Graphic Design Allanagh Sewell Instructor, Computer Science Department Southeastern Louisiana University

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Getting Started 1.Understand your message 2.Plan and Experiment 3.Collect examples 4.Ignore the technological trap 5.Apply design concepts

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Understand your message  Target market - Audience  Project specific  Purpose  Message

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Plan and Experiment  Successful design is created from trial and error  “Light bulb”  Start with a sketch on paper  Draw and jot down ideas continuously  Initially, ignore detail

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Collect Examples  Keep a clip file  Eye-catching  Attractive  Favorites  Color

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Ignore Technological Trap  Software is a tool  Keep creativity separate  Designers share common goal  Attend local advertising groups or forums  Okay to borrow ideas

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 1.Relevance  Is message conveyed?

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 2.Proportion  Are the graphic elements the right size?

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 3.Direction  Are all elements flowing the right direction?

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 4.Consistency  Evolves style  Are your typefaces, headings, headers, footers, photographs, captions, subheads, lines, columns, borders, and so forth, consistent?

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 5.Contrast  Most important visual attraction on a page  Draws reader to the page  It gives “color” to the publication by balancing the space  High impact publications tend to have a lot of contrast vs. text-rich documents tend to be rather low in contrast  Avoid elements that are similar

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 6.Repetition  Repeating visual elements throughout the piece develops organization and strengthen the unity of the publication  Adds visual interest  Avoid overuse - annoying

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 7.Alignment  Don’t place elements on page arbitrarily  Unity is important  Each element should have a visual connection with the other element on the page  Creates clean, sophisticated, fresh look  Centered – formal look  Left alignment (justified)  Right alignment (justified)  Fully justified (gaps between words)

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 8.Proximity  Related items should be grouped close together  Physical closeness implies a relationship  Helps organize information, reduces clutter, and gives the reader a clear structure FlowersFlowers MarigoldMarigold PansyPansy RueRue DaisyDaisy Pink Pink Pink Violets Violet Violet Primrose Primrose Primrose

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 9.Restraint  Strive for simplicity  Less is more  Overuse of graphic gimmickry results in the cluttered look

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 10.Attention to Detail  Spell Check  Spacing  Headlines, subheads  Typefaces  Proofread  Examine Proofs

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 11.Examine Proofs  Thumbnail proofs to check of overuse of symmetry or contrast becomes obvious

July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 12.The Total Picture  Consider the surroundings of an element in its environment  View publication using the two-page spread  Make sure page looks good individually as well as side by side with the next page