What is Graphic Design?
Overview“the art or profession of visual communication that combines images, words, and ideas to convey information to an audience.” A graphic designer is responsible for arranging and using elements on different types of media (such as a poster, a package or a website), most likely with the use of a graphics software program such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or InDesign.
HistoryThe first graphics designs were story drawings in caves of past centuries. Major enhancements such as typography, advanced drawing techniques, printing, photography, and mass media are now standards for design
Visual CommunicatorsDesign professionals are visual problem solvers. They blend text with graphics in order to communicate a concept or idea.
Creative / Art Director
Junior Artist
Brand Identity designer
Corporate Designer
Animator
Title Designer(TV, Film, E-Media)
Package Designer
Photo editing/ Photoshop Artist
Multimedia Designer
Type Designer
Sign / Environmental Designer
Web Designer
The 3 C’s of Design
COMPOSITION
COMPONENTS
CONCEPT
The 3 C’s of Design
COMPOSITION (Principles of Design)
The way in which the components of a design are visually combined and arranged.
COMPONENTS (Elements of Design)
The visual elements used within a design COMPONENTS
The visual elements used within a design.
• Photos
• Illustrations
• Icons
• Color
• Typography
• Linework
• Decoration
• Borders & Backgrounds
CONCEPTAbstract elements of theme, connotation, message and style.
All critical to its visual presentation and delivery of message.
COMPOSITIONThe way in which the components of a design are
visually combined and arranged.
Placement: Unequal Spacing, Line(s) placement, Horizon line (Rule of thirds),
Dynamic Spacing & Static Placement
Grouping: Simple association, Visual & Thematic Association, Disconnect
Harmony: Agreement between elements –Repetition, Visual Echo, Thematic Reference
Emphasis: Visual Hierarchy, Relativity, Size Relationships, Decisive Presentation, Dimension, Color & Value Accent, Softening Contrast
Alignment: Visual connection to unify and organize a layout – Basic purpose, Alignment Don’ts & what to avoid, Strict & Loosened Alignment, Opportunist Placement, Grid System
Visual Flow: Directing the Eye, Flowing Across the Gutter, Poor Gutter Jumping, Circular Flow - Bridging Elements, Trapped Space.
• When several items are in close PROXIMITY to each other, they
become one visual unit rather than separate units.
• Group related items together, move them physically close to each
other so the related items are seen as one cohesive group rather than
a bunch of unrelated bits
• Items or group of information that are not related to each other
should not be in close proximity to the other elements.
• When several items are in close PROXIMITY to each other,
they become one visual unit rather than separate units.
• The basic purpose of proximity is to ORGANIZE
• Group related items together, move them physically close to
each other so the related items are seen as one cohesive
group rather than a bunch of unrelated bits
• Items or group of information that are not related to each
other should not be in close proximity to the other
elements.
• Avoid too many separate elements on a page
• Avoid leaving equal amount of white space between
elements unless each group is part of a subset
• Do not create relationship with elements that don’t
belong together. If they are not related, move them
apart from each other.
• Do not put thing around with out any though.
• White space is GOOD.
When designing, do not allow the spacing between elements to “just happen.”
Develop an active awareness of the spatial relationship that are occurring between the components of a layout or image.
Practiced consciously, this awareness quickly becomes second nature to a designer or artist
–Jim Krauser
And what if I confuse the issue even further
Instructions: The person who designed this
mini-poster typed 1 Returns after each
headline and paragraph. Thus the headlines
are each the same distance from the body
copy above and below, making the heads
and body copy pieces appear as separate,
unconnected items. You can not tell if the
headline belongs to the text above it or
below it because the distances are same.
Please design this ad using the proximity design principle. Group items that belong together, use white space anf fonts wisely, add art work and apply runaround (Text that goes around the picture; see frog example).
COMPOSITION: Grouping/Proximity
Instructions: The person who designed this
mini-poster typed 1 Returns after each
headline and paragraph. Thus the headlines
are each the same distance from the body
copy above and below, making the heads
and body copy pieces appear as separate,
unconnected items. You can not tell if the
headline belongs to the text above it or
below it because the distances are same.
Please design this ad using the proximity design principle. Group items that belong together, use white space any fonts wisely, add art work and apply runaround (Text that goes around the picture; see frog example).
COMPOSITION: Grouping/Proximity
COMPONENTSThe visual elements used within a design.
Elements of Design
• Photos
• Illustrations
• Icons
• Color
• Typography
• Line work
• Decoration
• Borders & Backgrounds
INTRODUCTION: Fonts have character! They have emotions. They have something to
say. Every time you use a font in your design you should ask yourself, How does this
font feel? Is it, for example, a happy font? Do you really want a happy font for your
design? Look at the fonts used in designs you see in newspapers, magazines, or on
television; What do these fonts have to say? Notice how the shape and weight of the
fonts support what the designer wants to say. After this assignment you should be
aware of a font's feelings. You should begin to notice how designers use the shape
and weight of the fonts to convey emotion.
