Identity is often—and incorrectly—used interchangeably with the terms brand or  branding. Brand is the overall image that a company or entity makes across all touchpoints, from one-on-one communications to television, print, product, or social media. Identity is the visual translation of the brand into many forms, including the logo, of course, but also encompassing such elements as business cards and stationery, websites, signage, uniforms, fleet graphics, brochures, and package design.

Interface design facilitates interaction between a human being and a machine. It is a user-centered discipline that includes the design of websites, computers, mobile communication devices, and software applications focused on the user experience. The goal of interface design is to anticipate what users might need to do, or the actions they may choose to take, and provide the means for them to complete their tasks efficiently and with satisfaction and enjoyment.

Typography is the foundation of environmental graphic design and many experiential graphic design projects. Along with color, scale, and form, typography is a basic building block of communications in the built environment.

Typography has been linked with architecture—and with creating a unique sense of place and environmental context—for as long as man has been building. Egyptian hieroglyphics, Roman inscriptions, and Mayan glyphs attest to the power of carving letterforms, pictographs, and symbols into structures to communicate their permanence and significance.

Symbols (pictograms) are the universal vocabulary that can transcend words, languages, locations, and cultures. Symbol design is a critical component of graphic design because symbols can often communicate information more concisely than words.