WELCOME! Throughout this course you will be learning terminology and some fundamentals of design. Today we'll be covering these topics: What is graphic design? What is visual communication? What is the process? We'll talk about the basic elements (dot, line, shape, pattern, texture) and principles (balance, emphasis, tension, rhythm) of graphic design.
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— Basic Elements of Design (pdf)
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— How to Survive Critique (pdf)
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You will create two, 8” x 8” compositions using one of your shapes from your in class exercise. The first composition should be stable and the second composition should be dynamic.
Draw up to 20 duplicates of your shape (you may reduce or enlarge your shape within the 2" x 2" squares). Create two, 8” x 8” compositions using that shape, via repetition, overlapping and placement, etc. (Minimum number: use a minimum of 5 shapes or more to solve each composition) The final compositions will be turned in (Week 3).
Use the principles of balance, tension, rhythm, pattern, focal point, etc to help create your compositions.
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Take pictures of your 2”x2” shape and your two 8”x 8” compositions and upload the images to Google Slides. At this stage, your 8" x 8" compositions can be taped together as a work-in-progress, working comp. We will be giving each other feedback next week.
Letter Shaping Game
The Bézier Game
Plotting Vector Points with Jessica Hische
Letter Building: Scaling & Shaping
Horizontal & Vertical Bézier Handles
Lettering Tutorial
Vector Lettering Techniques
We'll be reviewing the design process and how to successfully evaluate and critique design work. Feedback for your 8"x 8" compositions will follow.
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Learn some of the terminology and language of design by looking at work by Armin Hoffman:
Use this Principles of Gestalt presentation video to help you refine your 8" x 8" compositions:
Gestalt principles in action:
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— (7.18 min) How to active & use adobe fonts in Illustrator
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Refine and finish your 8” x 8” compositions. Add one color and text (using few words, e.g. Slow Motion or Visual Focus) to help direct the eye and describe the composition.
Enhance your compositions with Gestalt Principles. You might try modifying some aspect of your composition by using some of the following principles:
Adjust the figure/ground relationship, play with symmetry/asymmetry, closure, proximity, and/or similarity.
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Finished work is due next class for presentations and critique. Take pictures of your compostitions and upload them to Google Slides:
We will have feedback on Project 1 in small break out rooms. While you’re waiting for your meeting time with me, watch the 2 videos below about 3 designers’ approaches for making words visually expressive and then start your non-graded homework assignment.
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See how Ji Lee, Edward Fella, and Paula Scher approach typography / letters to make them more visual and expressive:
— (20.45 min) Ji Lee, Edward Fella, & Paula Scher
— (7.33 min) This Paula Scher .
— Ji Lee, Edward Fella, & Paula Scher.pdf file (pdf)
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— Click here to start your non-graded homework assignment (pdf file)
Use type / lettering to create a visual representation of an assigned word or of your initials. The finished work must be in black and white (or shades of grey).
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What to do for your initials:
Using only your initials, visually capture how you are feeling today. Adapt, distress, deconstruct, flip, cut, texturize, or personalize the letters to capture the feeling. Use what you are learning about stable/dynamic and gestalt principles to help you strengthen your work.
Incorporation of icons and/or images within the visual representation is not permitted. You can work in any medium: pencil, charcoals, sharpies, construction paper cut outs, etc but the finished work must be in black & white / grey and uploaded to the Google Slides Document.
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What to do for the visual word:
You wlll be working with type to create a voice and personality. Adapt, distress, deconstruct, flip, cut, texturize, or personalize the typeface chosen to create a visual representation of the assigned word.
Incorporation of icons and/or images within the visual representation is not permitted. You can work in any medium: pencil, charcoals, sharpies, construction paper cut outs, etc but the finished work must be in black & white / grey and uploaded to the Google Slides Document.
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Take a picture of your final piece and upload it to the Google Slides Document for class discussion next week. Non-graded.
We will be reviewing your homework from last week. Also we’ll experiment with a brainstorming exercise using Miro for a
We will be watching Lindsay Marsh's logo design process to show you the the steps we’ll be doing over the next few weeks for your logo design.