OBJECTIVES:
To learn to manipulate text using Illustrator CS5 as our main digital program.
Students will practice manipulating the text. Text is a fundamental design element.
Student will learn to think about the relationships between the words, the fonts,
and styles they choose to use.
CONCEPTAbstract elements of theme, connotation, message and style.
All critical to its visual presentation and delivery of message.
• Conveyance
• Theme
• Creative Process
• Concept Evaluation
Lorem ipsum/GREEKING
In publishing and graphic design, lorem ipsum is placeholder text (filler text) commonly used to demonstrate the graphics elements of a document or visual presentation, such as font, typography, and layout. The lorem ipsumtext is typically a section of a Latin text by Cicero with words altered, added and removed that make it nonsensical in meaning and not proper Latin.
Even though "lorem ipsum" may arouse curiosity because of its resemblance to classical Latin, it is not intended to have meaning. Where text is comprehensible in a document, people tend to focus on the textual content rather than upon overall presentation, so publishers use lorem ipsum when displaying a typeface or design elements and page layout in order to direct the focus to the publication style and not the meaning of the text. In spite of its basis in Latin, use of lorem ipsum is often referred to as greeking, from the phrase "it's all Greek to me" which indicates that this is not meant to be readable text.
COMPOSITIONThe way components are visually combined and arranged.
Principles of Design
There are four basic typographic alignments:
flush left—the text is aligned along the left margin or gutter, also known as left-aligned or ragged right;
flush right—the text is aligned along the right margin or gutter, also known as right-aligned or ragged left;
justified—text is aligned along the left margin, and letter- and word-spacing is adjusted so that the text falls flush with both margins, also known as fully justified or full justification;
centered—text is aligned to neither the left nor right margin; there is an even gap on each side of each line.
COMPOSITIONThe visual elements used within a design..
Principles of Design
Test VocabularyKerning—Spacing between letters
Tracking—Spacing between words
Rivers in Justified Text— unsightly large space between words due to letter size, length of justified text
Widows— A word that sits on a line by itself at end of a paragraph
Orphans— Last line of a paragraph that sits along at the top of column or page
Leading— Line spacing
Serif— A type of font that has exaggerated strokes or details at the end of it’s letters (unlike “san serif” typefaces).
Sans-serif— A kind of font type that is void of the strokes on the end of letters that can be found on a “serif”
typeface (see “serif”).
flush right—the text is aligned along the right margin or gutter, also known as right-aligned or ragged left;
justified—text is aligned along the left margin, and letter- and word-spacing is adjusted so that the text falls flush with both margins, also known as fully justified or full justification;
centered—text is aligned to neither the left nor right margin; there is an even gap on each side of each line.
Typography—the selection and arrangement of typefaces, sizes, and spacing on a printed publication or web page. Typography has a major impact on the overall look and image of your page and its overall quality.
DPI: DPI (dots per inch): represents the resolution of an output device such as a printer. The higher the DPI, the more pixels (dots) fit into
each inch of the image. In other words, the higher the DPI, the better an image will look in print. 300 dpi is sufficient for many print jobs, but
it’s all dependent on the detail required and the material being printed on
CMYK: a very common color mode used for printing, also known as “process colors”. The CMYK stands for the colors cyan, magenta, yellow,
and black. The letter K represents black as a way to not confuse with blue.
JPG: (also spelled “JPEG”) this image format is the most commonly used web format when it comes to photos or detailed imagery. JPGS are a
“lossy” format, meaning some quality is lost to achieve their smaller file size.
Resolution: The detail of an image is based on how many pixels (dots) are included in 1 square inch of space. The more pixels (see “pixels”)
included in that space, the higher the resolution. Computer monitors use no more than 72 pixels (dots) per inch, so going higher is pointless.
However a minimum of 300 dots per inch is usually recommended for printing.
San Serif: A kind of font type that is void of the strokes on the end of letters that can be found on a “serif” typeface (see “serif”).
Serif: A type of font that has exaggerated strokes or details at the end of it’s letters (unlike “san serif” typefaces).
Typography: the study and process of typefaces; how to select, size, arrange, and use them in general. In modern terms. typography includes
computer display and output. Traditionally, typography was the use of metal types with raised letterforms that were inked and then pressed
onto paper
The visual elements used within a design.
Elements of Design
henever you get projects for designing graphics for different media materials, there are
certain rules you need to know before venturing to the complexities and elaborate world of
graphic design. One of the elements considered in graphic design is typography. This is how you
utilize and create your text to come out with a result that complements your images and design
of the whole media material, whether it's for print or web. For typography, here are five of the
basic rules to follow (or to break, whichever suits your creativity at the moment):
The visual elements used within a design.
