Introduction to Graphic Design (Week 1)

I hope everybody had a great holiday break and are off to a great start to 2017!  Graphic Design will be in full swing when we come back on Monday.  We will start off with expectations, procedures, and getting familiar with what we will be using this term in class.  The first project we will work on is researching the field of graphic design, its disciplines, where it fits in the world, and college/career opportunities.  We will take our research and organize it into a formal report.  This will be due by the end of class on Friday, January 13th.  It is crucial we get this turned in on that day, because on Monday the following week we will be starting with the design process, and start learning how to use the Adobe Creative Cloud.

We will be doing some very creative projects this term and I am very excited to see what kinds of ideas and work that our students create.

Adv Graphic Design (term 2) wrapping up our work

Students are still working on their term-long projects and are meeting with me for their conferences to see how the projects are going.  Next week will be the last week that is entirely dedicated for project assembling.  We will then be spending time in class creating our physical products (if they want to work for an A).  The following weeks will then be putting together our portfolios, writing our reflections, and doing our final critiques of our work.

graphic design (term 2) layout and environmental designs

Graphic design students have been busy working on their layout designs.  We learned some elements of layouts and applied it to a minimalist movie poster, a magazine cover, and a sports playing surface.  Students put in some good practice and have some nice designs.

Next week we will be learning about environmental design.  We will look at some examples of where we see layout design, then students will find examples displayed in our building.  We will then create a design that we will apply to an area that can use environmental designs.

We are getting down to the final few weeks of class, so it is important to stay on top of our work and be as productive in class as possible.  Be sure to end the term on a positive note!

graphic design 2: project work (week 4)

Graphic design 2 students are continuing to work on the components of their term projects.  As we work through these, students are coming up and having their weekly conferences and we are evaluating their progress, and seeing if any changes to their plans need to be made.

graphic design 1: typography (week 4)

Graphic design students are learning about typography and are learning ways to utilize text in a manner that enhances the visual storytelling of their design.  Students have been doing a good job with this and their projects are coming along nicely.

Below are some examples of some of the stationery that students created last week that turned out nicely.

Adv Graphic Design week 4: Project work time!

Today, students turned in their project boards and we had our weekly conferences.  For the next several weeks, students will be working on their term projects that they have outlined in their time lines.  Each week, we will be having weekly conferences to see the progress of our projects, and will then make changes to them as needed.

Graphic Design Week 4: Branding Guide, then Typography

Graphic Design class did a great job this week working through their identity designs and creating their business stationery.  Below are some examples of some early logos that I really liked.

Next week, we will work on our branding guides through the first part of the week, then will work on some typography work.

For an example of what your identity standard will look like, check this link http://graphdesportfolio.blogspot.com/2012/10/identity-standard.html Open up Microsoft Word.  You will create an Identity Standard for your business.  Your Business Stationary needs each of the following:

Title Page

Introduction (who you are, why it’s important to have a consistent identity)

Typography (what types of fonts, font colors will your organization be using in various forms)

Colors (what colors are you using for your logo?  Unofficial names, RGB and CMYK values)

Logos (Show logos, include examples and description of inappropriate and appropriate logo usage)

Promotional Material (include business stationery, banners, flyers, etc…)

Web Content (list a web page where your business would be found, list page colors, fonts, content, web banner, etc…

Conclusion (Tell how you find it important to ensure quality with your brand, give a contact where someone can find help when wanting to use your brand and identity standard)

Once the identity standard document is completed, we will print it off, staple it, and turn it in.  The project is worth 20 points.