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— (57 min) Skillshare — Logo Design Process: Chapter 4 –9 from Vectorizing through Color
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— Logo Sketching: Ramotion Branding Agency
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Over the next few weeks you will be creating a combination mark, which is a logo that has an image and text. For this week, you will ONLY be working on the IMAGE portion of the logo. Choose one client from the options below.
Each client option has the following requirements — They would like a new logo which has an image that captures what the feeling of the event / company is like or showcases what they do as a company. The logo you will create will have to work well both large and small. Some of the clients have suggestions of what they would / wouldn’t like:
1. Emerald City Comic Con:
They definitely DO NOT want to use the space needle.
2. Seattle Public Library:
They are very proud of their vast resources / network that serves the public.
3. Flying Apron Bakery:
They would like it to feel more homey and welcoming than their current logo.
4. Poster for Tomorrow:
They would like an image that represents the future or show progress and are open to abstract imagery, symbolic or non-representational imagery as well as iconic looking ideas.
4. Bike Works:
They would like for you to think about the bicycle as a vehicle for change to empower youth and build resilient communities.
5. Choose a community based organization or event that interests you and could use an update to their logo.
Brainstorms ideas using your own method of sketching, word lists, mind mapping, and / or a matrix method and then sketch out your concepts. Try to create around 30 thumbnail sketch ideas. Choose one of the sketches and make a more refined sketch. For now, keep it to black & white (greys permitted).
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Please take pictures of the top 3 distinct ideas/images from your sketch book and a picture of your chosen/refined sketched work (no computers yet) and upload the image(s) to the Google Slides Document. Next week will be a work-in-progress review and we will use your design in class to generate iterations / explore more ways to tighten up your design.
This week we'll be reviewing your image portion for your logo in small peer-to-peer groups to find the visual heart of the story within the image. Then we’ll pair up and do a design iterations exercise.
There will be a presentation which will show the progression and direction of our projects from simple lettermarks to more complex symbols and word marks. Student work will be showcased.
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— Find the heart of the story.pdf
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— (30 min) George Bokhua: Using grids for general sketching and for refining logos.
— (6.5 min) — How to Design Logos with Emotions Using Grid with Lilah Higgins
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— (Start video at 1:40 and end at 8:40) Illustrator: Creating Grids and Using Shape Builder
Quick visual logo grid samples:
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What to do for your combination mark:
Refine your imagery based off feedback and experimentations done in class. Please take your image to the computer, working in Illustrator – make it into vector art. You may also add color(s) to your design. Choose 3 different typefaces from Adobe Fonts which could best work with the style of your design.
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Upload your refined color image to the Google Slides Document and show what it looks like next to each typeface choice.
We will go over a simple Brand Standards Manual / Guide Book.
And we’ll have small group feedback sessions for your work-in-progress logo. While you are waiting for your group review, please watch the video on the works of Chermayeff & Geismer & Haviv.
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— (25.03 min) Chermayeff, Geismar, and Haviv
— Chermayeff, Geismar, and Haviv file (pdf)
— (01.17.01 min) What makes a logo great & iconic in Sagi Haviv's own words.
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— (4.5 min) Modifying the letter R by Jamshaid Imtiaz
— (18.58 min) Visual Identities: More than just a logo with Sagi Haviv
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This week you will refine your project based off of feedback. Work on the scale & position of the text in relation to the image. Think about subtle changes you could make to the typography to customize it. Try to make the tone of the type match the tone of the imagery you created. Make minor modifications to the letters in Illustrator.
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Upload your refined (work-in-progress) logo to Google Slides.
We will be looking at your refined logo designs for half the class and introducing the poster part of this project.
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Over the next few weeks you will be creating an 11” x 17” color poster for event/ class/ offering associated with your chosen logo / client. The final poster should have a concept, a tagline / headline, and a strong visual to support your idea.
The poster's strength should come mainly from the concept, the composition and the impact of it’s image(s). Your tagline/ headline should be integrated into the design.
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— Student Poster Samples (pdf)
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Look at your client’s website to see their potential events, classes, offerings and create a promotional poster for one of those items.
