Logos, Portfolios, and More

Graphic Design class has finished up with the first part of their identity designs.  This included the creation of a digital version of their logo.  Next, students will create a portfolio using PortfolioGen.  Students will then upload their logo and a reflection to their site.  This portfolio will then be used to add work throughout their technology classes at NPHS.  Once we have all of our logos uploaded, we will move on to creating a brand with our logo.  We will make business stationery, and finish up with a branding guide or identity standard.

Week 2: Design Process

Students will be turning in their career research papers by the end of class on Monday, then we are ready to start our first designs!  We will start off with the design process, and use this as a way to create our first project which will be a logo for an identity design project we will be working with later.  We will look at examples of effective identity designs, sketch ideas, collaborate in groups, then will have a final drawing of what we want to use for our logo designs.  Once we get our drawings finished, we will learn how to use our digital tools in our class, then will ultimately create our drawings on the computer and will publish our work to a digital portfolio.

2017 term 1 graphic design (week 1)

Welcome back to school everybody!  Graphic Design is a great class that allows you to use creativity, art, technology, and problem solving to become visual communicators.  We will start off learning about ourselves and becoming familiar with our classmates then will spend some time learning about career opportunities and the role in our world for visual storytelling.  Students will include their findings in a report that they will turn in at the end of the first week.  I'm looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

Advanced Graphic Design: term-project progress (week 5)

Advanced graphic design students are still working on their term-projects.  Students have been having their weekly conferences with me, and they have been putting together the components outlined in their project proposals.  Also, a reminder about the field-trip we will be taking to Pro Printing in North Platte, Nebraska.  Students need to have their forms in by the end of April in order to go.  It's going to be a great learning experience!

graphic design: typography and infographics (week 5)

Next week graphic design students will finish up their typography work.  Below are a few examples that were turned in that I really liked.

Not only did these students turn in good work, but they also really demonstrated how to effectively use our design process that we follow in class!

Once we finish up our typography work, we will learn about infographics and will create one of our own.  This class continues to impress me with their work ethic, and it has been a lot of fun to see how their work has improved with each project!

graphic design branding guides then typography (week 4)

We are just about all finished up with our business stationery and will then be ready to create our branding guides for our imaginary companies.  We will look at several good examples of identity standards, and will discuss the importance of a brand and identity and will see how everything fits together.  Once we finish up this document, students will be ready to start learning about typography.  We will see some examples including work from David Carson, then students will create a few types of typography work.

I'm really pleased with how students have been working this term, and look forward to start posting some of their work online within the next week!

Advanced Graphic Design Project Work (week 4)

Students have turned in their project proposals, their project time-lines, and their project boards.  Students have also been doing their weekly conferences with me allowing us to have conversations about the progress of their work.  For the next several weeks, students will be working on their independent term-long projects.  The only thing students need to worry about is being as productive workers, staying on schedule, and continuing to have their weekly conference with me.  Each conference is a 5 point assignment, so they really add up by the time we get to the end of the term.

I have also sent home a permission slip for a field trip.  On Tuesday, May 2nd, we will be visiting Pro Printing here in town.  This will give students the opportunity to see what graphic design looks like in a real-world/business setting.  Students will need to have their permission slip signed by parents/guardians and turned back in to me by April 28th.  This is a great experience for the kids, and very generous of Pro Printing to donate their time and open their doors to us to teach us about the career of graphic design.