Course Description:
Students will learn graphic design fundamentals and techniques using a variety of software, including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Areas of focus include Typography, Iconography, Digital Media, Posters, Book Covers, Brand Identity, Logos, T-shirts, Motion Design, and Web Design.
Each section consists of an area of focus, including a project, a featured designer, and an overview of the technique. Classroom activities will include sketching, concepting, creative problem solving, computer design work, as well as class critiques. The outcome being a comprehensive portfolio that students will present in a final critique.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
In this initial project students collect 3 examples of graphic design and answer the following questions. This allows us to examine that design surrounds us each day, as well as get comfortable talking about style and design elements.
• Why do you like it?
• How would you describe the style?
• What graphic design elements are used as described in the class presentation?
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
In this project students explore positive and negative space, and the relationship graphic elements have with their background—both are equally important to design and composition.
1. Type 1 or 2 words as a single line. It could be anything - your name, a simple sentence, etc.
2. Choose an interesting font that appeals to you and apply it to your words.
3. Next copy & paste your words 3 times, and then apply a different color to each set of words.
4. Fill up the page with a dense texture by copy & pasting the different color words.
5. Lastly, paste your words on top of the dense pattern, enlarge the size, and change the fill color to white.
In the end, you will have turned Positive Space into Negative, and Negative Space into Positive.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
In this project students create a Personal Visual Identity made up of words and images collaged together to express who they are. This exercise reinforces sketching ideas before designing and exploring their creative process.
1. First sketch 5 rough ideas about your passions, interests and memories. Remember: these are small unrefined drawings of your ideas. They do not need to be perfect.
2. Use your sketches as inspiration to create Your Personal Visual Identity by collecting words and images within Adobe Illustrator.
3. Once all your elements are collected start arranging them on the page, taking into consideration:
• Graphic Elements - Line, Shape, Color, Pattern, Texture
• Positive and Negative Space
• Visual Hierarchy
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
In this project students design their name in both traditional and experimental typography, as inspired by David Carson. By familiarizing ourselves with these two extremes we reveal the breadth of design possibilities available in-between.
1. Traditional Type Design: Use 1 or 2 typefaces for your TRADITIONAL NAME. Please play with weights, CAPS, letter-spacing, and how you arrange the words. Make it fun and interesting, but make sure it's readable.
2. Experimental Type Design: Using at least 3 different typefaces for your EXPERIMENTAL NAME. Make sure to design it with an experimental typography style. Use David Carson's work as inspiration. The FEELING of the design is more important than the legibility of the words.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
A calligram is a word in which the design and layout of the letters create a visual image related to the meaning of itself. This exercise helps students straddle between left and right brain thinking, literal vs. imaginative.
1. SKETCH 3 IDEAS: Choose a single word, phrase, or idea and sketch out a visual image using your chosen words.
2. Once you have your rough sketches, use Adobe Illustrator to create your Calligrams - where the layout of the letters/words creates a visual image.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
Part 1: The goal is to choose one thing such as a tree, bird, house, flower, etc. (something simple) and then create 3 different style icons of that thing.
1. Sketch out a variety of simple images until you have one you like. It can be anything!
2. Once you have your simple image chosen, then sketch out how this might look in different icon styles.
Style Examples: Hand Drawn, 3D Icons, Line Icons, Color & Shape, Abstract, App Icons, Emojis
3. Next create your 3 icons in Adobe Illustrator. Think about colors. Are the icons contained in a shape? Are they recognizable?
Part 2: Next, we will create 3 additional icons in the same style as your favorite original icon (4 icons in total). The goal is to create a system of 4 icons of related things, that feel like the same style.
1. Choose your favorite Icon from Part 1, and then sketch out 3 additional icons in the same style. They should all related to a similar subject.
2. Next, using Adobe Illustrator draw your 3 new icons next to the original.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
The goal of this assignment is to learn the basics of Adobe Photoshop by collecting 9 images and manipulating them to be unique creations. Students follow along in class as I demonstrate the Photoshop tools, layers, and filters throughout this assignment.
1. Download the attached template to your computer.
2. Collect 9 images from the internet and copy & paste them into the attached template.
3. Use Photoshop to explore and play with these 9 images. Practice some of the techniques we've reviewed.
4. Each image should be edited in some way from the original to make it your own.
5. Submit your final collection of images as a 1000 x 1000 pixel JPG.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
Students design a CONCERT POSTER using Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, combining all their previous learning into a succinct composition .
1. Think about your poster concept for your favorite music artist. Research imagery, songs, lyrics - anything that has to do with your concept and sketch out a rough idea.
2. After you have your idea sketched, start designing. You can Illustrate, or borrow imagery from the internet, or just use colors and typography of your own creation. Review the attached Poster presentation or search "concert posters" for inspiration .
