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

2. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 20082 Getting Started 1.Understand your message 2.Plan and Experiment 3.Collect examples 4.Ignore the technological trap 5.Apply design concepts

3. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 20083 Understand your message  Target market - Audience  Project specific  Purpose  Message

4. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 20084 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

5. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 20085 Collect Examples  Keep a clip file  Eye-catching  Attractive  Favorites  Color

6. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 20086 Ignore Technological Trap  Software is a tool  Keep creativity separate  Designers share common goal  Attend local advertising groups or forums  Okay to borrow ideas

7. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 20087 Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 1.Relevance  Is message conveyed?

8. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 20088 Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 2.Proportion  Are the graphic elements the right size?

9. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 20089 Apply Design Concepts Each design piece should have a certain quality. Design checklist: 3.Direction  Are all elements flowing the right direction?

10. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200810 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?

11. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200811 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

12. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200812 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

13. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200813 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)

14. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200814 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

15. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200815 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

16. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200816 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

17. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200817 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

18. July 17, 2008NETT CONFERENCE 200818 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