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MMA100: Foundations of Digital Graphic Design

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Assignments

Final project – assignment #6 – type & typography.

Assignment  6   – Poster Design with Type & the Alphabet.

Create 2 new designs using and applying balanced typography in adobe illustrator. Students will generate and demonstrate both a balanced and unconventional composition using each individual letter of the alphabet. (A-Z) The examples (below) are just a few potential ways to display style, simplicity, order and efficiency. A demonstration will be given in class.

Size requirements – 8.5 inches -X- 11 inches (or larger – 11″ x 14″)

Typefaces – Limit yourself to no more than 2-3 different fonts and 4 color values.

Step 1 – Find and discover your own inspiration and share the URLs in the comments section below. Each student will add 2-3 URLS of their inspiration in the comment section before starting this assignment.

Things to consider – Layout & balance – Using rulers, guides and grids. Free transformation & typesetting style.

*COMPOSITION and command over the picture plane and its chosen dimensions.

We will have a final class critique on Wednesday 12/18. A printed version of this assignment will be presented by each student. You will select two of your designs for the critique.

Students may later wish to create a new 11″X17″ tabloid layout set for print in Adobe Illustrator. (You may use use multiple art boards to create iterations) Students will apply a series of their designs into a collaborative magazine for print and the web.

*Student submissions of the completed project:

Students will submit the project to me via e-mail saved as a .PDF file and a high resolution .JPG file – Please send to – [email protected] no later than Thursday 12/19/19

—————–

Assignment #5 – cross college course collaboration project.

COLLAB PROJECT!  – Class Demonstrations will take place in class! I would like to spend a bit of time contributing to this great project and opportunity! Please Read Here –   https://netart.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2019/11/12/the-cross-college-campus-course-zine-project/

Submission due date is preferred by – 12/5/19

Assignment #4 – Mid-Semester Poster Project 

Poster Design.  We will bring together the applications of a vector portrait, composition, image and typography.

Museum Exhibit Poster ( examples will be shown in class – as well as a series of Illustrator vector demonstrations)

Choose one or more of these styles/movements of art to create a poster using a SELF-Portrait:

POP ART, SURREALISM, MEXICAN MURALISTS AFRO-FUTURISM, ANIME/MANGA, POLITICAL ART, FAUVISM, AFRICAN MASKS, ANIME, VIDEO GAMES or (Another Style Not Listed Here or create a Hybrid using 2 or more styles)

Process:  Research! Find and discover a series of images and references to work from. Your research should inspire you! Create a new project folder titled “Mid-Term-Project” – save these images to your project folder. Create your self-portrait in the style of the Art Movement that you chose for a Museum Exhibition. It should be obvious which style you picked WITHOUT seeing the title.

*Your self-portrait IS the artwork for the poster campaign that you create for the exhibit. You must design the poster in 2 sizes – one landscape and one portrait orientation. I suggest 11” x 17” (or slightly smaller)

Your self-portrait must first be drawn in Illustrator and can be brought into Photoshop later for manipulation, (like adding blended color, additional imagery or effects.) After you illustrate your self-portrait, you’ll create the actual poster for the ex­hibit.

Specifications:  The museum having the exhibit you’ve chosen is: SAM, Seattle Art Museum.   Find out more about the institution at this website: https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/seattle-art-museum

For the midterm project please use the SAM logo as it is: ( attached as a download link here ) *feel free to re-render the logo on your own if you wish. (This does not mean change it)

You may use any of the tools in Illustrator that we’ve learned or explored and also find and experiment with new ways to draw. You can work from a photo in Illustrator as demonstrated in class.

Do the Portrait First. Then compose the poster. :))

Minimum required copy/text for the poster is:

New Voices Exhibit

April 15th – May 30th 2019

Opening Reception, April 20th 7PM-9PM

https://www.seattleartmuseum.org

*(and the SAM logo of course)

Fonts and colors  – are entirely student choice. Students may ADD additional copy, but may not delete from the minimum above.

