Graphic Design?

[Glenn9999]

This is really a more "general problems in programming design and development" question, but I don't see a forum for that.

My question was going to be how people (business) generally handles the graphic design aspects of development. Especially in these days of Windows, the general expectation seems to be to have some level of graphics (if not animation), even if it's just the icon used within the program. Or even with websites, I haven't come across a site anymore that doesn't feature some level of graphics. Even a site like this one has the logo in the upper left corner of the page.

Of course, most development environments include a few stock icons, images, animations, and so on, but my question is this: Most people are going to recognize, especially in light of copyright issues, if people reuse/borrow excessively. Like if the same icon gets used on every program and it's the default icon in the programming environment.

So what do most companies/people do when the occasion arises for these things? Do businesses have computer graphic artists on staff now whose job is to turn these things out? Or does the programmer generally muddle through on a copy of MS Paint or an icon editor? Or do most people generally stay with the stock graphics?

Personally I'll say the creation of unique icons of passable quality for programs, when needed, has been perhaps one of the biggest challenges...

 

[Opieo]

The program that I am making for my team is pretty slim and contains about no graphics.
I am programming in Delphi and the default icon for my program is just the default that Delphi assigned (it actually is kind of neat looking).
But for my users, I am still busy installing functionality and adding on to the program to make it more useful and to further streamline their operations.
If and when I ever have time, I will consider adding graphics to the buttons or rounding the edges of windows or other such graphical enhancements.
Looks come last in my book (that is partially from lack of experience as well, which is self perpetuating) and that luckily seems to be how my users prefer it for now.
It still has all the niceness that comes default with Delphi. Granted I know not every language comes with such a fluffy visual environment builder.

~
Give a man some fire, he will be warm for a day, Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

 

[SQLSister]

Generally people handle this through several ways
If you have a lot of graphic work, it is best to hire someone permanently. If you only need it occasionally, many graphics people work freelance.
We usualy get all our logos etc here from our clients. Be sure to ask for a print ready logo as well as a web ready logo. You never know when you will be asked to print something from the site that needs the print logo.
Certainly there are plenty of stock sites to get general graphics from. Whatever you do though, do not put your company in legal trouble by stealing a graphic from the web without permission of the copyright holder.

"NOTHING is more important in a database than integrity." ESquared

 

[wlemery]

Most companies I've worked for had a graphic arts department that handled all that. Those that didn't hired a graphic artist on a temporary basis.

 

[grande]

Yeah, my company has a design department that handles that stuff. The charity I volunteer for happens to have a fairly good designer on the board of directors, so I talk to him if something needs to be done.

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Matt Grande
C# Master.
Ruby on Rails Admirer.
ActionScript Student.
JavaScript Hate-Monger.