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Time
Monday, 09.00 11.00
Venue
MaKS Room 101.
Assessment method
Assignments a number of
practice assignments throughout the unit, and one final project
(*).
Introduction
A unit intended to teach the
basics of graphic and on-screen design. The fundamentals of the
three main graphic design programs utilized by the industry,
InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, all by Adobe, will be taught.
Industry standard hardware is the Macintosh computer, and though
most of the work carried out in the process of the unit is
cross-platform, so the pc can also be employed, the course is given
exclusively on Apple Macintosh computers.
With design for graphic production democratized by marketplace style
sheet programs for the personal computer, graphic design is no
longer just the domain of the professional graphic designer.
However, understanding the basics of graphic design is essential to
the skills needed for creative design for print production.
Therefore this unit has two concurrent parts, a hands-on, practical
part in which the above-mentioned programs are introduced and used
in task oriented instruction, and a theoretical part that goes into
the different aspects of what makes graphic design an effective
communications tool. What is imparted in the theory is translated
into practical terms so that by the end of the unit, students will
have a working knowledge of the programs within a context of graphic
design knowledge.
There is an ongoing process of assessment, with mini-projects used
to build practical skills every step of the way and two major
projects intended to assess acquired skills and knowledge and which
contribute the largest amount of marks to the final total.
Content
Following are topics that will
be covered in the unit.
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A thorough working knowledge of Adobe
Indesign CS6 and Adobe Photoshop CS6, as well as an introduction to
Adobe Illustrator CS6. The use of these programs, individually or
together, is at the base of all the practical sessions in this unit.
Assignments will also be executed using one or more of the programs.
In the various programs, this includes: basics of image
configuration, color correction, image selection and manipulation
for layout. Resizing images, optimization and interpolation. Color
correction of photos and introduction to color mixing,
brightness/contrast, levels, curves, hue/saturation (including
colorization). The color pallette (process, spot and tint). Vector
images; the bezier curve; the trace function; typeface manipulation
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Introduction to the basics of
Graphic Design the creative utilization of form and space to
communicate visual/intellectual messages. A brief look at the
various areas in which Graphic Design performs, including editorial,
advertising, corporate and packaging. Also the practical aspects of
the design process (brainstorming, research, thumbnails, roughs,
comprehensives, finalized).
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Seeing form and space and filling
them the manipulation of form and the filling of space. Form
is made up of all that is used to fill space (this includes
shapes, lines, textures, words and pictures). The space, or
format, is the container, but is much more than that since it
itself figures in the nature of design. This part is made up of
a discussion of the basic nature of graphic design and its main
components, which leads to an introduction to basic composition,
including balance (symmetry, asymmetry, contrast, etc), the
golden rule, etc.
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Basic layout and pagemaking a
practical introduction to laying out text and images in a
communicative format. The main target at this point is for the
student to understand how to use the most basic available tools
in the program to move and place objects, and also to understand
the dos and don'ts of hierarchical placement, flow and
legibility.
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Understanding file formats and
compression what file formats to use for saving graphic files
and why. Resolution issues. Also the basic premise of image
compression (primarily, jpeg, binary compression, lzw, etc.) is
explained in relation to image quality and target publication.
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Layout skills grid and path
layout formats (as well as spontaneous optical composition and
intuitive visual unity). The formal and informal use of the grid
layout, as well as the focal point and flow direction system
inherent in path layouts will be examined. Also, a discussion on
spontaneity and the importance of the creation of a nodal visual
unity, coupled with an intellectual unity in the conveying of
the message.
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Color:
Association and the varying identity of color.
Emotional communications through the nature of colors used in
a scheme.
An introduction to color theory.
The properties of color and the creation of color schemes.
The color wheel and its implications for design.
Color coding.
Color contrasts.
Technical aspects of color: The RGB, CMYK distinction. Tints,
spot colors, process colors, duotone.
The mixing of colors.
The use of color on Photoshop.
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Typography:
The "feeling" and character of type.
The different font schools and what they signify through
association of use.
The mechanics of text (the physical qualities of type).
The application of text visibility and legibility the
distinction and impact of the serif and the sans serif; the
application of decorative, black face type, etc.
Formatting significance (bold, italic, etc.). Kerning, leading
and stretching (the optimal and the significance of deviation).
Justification and indenting (also linked to layout issues).
Style related issues decorum; the significance of shapes in
type; texture; the space occupied by type with reference to
instants from the history of graphic design (for e.g. Bauhaus
and Swiss Design, with special reference to Frutiger, Mietinger
and Matter).
The word as image linked to the previous point, but leading
to practical application by the students.
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Visual communication the basic
aesthetics of graphic design. This session will be given with
the aid of a presentation of a large number of examples from
well-known graphic designers, also introducing the students to
their work. Predominantly, the work will be related to poster,
book/CD cover and advert design. The checklist against which the
examination of the work will be ticked will be: format, balance,
visual hierarchy, emphasis, rhythm, and unity (from Landa, 2011)
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Logos and logotypes corporate
branding and identity, starting with the predominant visual
identifier, the logo. Different aspects of logo design are
examined, both technical and aesthetic/intellectual.
Predominantly, technically: flat or process color; line weight;
image inclusion; and multi-format and size reproducibility, and
aesthetically/intellectually: symbolic or associative, or actual
significance; simplicity/elaboration; type content; image
rendering; and use of color. The distinction between logo and
logotype is also made and both explored with examples. Also,
ways to create the logo manual.