3. Be creative! Make sure to include the music artist's NAME, VENUE and DATE. Make it feel real. The design should be something you'd hang on your wall.
4. Remember to use the composition tools we've learned – Margins, Negative Space, Visual Hierarchy, ... maybe a Grid.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
DESIGN A BOOK COVER using Adobe InDesign.
1: First, think about the concept for your BOOK COVER – It can be an existing story or you can make one up. Sketch out a rough idea for your concept. Do a Google search for "Book Covers" if you're having trouble coming up with an idea.
2: After you have your rough idea sketched, start designing your concept. Create or add imagery and typography to create your own unique concept. Take into consideration how you are integrating Type and Image as outlined in the presentation.
3: Be creative! Make sure to include the TITLE, DESCRIPTION and AUTHOR. Also pay attention to the FONTS and COLORS you use. The design should feel like a BOOK.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
This project will serve as a starting point for each student to define their own unique set of brand guidelines, which will inform the next 5 weeks of design projects: Logo, Business Card, T-shirt, advertisement, stickers, etc.
1. Please choose a unique “Brand Idea” for yourself – a new business, music band, sports team, etc... This could be anything, a big idea unique to you, just not something existing.
2. Download the Brand Identity Template attached, open it in Adobe Illustrator and save it into your "Graphic Design" Folder.
3. Fill out the information about your big idea. List the adjectives / personality traits that best describe your Brand Identity.
4. "EXPLORE" color palettes at: https://coolors.co/. Use this web app as inspiration for your color palette. Pick 3 to 5 colors that "feel" like the personality of your Brand Idea. Once you've chosen your colors, "EXPORT" them as a PDF and drag them into your Brand Identity Template.
5. Look through the fonts available within Adobe Illustrator. Choose one that "feels" most like the personality you described. Write the name of the font under Primary Font, and make it that font.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
Now that you’ve defined your Brand Identity let’s start brainstorming and sketching ideas for your logo. The Final Logo should measure roughly 4.5” x 4.5” and be placed in the center of an 8.5 x 11 page.
1. Sketch out rough ideas and concepts using symbols, fonts, and colors that reflect your brand identity.
2. Explore the shape of your logo and how the words and images fit together. Think about "LogoTYPE" vs. "LogoMARK". Remember: “Logotype” = text, “logomark” = picture, and don’t forget that they can be combined.
3. Once you have a few good sketches to explore open Adobe Illustrator and start creating a few options. Think about design styles that reflects the personality of your brand, and resonate with your target audience.
4. Share the design with others, and get feedback from our class critique. Make necessary adjustments based on constructive criticism.
Assignment Instructions:
We are designing "Artwork" that will be printed on T-Shirts. It is important to follow the instructions and file requirements if you choose to have this printed. Remember that this should be a unique design, not something you borrowed from the internet. You should have a clear direction before you start working on the computer. The design should contain artwork you created that supports the personality and concept of your Brand Identity.
1. SKETCH FIRST: Sketch ideas for your T-Shirt using your logo, typography, and other imagery you've created. Think about T-shirt color vs. artwork color, and what you will place on the front vs. back of your T-shirt.
2. CREATE ARTWORK: Create the front and back of your T-Shirt design using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
In this project students will be adding the elements of time and storytelling to the graphic design principals they've learned by creating animated gifs.
1. Please SKETCH 3 to 9 frames of your animated story in the storyboard provided. Words and images must be combined in an impactful way to convey a complete thought or concept.
2. Open Photoshop and create a new document. Set your workspace to “Motion”. Now create your visual assets as different layers - anything that moves must be on a different layer. Think about Background, Characters, and what they are doing.
3. Once you have all your assets as different layers in Photoshop, make sure you can see the Timeline on the bottom set to Frame Animation. A good way to organize the motion is to create the Key Frames first and then work in "in-between" frames to create smooth motion.
4. Last, once you get the idea of how to use Layers and Frames to create motion then take it to the next level. Add a background or another animated element, or create a second animation.
5. Make sure to turn in the final GIF. We will review everyone's work in a class critique.
Lesson Overview and Presentation
Assignment Instructions:
Design a MOVIE POSTER using your choice of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop.
1. Think about your movie poster concept. It can be an existing movie or you can make one up!
2. After you have your idea sketched, start designing. You can Illustrate, or borrow imagery from the internet. Review our class presentation or search "movie posters" for inspiration .
3. Be creative! Make sure to include the movie TITLE, TAG LINE, and CREDITS. Make it feel real. The design should be something you'd hang on your wall.
4. Remember to use the composition tools we've learned – Margins, Negative Space, Visual Hierarchy, ... maybe a Grid.