Elements of Design
1- DO NOT use all the fonts in one document.
Every designer has his or her own collection of fonts, which he or she uses for each design project. As one designer would say: "If you're a
designer, it almost goes without saying that you own fonts- Lots of fonts.“ Aside from the existing fonts in the software program being used,
most designers have their own lists that were added to the already existing list. And because of the availability of so many fonts, one may
be tempted to use as many, if not all of the fonts that he or she owns. Always remember that simplicity is more attractive than disarray and
confusion. When you start using many fonts in one document, the message most often get lost in the jumble. In addition, too many fonts
can distract the reader from the original intent of the design- to get a message across. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that you have to be
dull and boring by sticking to the conventional "two-font rule", which states that you had to have one font for headings and another for
text. So where's the creativity in that? Just make sure to have a reason why you want to deviate from the rule and chose to use the fonts.
2- "Serif type is easier to the eyes than sans serif.“
There's an old principle in the graphics world that goes "Serif type is easier to read because the serifs draws your eye from character to
character." Hence, sans serif type is oftentimes used for headings and short quantities of text. Truth to tell, all fonts can be made readable
(except, well, maybe for Wingdings) with the ideal design. With sans serif, although it needs more leading than serif type, it can give your
documents a very modern look, and is the popular body text in Europe.
The visual elements used within a design.
Elements of Design
3- Putting two spaces after a period is a no-no.
In the olden times, when using typewriters, typing two spaces after a period was the rule to indicate the end of
a sentence. With the onset of technology, fonts have characters of their own, with different widths, that
putting two spaces after a period is no longer needed. Sometimes, this rule can create a rather annoying flaw
that creates a stop rather than help you pinpoint the end of every sentence.
4- DO NOT use all capital letters.
One designer said that when using all capitals in the text, there are no ascenders or descenders.
The two are what makes it easy to identify the shape of a word. "The shape of almost every
word becomes a rectangle, and it's harder to read.“ But this doesn't also mean that you cannot use capital
letters. Where can you use capital letters? Short phrases or headings do look attractive in all caps. Sans serif
also works better in all caps.
The visual elements used within a design.
Elements of Design
5- DO NOT center large quantities of text.
The eyes go from left to right when reading. It's the way to go. It rapidly scans one line, then goes from the
right side of the page back to the left side of the page. When text is centered, it makes it harder for the eyes to
be told to find where the next text begins again on the left side of the page, and makes it easy for the reader to
skip down lines of text. This time, it's not too easy to bend the rules. The best way is still to save centering to
headings that don't run more than several lines deep.
The visual elements used within a design.
Elements of Design
5- DO NOT center large quantities of text.
The eyes go from left to right when reading. It's the way to go. It rapidly scans one line, then goes from the
right side of the page back to the left side of the page. When text is centered, it makes it harder for the eyes to
be told to find where the next text begins again on the left side of the page, and makes it easy for the reader to
skip down lines of text. This time, it's not too easy to bend the rules. The best way is still to save centering to
headings that don't run more than several lines deep.
The visual elements used within a design.
Elements of Design
OBJECTIVES: To learn to manipulate photos using Photoshop CS5 as our main digital program. To
be able to apply emotions by selecting a theme prior to starting the project and the ability to use
colors to convey a message. Learn to apply perspective as picture will no be only on the top of
background but also going in to the background objects.Student will learn about light and shadows
and elements of design as well as principles.
GRAPHIC DESIGN PROCEDURES: 5-7 Warp Pictures following tutorial.
Students are allowed to use pictures from the internet.
Small warp picture size Avg. : 3”x5” or 4”x6” Resolution 200-250 DPI.
Background: needs to be 8x10” Resolution 200-250 DPI. It is very important that background
picture conveys the same emotion as the warp pictures.
COMPOSITION: Contrast: Font, Color, Size. Alignment: Center, Flush Left/Right or Justified.
Emphasis or Focal Point, Visual Flow and Proximity/Grouping
The way in which the components of a design are visually combined and arranged.
OBJECTIVES:
How to use each of the tools to its full potential.
From the interface to the intricacies of the drawing tools, from transforming, editing, and positioning
objects to applying filters and live effects
Learn the difference between Vector and Rasterized images.
When to use Photoshop and when to use Illustrator.
Create Media Player “Play” Button
8 media player buttons : 20 pts.
Students are allowed to use pictures from the internet for background 20pts; High resolution
CREATIVITY: Students need to create their own design. Buttons should not resemble tutorial done in class.
Tutorials are only for students to become familiar with program “Illustrator” 20pts
DESIGN Consistency: Buttons are part of a family and they should look like they belong together. 30pts
Background: needs to be 8x10” Resolution : NONE – Vector image. 10pts
COMPOSITION: Contrast: Color, Size. Alignment: Center, Flush Left/Right or Justified.
The way in which the components of a design are visually combined and arranged.