Submissions & Due Dates: 11/13, 11/20 & 11/27 will be full-lab work sessions with progress critiques along the way. We will be printing and having a full class critique on Wednesday 12/4 of the completed project. Students will submit to me via e-mail ( [email protected]) the 2 final versions of the poster project as both a PDF file saved from Adobe Illustrator as well as a high resolution JPG. saved from Photoshop (I will give a demonstration on this)

Assignment #3 – Shapes, Forms, Composition & Color

1. Open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document sized at 11″ X 17″ in CMYK color mode. We will be both printing and displaying the final work on screen.

Consider, how will you set your guides to equally balance and format the graphics evenly? Will you use a grid? Do you have a preferred method for layout? Lets explore what this means.

2. Generate a new series of “subjective” graphic Icons following the layout and arrangement above. (Don’t re-create my example) make your own, but follow the balanced composition.

3. Limit yourself to 6 values of 1 complimentary color scheme. Consider referring to the color wheel for reference – ( Located here )

4. Limit yourself to creating and composing your graphics with no more than 6 shapes created with the pathfinder or the shape builder tool. Begin without using a stroke around your shapes and then apply a stroke for contrast later.

5. Save your work as an Ai. file (adobe illustrator) as well as a .pdf – Print your work in .pdf format.

6. E-mail ALL of your final PDF. files to me – [email protected]  ****If your .pdf files are too large to send via e-mail (and it may – you can easily use a free service like – wetransfer.com to send the large documents or use google drive)

PART 2 –  Each student will follow the images in the gallery below as a guide to further extend and develop their designs.

Size  – Use a square shape for this series of designs. I suggest 8″x 8″

Students will select and isolate their strongest single icon/graphic from the original layout in Part 1 of the assignment – 1 version will include a stroke and one with out(example below). Students will explore a 4-part color variation drawn from their selected color palette as well as 1-3 balanced patterns using their icons.

Assignment #2 – Elements & Principles

Working with Photoshop. Lets create and apply layers, composition, image resizing and placement techniques to customize our design progress. Class demonstrations will continue.

Assignment Specifications:  Students will generate a series of visual examples and solutions to define, communicate and illustrate the vocabulary of the elements & principles of design. Each term will display a visual image example using the vocabulary below:

Outcome – Students will save two variations of the project as a photoshop psd. file as well as exporting the files as a .jpeg for the web (demonstration in class)

Assessment of the project: How has illustrating the vocabulary with images helped your understanding of each term? Discussion follows.

Vocabulary (Definitions can be found here) <–click

Elements – C olor, Line, Mass, Movement, Space, Texture, Type & Value

Principles – Balance, Contrast, Direction, Economy, Emphasis, Proportion, Rhythm & Unity

Size: –  8.5″ X  11″ – The final design will be 2 composite designs of 8 squares composed and arranged by each student. (2 files will be created – one for the elements of design and 1 for the principles of design)

Part 1 – Student will first create a balanced layout in adobe photoshop. Images will be found from research and investigation via the Internet and class resources. Each term for the elements of design will be illustrated and applied by cutting, formatting and placing the examples into a composite (the example below is simply one example, you will create your own)

Part 2 – Students will generate their own examples of each term using techniques learned in class with photoshop.

Part 2B – Students will generate a Poster combining all 16 vocabulary terms with accompanying images. (examples were shown in class) The poster size is open but I suggest keeping it smaller than 11″X17″

R&D – Where will you find visual inspiration and research? Add your links to the comments section below.

Production:

Students will prepare their final works in screen resolution format and  application on the web (RGB).

Project / Assignment Due Dates: 

We will be starting and working on and this project in class beginning 9/18. The project will be due, completed and submitted by next Wednesday 9/25.