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Digital Art - image creation
through mixture of media. The use of a number of Photoshop tools
to mix images including the clone tool, the mask tool,
selection tools, opacity, filters, etc.
Newspaper layout and design using the grid to communicate
levels of importance. Font and space use. Images for newspaper
pages and their placement. The importance of paper and how it
effects the choice of image resolution. The seven and five
column grids. Formal use of the grid for non-tabloids and
informal use for tabloid style newspapers. Breaking out of the
grid.
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Crafting visual, corporate
identities the stationery pack. The importance of the physical
manifestation of corporate identities. Colors, shapes and spaces
that signify the brand are manifested physically in stationery,
packaging, signage, etc. Visual consistency; transfer of the
elements of the brand to different environments and their
(possible) transmutation; issues of influence, etc.
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The essential values of graphic
design. Structuring symmetry and balance. Also, Gestalt and
the visual phenomena leading to closure; framing; contrast;
alignment; etc. Visual and intellectual unity, the first created
by placement of design and the effect on the eye, the second
formed by ideas and is dominated by words, appealing to the mind
rather than to the eye. Visual dynamics the effect of design
on kinesthetic projections. The figure ground interdependence
and relationship. To conclude, a set of do's and don'ts in
essential graphic design.
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A brief history of graphic design
the different movements and the most important graphic
designers. An overview of the history of modern graphic design,
beginning with the rise of the poster (Chιret,
Toulouse-Lautrec), and continuing with Art Nouveau and its main
practitioners, the Arts and Crafts Movement, Constructivism,
Dada, Bauhaus, the poster art of World War II, the graphic art
of Post-War Europe, the New York School, Post-Modernism, ending
with a cursory look at the graphic design of the years 2000 to
2010. This will bring to the attention of students the
milestones in the development of graphic design, underscoring
what each era and its practitioners contributed to the way the
communicative art is today.
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Packaging design the theory and
practice of advertising on package wrappers. One of the most
prolific areas of design. Stemming from branding, packaging
design has transcended the simple advert and gone on to become
an intrinsic part of the total branding exercise. This session
will not deal with the business, costing and recycling aspects
of packaging, but strictly with its design. Packaging has many
roles to play, from protecting contents, to creating a mobile
advert for the product, to participating directly in the product
experience itself. The considerations must vary from
attractiveness to practicality. An understanding of consumer
behavior is essential to the understanding of the best way to
angle a package design. The shape of the package, the color used
to make the package stand out, the illustration used on the
package, and the nature and prominence of the name, all need to
be considered.
Reading list (Design
literature)
Bibliography note: Books on desktop publishing and the technical
aspects of graphic design age quickly. In the main, the following
list provides a background to the general subject, rather than
giving actual instruction in the programs used (with the exception
of a few listed books at the bottom that relate directly to the
programs used in the unit). Other books are recommended throughout
the study-unit.
Arntson, A. E. (1998). Graphic Design Basics (3rd ed.). Fort Worth,
TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Aynsley, J. (2001). A Century of Graphic Design: Graphic Design
Pioneers of the 20th Century. London, UK: Mitchell Beazley.
Bann, D. (2006). The All New Print Production Handbook. New York,
NY: Watson Guptill.
Cheatham, F. R., Cheatham, J. H., & Owens, S. H. (1987). Design
concepts and applications (2nd Ed.). London: Prentice Hall.
Heller, S. & Pomeroy, K. (1997). Design Literacy: Understanding
Graphic Design. New York: Allworth Press.
Heskett, J. (2002). Design: A very short Introduction. Oxford, UK:
Oxford University Press.
Hollis, R. (1996). Graphic Design: A Concise History. London, UK:
Thames and Hudson.
Korger, H. (1992). Handbook of Type and Lettering. New York: Design
Press.
Landa, R. (2011). Graphic Design Solutions (4th ed.). Boston, MA:
Wadsworth.
Lidwell, W., Holden, K., and Butler, J. (2003). Universal Principles
of Design. Glucester, MA: Rockport.
N.A. (1996). Letterhead & Logo Design: Creating the Corporate Image.
Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers.
Pettersson, R. (1989). Visuals for Information. New Jersey:
Educational Technology Publications.
Pipes, A. (2005). Production for Graphic Designers (4th ed.).
London, UK: Laurence King Publishing.
Samara, T. (2007). Design Elements: A Graphic Style Manual. Beverly,
MA: Rockport Publishers.
Siebert, L., & Ballard, L. (1992). Making a Good Layout. Cincinnati:
North Light Books.
Swann, A. (1990). Layout Source Book. Oxford: Phaidon Press.
Swann, A. (1990). How to understand and use Design and Layout. Ohio:
North Light Books.
Swann, A. (1997). The New Graphic Design School. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.
Reading list (program
specific)
Dayley, L. D., and Dayley, B. (2012). Adobe Photoshop CS6 Bible.
Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing.
Johnson, S. (2012). Adobe Illustrator CS6 on Demand. Indianapolis,
IN: Que Publishing.
Kvern, O. M., Blatner, D., and Bringhurst, B. (2012). Real World
Adobe Illustrator CS6. Berkley, CA: Peachpit Press.
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