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.