Blank Template example of the layout. (not including the border around the image)

Assignment #1 – PostCard Design

We will be designing a standard sized Postcard to promote and communicate one of the following messages below (students must choose one)

1 – A cause or message that you are passionate about –

2 – An up and coming event that you would like to promote

Assignment Specifications:

Size: The final design will be 4″ X 6″ in size. (Students should decide on the arrangement of the height and width, will your postcard be a horizontal or vertical image? You will be designing both the front and back side of the post card with the full intention of mailing it so space must be allotted for the address and postal stamp.

R&D – Where will you find visual inspiration and research? Flickr ? NYPL Digital Archives ?

1 – Thumbnail sketches – Students will generate a series of 2-3 thumbnails sketches using a pencil / pen and their sketchbooks to brain storm and illustrate their process.

2 – Roughs – Students will select from the 2-3 strongest thumbnail sketches and develop them into 1 rough scaled to the 4″X6″ size in pencil or “other medium”.

3 – Not mandatory but students will be encouraged to produce a final comprehensive pencil rendering scaled to size ready for scanning and application using photoshop. Students will experiment with various image manipulating techniques and styles to develop contrasts and visual interest.

Students will prepare their final work for both print out put in (CMYK) as well as presentation and application on the web (RGB).

*See week #1’s blog post for resources and useful info.

What images will you be referencing and using? Where did you find them? Are they free to use, if so, how do you know? Please bring all of your resources and research to class. Thumbnail studies and a rough lay out.

Project / Assignment Due Dates:

The final Post card will be worked on in class on 9/11 the final version of the Postcard is due on Wednesday 9/18 via e-mail to [email protected] as a high resolution.JPG file

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13 Graphic Design Practice Exercises: Build Your Skills and Portfolio

Starting out as a graphic designer can feel overwhelming, but with regular practice, you’ll quickly gain the confidence and skills needed for real-world projects. Here are a few creative and practical exercises to help you get started, build your portfolio, and refine your workflow.

The more time you dedicate to practicing graphic design, the more streamlined the process becomes for you. Not only will you develop a designer's mindset, but you'll also become proficient in using keyboard shortcuts and other productivity tools that save you time and effort. View graphic design practice exercises as a strategic investment in your career, rather than a tedious chore. Yes, it may take some time upfront to commit to regular practice, but the payoff is substantial - you'll gain invaluable experience, refine your skills, and become more efficient in your workflow. As your expertise grows, so will your confidence in tackling complex design projects with ease.

Design something for an imaginary client

Utilizing tools like FakeClients.com can be a game-changer for graphic designers looking to hone their skills in a realistic setting. These brief generators allow you to create authentic-sounding client briefs from fictional businesses, making it easy to practice responding to design requests and developing your portfolio at the same time. By incorporating these resources into your weekly routine - even just 15-30 minutes a few times a week - you can gradually build confidence in tackling real-world client projects. While there's no substitute for working with actual clients, FakeClients.com and similar tools provide a valuable training ground to help you develop the skills and mindset needed to succeed as a freelance designer or in-house creative professional.

If you're ready to take your graphic design skills to the next level, you can also embark on a daily design challenge. During this challenge you commit to creating a new project each day for a set period of time - say 2 months. FakeClients is a fantastic tool to help you achieve this goal, generating fresh briefs and exercises tailored to your needs.

The process of working through these daily challenges will have several benefits. You'll become increasingly comfortable with the design process, from conception to completion, as well as develop your problem-solving skills and creativity. Although it's not identical to working for real clients, FakeClients.com/DailyBrief provides a realistic simulation that mimics the experience of deadlines and having to stay consistent.

Perhaps the most exciting outcome of this type of challenge is the sheer volume of work you'll accumulate over time. While some pieces may not be up to your usual standards, you'll still have an impressive portfolio of diverse projects that showcase your growth as a designer. In fact, with enough dedication and persistence, it's entirely possible to build a stunning portfolio even if you're just starting out.

Practice by redesigning an existing brand

Redesigning an existing brand can also be a fantastic way to hone your design skills, and it's especially beneficial when you do it for smaller brands that may need a refresh. By taking on a redesign project, you'll gain hands-on experience in reimagining a brand's visual identity, while also learning how to balance aesthetics with functionality. This approach can also serve as a great opportunity to build relationships with potential clients, as many brands appreciate the effort and creativity you bring to their project.

