos, interfaces, and visual elements, the video game designer’s area is how the game feels and how it interacts with the user.
Programs Used – Graphic Designers usually work with visual design tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc. Whereas, video game designers must be skilled with some IT software or sometimes coding.
Goal – The aim of the graphic designer is to create an aesthetically pleasing product for the customer, while the game designer strives for a smooth and interactive gaming experience.

Having considered some of the main differences between graphic and game designers, there are also similarities. Both departments are required to work in sync with each other so some of their work aligns.

Design – Of course, the main similarity is that both of these roles deal with designing something for their company. Whether it is an advertising campaign or a gameplay feature for the player, both have creative productivity in their mind.
Decisions – Speaking of creativity, both positions have a lot of choices to make when creating a product. They have to balance both innovation and accessibility. Additionally, both have to consider the needs of their audience and adjust their product accordingly.
Consultation – This one might be a bit of a stretch but it is important to note that both roles need to consult with each other and their colleagues for maximum productivity.

Graphic and Video Game Design Today

The graphic design industry has developed rapidly and today it is far from its humble beginnings of line-art brochures and simple business cards. Today visually stunning is a term that can be applied to a lot of industries, not just cinematography. Since the visual aspect is the crucial first impression of each business, you can find beautiful designs on websites, billboards, in front of stores, etc. Of course, digital products like video games have seen the most changes.

Moreover, there have been a lot of graphical innovations in online video game design. Online games are created to not only function and play well thanks to video game designers, but also to look gorgeous. Initially, the visual innovations concerned popular genres like online RPGs, Platformers, and Shooter games. But did you know that graphical innovations in mobile games are a major source of income in the gaming market?

Graphically pleasing mobile games like the Candy Crush franchise or online video slots like the Arthurian Legend series are fast and casual options that are doing exceptional in the gaming market. Today, graphic and video game designers are creating games like Merlin’s Grimoire, from the former-mentioned series, that provide the player with a visually pleasing and fast gaming experience. Since these fast and casual experiences seem to be the most profitable in today’s gaming market, they seem to be the most lucrative options for graphic and video game designers.

Closing Remarks

In summary, we have analyzed the roles of graphic and video game designers and explained how they contribute to the entertainment business. While these roles have different jobs, they are essentially contributing to the same thing. In the modern age, they create fast and graphically-stunning products for people to enjoy. Their roles are crucial for any company that wants to climb the online gaming market.