Tech skill refers to a set of competencies that help individuals interact digitally. These skills encompassing a broad spectrum of competencies related to understanding, creating, and managing technology and digital systems.
In the 21st century, this word is thrown around a lot that it could be called a buzzword saying nothing definitive.
But what actually is tech? Is it a short form of technology, technical, or technique? And can graphic design be considered as belonging to these and equal to the largely contested core tech skills like programming, cloud computing, data analysis, machine learning, software development, etc.?
Before proceeding we would like to state here that Graphic design… is tech based
In truth, the separation of design as separate from tech based professions stems from traditional views which hold certain disciplines to have an established process of proceeding and others to simply be an act of inspiration or innate talent.
These concepts of superiority influence earnings of designers in workplaces and leads to a confusion as to whether the design field is tech or just art based and designers themselves.
However, deeper thinking reveals all professions to be based on established principles which players take time to study, observe, and apply and we dive into reasons why this field of color combos, font types and minimalism is tech based
Graphic Design As Technology
Technology: the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.
Every field involves a certain type of science and the application of it to achieve an effect.
For some, there is the study of the consistency of atoms and their exploitation for genetic modifications, the consistency of chemicals for the creation of gunpowder, and for some the study of colors to evoke emotions.
The study here is science, the application to achieve a result technology. These two i.e science and technology exist in all disciplines.
Graphic designers, for instance, would perform what in Africa is called “oyinbo juju,” e.g., planes flying by making a room full of samurais instantly afraid by the combination of colors to achieve an effect.
This no doubt is technology.
Graphic Design As A Tech Skill Involves Its Own Complexities.
Ever tried to create a design and ended up failing?
The reason for it isn’t your use of the best laptops for design or budget ones; it’s simply down to the awareness of principles that make great designs.
Thus the difference between a bad and a good designer is how well the latter applies his principles, e.g., minimalism, alignment, color theories, and more.
These complexities, nuances on their own make the design field a technical one.
We love how programmers throw around words like bug well In graphic design technical words like “color riot” and “kerning” and ” leading” exist too.
The Requirement Of Software know-How In Design
As modern as the world gets, fields like Psychology and human therapy are performed outside software- Know how but not graphic design. This need for dedicated software and training associated with design makes this field tech-inclined.
You could overall be skilled in the use of colors and alignment theory but if there’s no way to execute these on Photoshop then it’s game over unless you content yourselves with designing on print to the exclusion of all electronic formats for expressing your creativity.
If designers need time on software, need quality training either in schools for design or as self -taughts then they definitely are involved in tech.
Not to mention that design involves tech nuances such as SVG, PNG and formats like PDFs GIFs. etc.
UI/UX, A Derivative Of Graphic Design, Is A Tech Role.
Human psychology and behavioral patterns on digital application form the core of the design field of UI/UX.
This field emerging in the 21st century due to the use of digital systems blends finely the principles of graphic design for use digitally.
There’s the use of serif fonts for a subset of serious and authoritative businesses and sanserif for a casual easy going businesses. There are color choices based on regions of the world, and measures to help keep visitors on web pages. These considerations are purely science based relying heavily on observable patterns amongst people.
The field though younger than graphic design and its overall concept of design in general is a well deserved tech role and bashes the definition of a tech role as a role founded on science or technology.
When Next You Are Asked If You’re In Tech Remember This Fact.
The world is constant, how we express or talk about it varies.
Farmers, for instance, plant and expect multiple of grains while bankers expect your savings to yield interest. Same concept different expressions.
In another vein, some professions say blue by writing it as blue and others as writing it as #0000ff . Still the same thing here just different ways of saying it.
However, there are those who might tilt to referring to these professions as more technically inclined due to a false notion of these professions involving more established processes.
There’s also the idea that some of these professions like engineering have given to the world more than art disciplines have e.g., engineering with transportation but think about ta Barack Obama’s winning speech capable of changing the dominance of white colored presidents and you get the sense that artistic products like communication play main roles in shaping the world we see. Even the world itself was was created out of something artistic. “Let There Be Light.”
So is graphic design a tech skill? Yes. it involves complexities like software learning to achieve its use and professionals, in this field spend arduous hours honing their skill and there’s a level of technology to be achieved here.