When approaching a redesign for design practice, consider reaching out to existing brands that may benefit from an update. You might be surprised by how receptive they are to your offer, especially if you're willing to work pro-bono or at a reduced rate. Not only will this experience help you grow as a designer, but it'll also give you a tangible case study to showcase in your portfolio. Remember, you don't have to limit yourself to traditional branding exercises; think outside the box and imagine new applications, like designing an app for a brand that doesn't yet have one.

A key aspect to keep in mind when redesigning for an existing brand is ensuring that form follows function. It's easy to get caught up in the creative process and overlook the practical implications of your design decisions. By prioritizing both aesthetics and usability, you'll create a more effective and engaging visual identity that resonates with the target audience.

Redesign your own brand

As a new graphic designer, it can be tempting to try and jump straight into design projects for clients. However, starting with your own personal branding is also essential. By designing a logo, business cards, website, and other designed materials for yourself, you'll gain invaluable experience as your own "client". This process allows you to identify your needs, target audience, and mission - all essential steps in creating an effective brand identity. To make the most of this exercise, treat it like any other high-stakes design project: research your goals and objectives, define your unique value proposition, and conduct market research to understand your ideal client. Only then should you begin designing, ensuring that your own personal branding is well-crafted, professional, and consistent with your values and vision.

Drawing and sketching

For many experienced designers, sketching out a design is a crucial step in the creative process. It allows them to visually bring their ideas to life on paper, sparking new insights and perspectives that might not have been possible through digital means alone. By incorporating regular drawing exercises into your workflow, you can develop this essential skill and get into the habit of sketching out designs before diving into the computer. This simple yet powerful approach can help you refine your concepts, explore different visual directions, and ultimately arrive at a more polished final product. Take inspiration from the world around you – like a leaf, for instance – and see how you can distill its essence down to a clean, simplified logo or icon that conveys the same message with clarity and impact.

Offer graphic design work to family and friends

One other great way to hone your graphic design skills is by offering your services to friends, family, or even neighbors who may need a visual solution for an event or business project. Perhaps a friend is planning a birthday party and needs eye-catching flyers or posters, while another might require a professional-looking business card. By volunteering to create these designs for free, you'll not only gain valuable experience but also spread the word about your skills. As people see the quality of your work and appreciate the effort you put into it, they're likely to recommend you to others who may need similar services. Before long, your portfolio will grow, and so will your reputation as a talented graphic designer.

Other design exercise games

The thrill of creating new designs can sometimes wear off, leaving you feeling uninspired and eager to refresh your skills. But don't worry – there's no need to rely solely on personal projects or client work for stimulation! Graphic design exercise games have become increasingly popular in recent times, offering a fun and engaging way to challenge yourself and keep your skills sharp.

Pixel Guesser - Test your sense of pixels

Think you're a pixel master? As a graphic designer, you've likely spent countless hours working with pixels to create stunning digital designs. But can you really gauge your accuracy when it comes to pinpointing exact pixel sizes? The Pixel Guesser game is here to put your skills to the test! By drawing boxes and trying to hit the exact size target, you'll challenge yourself to refine your precision and see just how good your sense of pixel sizes really is. Give it a try and see how low you can score – will you be the ultimate pixel pro or stumble into a digital disaster?

Font Quiz - Guess the right font

While more experienced graphic designers may find this font quiz a breeze, it's still a great challenge for even the most seasoned professionals. After all, no matter how often you work with fonts, can you recall every single one you've used? Our quiz takes the guesswork out of font selection by presenting over 450 popular fonts from Google Fonts - and each time you play, the list is randomized, keeping things fresh and exciting! Your goal: beat your previous score by correctly matching the font name to its perfect match. Will you emerge as a true font connoisseur?

