2020 term 3: week 1: Graphic Design 2

Happy New Year!  We are half-way through the school year already, but we are getting started with a new section of advanced graphic design.  Students will be learning the expectations for the course this week, then will be spending time coming up with an idea for a term-long project that they will be focusing on.  Advanced graphic design is exciting because students get to choose an individualized project where they design their learning based on the state standards for advanced digital design.  I'm looking forward to seeing what great ideas we have this first week!

2019 term 2: week 5: Projects & Photography

Advanced graphic design class has been working well on their projects.  Next week we will continue to work on our designs, have our weekly conferences, and work on our photography elements.  There has been a lot of progress made on our work, and I couldn't be happier with how this class is working!

2019 term 2: week 4: The grind

Students are really diving into their projects, working hard at getting their early components finished from their timelines.  It takes a lot of self-discipline and focus to work as hard as they are on their term-long projects.  There has been a lot of great work done so far in class!

2019 term 2: week 3: Project Time!

Advanced graphic design students have their proposals in, and most also have their project boards in.  We will start working on our term projects now.  The most important part, is keeping yourselves motivated, and using time productively, and I'm very impressed with what I see so far with this class!  We are going to have some awesome projects completed by the end of the term!

2019 term 2: week 2: Project planning

Advanced Graphic Design class has gotten started with their term by brainstorming ideas for their long-term projects.  Some early ideas include creating a video game, designing and printing a card game, creating a photo manipulation gallery, and more!  Some students have their early proposals in already!  We will finish up proposals and timelines next week, and will work on our project boards as well.  I like the ideas we have coming in class, and I'm excited to see the process of these projects being created!

2019 Term 2: Week 1: Welcome to Advanced Graphic Design

It's time for Advanced Graphic Design!  Students who have successfully completed digital media, and graphic design 1 can take this course.  This term, students will be working on a term-long project of their choice.  We will use the design process to put together a major project that students can take home and be proud of.  We will spend the first part of this week coming up with ideas of what we will do for our projects, and come up with a plan and schedule to follow for the term.  I'm looking forward to seeing everyone Monday!

2019 term 1: week 9: Creative Designs

Graphic Design is already almost over for the first term!  Wow.  Students are finishing up their photography elements work, and will be applying an environmental design to a photograph that they took.  We will then spend next week learning to edit and manipulate photographs in a variety of creative ways.  It's been a fun term with these classes, and students have really improved and gained a lot of skills!

2019 term 1: week 8: Layout & Environmental Design

Hard to believe we only have a few weeks left of the term!  I think I said that last week too.  It's still hard to believe!  Graphic design students have worked on some layout designs with magazine covers and movie posters.  Next week, we will be creating Bulldog POWER themed PBIS posters for the high school.  After that project, we will learn some elements of photography, and will apply those skills to an environmental design. 

2019 term 1: week 7: Infographics & Layout

This term is flying by!  Graphic design students worked on infographics this week as we discussed copyright laws.  Next week, we will be learning components of an effective layout.  We will create a magazine cover, movie poster, and also school-themed posters.

2019 term 1: week 6: more typography

Graphic design students have been learning appropriate ways to use typefaces and text styles to enhance the story that their images are telling.  Next week we will be working with creative text effects, and students will then be creating their own type-face to use.  Hard to believe we are over half way done with the term already!!

2019 term 1: week 5: typography

Students have finished their section about branding.  I think the classes all have a good idea of how important it is to have a consistent identity with companies.  We are going to move along to typography and the study of how to use various styles of text and type-faces with our work to help better tell our visual stories.  Next week we are also having parent-teacher-conferences!  It's going to be a great week!

2019 term 1: week 4: Branding Guides

Graphic design has turned in their logo designs for their summative assessments and overall did a very nice job!!  Next week, we will continue working on our business stationery, then will learn how to create a consistent brand with an identity standard or branding guide.  We have been off to a great start!  Let's keep it rolling!!!

2019 term 1: week 3: Digital Design & Branding

Graphic design students spent a majority of the time this week learning to use the digital tools we will need to complete our work for this term.  Starting next week, we will begin creating our logo digitally, posting it to our portfolios with a reflection, and then work on creating a branding with that logo.  Students have shown a lot of improvement already this week, and it will be exciting to see how these logos turn out!

2019 term 1: week 2: identity design

NPHS graphic design students have researched career opportunities in digital design, and are now learning the design process.  In our class we follow the following steps: Purpose, Research, Plan, Production.  We are following this process with our first design, which is an identity design.  Students will be creating a logo with their initials.  I am excited to see how these logos will turn out next week!

2019: term 1: week 1: Graphic Design Careers

I hope everybody had an awesome summer!  Welcome back to NPHS, and I hope your as excited as I am for Graphic Design!  When we get back, we will talk about our learning for this term, our Digital Design, Web Design, and Business Technology Career Pathways, and career opportunities in Graphic Design.  We are going to do a lot of great projects and start giving you the tools you need to be successful in secondary education and jobs related to digital design!

2018 term 3: week 7: Projects winding down

NPHS Advanced Graphic Design students have been making progress on their term-long projects.  Many students are now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  As we get these final components of our projects put together, it is important to go through the individual projects timelines and the course schedule to be sure everything that is required is accounted for.  The next thing on the radar would be students creating their final products, and also putting together their portfolios.

2018 term 3: week 5: Project Work

Students are each working on their individual plans and term-long projects.  Students should be meeting with me one on one at least once a week and showing me their progress.  We have some cool projects being made!

2018 term 3: week 4: work time

Students should have turned in their project proposals, project timeline, and mood boards.  Now is the time to get down to work on our projects.  Students should be staying on task, working on their term-long projects, and meeting the deadlines they have put in their time-lines.  We will be having weekly conferences where students show progress of their work.  The expectation is a project that takes one term to complete.  Not putting in one term worth of work will be reflected in the overall grade for the course.  Some good starts to projects are being done, and I'm excited to see how they continue.

2018 term 3: week 3: Project Boards and Work Time

Students have just been introduced to the use of mood boards or project boards in Advanced Graphic Design.  We looked at examples and talked about the different ways to assemble the boards.  The most important part of the project is the sources of information list that students assemble.  This board addresses our copyright state standard, and will be used as a summative assessment to demonstrate an understanding of how to comply with copyright laws.  Once students are finished with their boards, they will be ready to work on their projects.

2018 term 3: week 2: Proposal and Timelines

Advanced graphic design class is still working on ideas for their term-long projects.  We will turn in our project proposals this week, and also the timeline of how we want to get everything for the term finished.  Some good ideas are already starting to show up, and we have a few collaborative projects that I'm excited to see come together.

2018 term 3: week 1: Advanced Graphic Design Term Project

Time for term 3 already!  Advanced graphic design students work on a term-long project of their choice that meets each of the required state standards and benchmarks.  We will talk about classroom procedures and expectations.  We will then start discussing requirements for a student-centered choice for a term-long project.  Once we get those things out of the way, students will take some time to brainstorm ideas that they may pursue for their project.  I'm really looking forward to seeing all the great ideas that are formed during this first week of class!