Welcome Back! 1.Walk quietly to your seat 2.Place your backpack under your seat 3.Turn on your computer and log in 4.Log into (remember, same username and password as your computer) and go over the Visual Design Gallerywww.schoology.com

EFFECTIVE VISUAL DESIGN “how hard can it be?”

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no stop

“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Many make the mistake that effective graphic design is only possible if you have an artistic background, or the most advanced tools. However, effective graphic design (paradoxically) comes from removing unnecessary elements rather than adding more visually “flashy” elements

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN For simplicity’s sake, we will be examining two key elements of effective graphic design as it relates to Microsoft Office: – Color – Typography

C OLOR

Color and the mind It may sound obvious, but different colors have different effects on us psychologically – For example, experiments have been done in painting prison cells a specific shade of pink in order to inhibit aggression in prisoners

What does this color scheme make you think of?

What about this one?

In design, we refer to colors as having “temperature,” with blues being “cool” and reds being “hot.” Depending on the context or content, using specific colors may not work for another specific purpose.

W hy not enjoy a cool, refreshing DASANI?

Color and Harmony Certain colors look awful together, even if they are your favorite colors in the world Designers use a very simple, but powerful tool known as a color wheel to help plan color layouts to avoid this kind of thing

A nalogous colors Matching colors close to one another on the color wheel is a good way to achieve harmony in color

C omplementary Colors On the flipside, colors across from one another on the color wheel work well together through contrast

I could go on… In short, color can be the most effective tool in a designer’s arsenal Like most things, the best way to get a feel for which colors work well together is to experiment for yourself

T Y P O G R A P H Y

Put simply, typography is the art of selecting type styles and arrangements. Much like color, the fonts and typefaces we choose can have a profound impact on how our message comes across.

Serif/Sans Serif There are two broad categories of font: – A serif font has small protrusions or “legs” on each character –A sans serif font does not (sans – without)

S erif fonts are generally used for body text, especially in print, as they are considered to be easier to read. While scientific study on whether or not this is actually the case is inconclusive, tradition tends to lead the way in issues of design.

Sans Serif Fonts tend more towards headers, titles, and the like. However, due to poor display quality during the early days of personal computing, sans serif fonts were also the preferred style of font for any kind of computer or digital display

Context matters! Like with color, try to choose the right font for the right purpose. You probably wouldn’t use a font like this for a legal brief, for example

DON’T USE COMIC SANS

Your Assignment: Come up with a technology-related invention of your own; be creative! Thursday through Friday you will be working on designing a 1-2 page brochure advertising your invention

NEXT TIME, ON COMP LIT I: Layouts