1. Emerald City Comic Con
2. Seattle Public Library
3. Flying Apron Bakery
4. Poster for Tomorrow:
4. Bike Works
As a logo client group, research your chosen project to see what you’d like your posters to be about. As a team, answer the questions from this Who, What, Where, When, and Why document provided to you.
Then each member of the client group/team will separate off and sketch out any idea(s) you might have for promoting the event.
Finish your Who, What, Where, When, Why document for your client as a team and provide me with a link to access it. As an individual, sketch your initial ideas you have for your client’s poster and have them ready in class next week.
During class next week we’ll be brainstorming more ideas in teams and creating more sketch ideas for the poster.
Finish your logo design and upload it to Google Slides.
1. Scaled up large
2. Scaled down small to see how well it renders in both sizes.
3. Then reverse it out of a dark color field to see how well the colors work against light/dark backgrounds.
We will run through a couple of brainstorming exercises using mindmapping in Miro.
Then we'll break into teams to generate possible concepts/ ideas/ taglines/ headlines for your chosen client.
Afterwards, the team can vet the best ideas.
Each individual will take an idea they would like to work with and start sketching visuals to support their chosen idea.
By the end of class each person will chose a concept direction to use in order to make their own poster/ digital comp.
— (7.56 min) Emory Douglas in his own words
— (7.29 min) Emory Douglas Artist Studio Visit
— (13.32 min) Saul Bass video lecture
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Choose one idea and do sketches to visualize the solutions to your idea. Create a black and white sketch of your poster for a work-in-progress review. The poster sketch should have the headline, the event name and/or date, the image and the logo on it in sketch form.
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For week 10: Upload an image of your poster rough comp to the Google Slides Doc. Half the class next week will meet with me in small groups on Week 10 and half the class will meet for peer-to-peer feedback Week 10.
Lab Day and / or Holidays
Upload the sketch of your poster to the Google Slides Doc. Half the class next week will meet with me in small groups and half the class will meet for peer-to-peer feedback.
The poster sketch should have the headline, the event name and/or date, the image and the logo on it in sketch form.
CSS KEYFRAMES:
BLEND MODE:
CSS background-blend-mode Property
Advanced effects with CSS Background Blend Modes
CSS CLIPPING PATHS:
CSS Introduction to Clipping Using Clip-path
Wrapping Content around Images Using CSS Shapes
How to make your HTML responsive by adding one line of CSS
Small group feedback sessions for poster rough draft. Half the class will be meeting with me today and the other half will be meeting in small peer groups to review work. During class time today I would like you to watch the video about some local poster designers and a few SCCA grads who create posters for work.
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— (19.16 min) Local Poster Designers and some SCCA grads
— Multiple Local Designers (pdf)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
— (14 min) Design Theory: How To Make Dynamic Compositions | The Future with Blind Creative Director, Matthew Encina
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Check out the Resources & Links tab for more work from local poster designers and one or two non-locals.
Continue working on your poster and refine your work based off of feedback. Upload an image of your refined worked for another round of feedback for the next time we meet. The next time we meet half the class will have small group feedback with me and the other half will be meeting in peer-to-peer groups for feedback.
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Upload a refined version of your poster for another round of feedback.
We’ll be reviewing Basic Designer Roles / Levels for Designers and how the roles might fit within a company. Then we’ll take a look at media options & career paths for designers, the difference between an agency and studio, and the subjects we offer in our program.
The rest of class will be devoted to small feedback groups, either with me or peer-to-peer.
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— Agency Division & Designer roles (zip)
— Career paths for designers and our program.pdf
Final draft of poster due next week. The final poster should be uploaded to Google Slides. In the speaker notes, please type up the following information: The name of your client’s event/ class/ offering, your concept/ idea to speak to your audience, and the visual tone you were trying to capture.
Good luck everyone!
Final class meeting for projects will be this week.
Both classes will be meeting in zoom on Wednesday, December 16th.
Tuesday's class will be meeting in zoom from 9am–11:30am:
— Click here for the zoom class
Thursday's class will be meeting in zoom from 11:30am–2:00pm:
— Click here for the zoom class
Have a great break!
No homework.
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