HEX Guess - Guess the right color from the HEX code

HEX codes are widely used in all fields of design, comprising six characters preceded by the "#" symbol. Most designers have likely used HEX codes at some point, but do you truly understand how they're constructed? By playing this interactive HEX guess exercise, you'll get to test your color vision and see if you can accurately match colors with their corresponding HEX codes. Take a stab at it and challenge yourself to identify the exact shade that belongs to each code - it's a fun way to refine your color sense and maybe even discover some new tricks up your sleeve!

Hue Test - Test your ability to differentiate colors by lining them up correctly

Color is a fundamental aspect of any design, and as a graphic designer, it's essential to possess a keen eye for color. Small variations in hue can have a profound impact on a design's overall look and feel, making it crucial to be able to detect these subtle differences. Whether you're working with a specific palette or creating an entirely new design, being able to identify the perfect shade of green (or any other color) is vital to achieving the desired aesthetic. This exercise will help you refine your ability to spot these small but significant variations in color, enabling you to make informed decisions and take your designs to the next level.

Good kerning is incredibly important when you are designing something that involves text. Kerning is the spacing between letters or characters in a piece of text. If a design has bad kerning, a design can quickly look awkward. If you already are an experienced designer, you’ll likely already have a good eye for kerning but if you just started out, it can’t hurt to get some more practice. ‘Kern Type’ is the perfect exercise for practicing kerning, it’s a beautifully designed online exercise where you have to align the letters in a word as good as possible.

The Bezier Game

The pen tool is probably one of the most important and most used tools by any designer. It is also a tricky tool to learn and master. You gradually get better at using it when you use it in your work but it can also cause some problems when you want to work on more complex designs. That’s why practice with the pen tool is crucial and often overlooked. You can do this in Illustrator or your program of choice, but there’s also a fun game for it that can help you. In the Bezier Game, you try to follow certain predefined shapes with the pen tool so you can try to get better at it.

Munsell Hue Test

Lastly, this is a fun and simple game to test your color acuity. You simply try to get the colors in the right order. When you think you’re finished, you fill in your gender and age and you get to see how you compare against others.

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Assignment Packages

• Video Projects
• Podcast Projects

Graphic Design Projects

• TimelineJS Assignment Package
• Source Evaluation Assignment Package

The following package of materials provides everything you need to get started designing your own graphic design assignment and implement into your class. There is a mix of resources addressed to instructors, as well as links to student-facing resources, that are also linked on other pages of this guide. To discuss customizing these materials for your own assignment, contact Amanda McCollom ( [email protected] ). All the materials on this page are licensed under a CC-BY-NC 4.0 license.

For Instructors

• Instructor's Guide to Graphic Design Assignments Tips for instructors to build a graphic design assignments into their course; includes learning objectives, information about tools, and a sample timeline for the assignment.
• Social Media Campaign Assignment Prompt (E110) E110 graphic design assignment with a focus on Instagram and TikTok campaigns; shared with the permission of the instructor.
• Assigning and Assessing Multimodal Projects Tips and resources about multimodal projects with a focus on assessment from Georgetown University.
• Evaluating Multimodal Assignments Includes suggested grading criteria for a visual argument assignment.
• Evaluating Multimodal Work, Revisited Great suggestions for questions to consider for evaluative criteria

Canvas Module

Go to Canvas Commons and search “Library Resources for Multimedia Projects”; download and import into your Canvas course. This module contains separate pages for video projects, podcast projects, and graphic design projects. If your project is only graphic design-based, you can un-publish the other two pages. If your students can choose what they create, leave all pages published. Feel free to rename the module and customize content as needed.

For Students

• Graphic Design Planning Worksheet (Google Doc) You will be required to make a copy of the google doc.
• Graphic Design Libguide Provides information and resources on design principles, color, accessibility, free tools, and software tutorials.
• Design Principles video 7 minute video covering four design principles and how to apply them; created by the Student Multimedia Design Center.
• Canva Online graphic design platform that allows users to create social media graphics, presentations, posters and other visual content. Free and paid versions available.
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