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the basics of graphic design
the basics of graphic design
course facilitators
Colin McCoy [email protected]
Karl Malcolm [email protected]
the basics of graphic design
about the course
• for those who need to design pages, but have no background or formal training in design
• for those who understand that a better looking piece of coursework or dissertation often means a better mark
• assumes you don’t have the time or interest to study design and typography, but you would like to know how to make your pages look better
• the premise is ‘knowledge is power’
the basics of graphic design
a really useful book
The Non-designer's Design Book: Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice !
Robin Williams 144 pages !
Available Amazon / Kindle
the basics of graphic design
group work
• Split into groups of approx. 5 people
• Have a critical look at the design of the supplied materials, and try to decide amongst the group what constitutes good design ... and poor design!
• In particular, try to express which specific elements of the design are appealing. Take some notes to capture the main points of of the group’s discussion.
• Does everyone in the group agree on what makes for good design?
the basics of graphic design
timetable
9.30 Introduction9.40 Group work10.00 Proximity10.15 Alignment10.30 Repetition10.45 Break11.05 Contrast11.20 Fonts11.35 Workshop12.30 Finish
Proximity
RepetitionAlignment
Contrast
the basics of graphic design
proximity
Noun: prox·im·i·ty /präkˈsimətē/
Nearness in space, time, or relationship.
Elements that are related to each other should be grouped close together. When several items are in close proximity to each other, they become a single visual unit rather than several separate units. In this way, proximity helps organize information, reduces clutter, and gives the reader a clear structure.
the basics of graphic design
alignment
Noun: a·lign·ment /əˈlīnmənt/
Arrangement in a straight line, or in correct relative positions.
Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every element should have some visual connection with another element on the page. This creates a clean, sophisticated, fresh look.
the basics of graphic design
repetition
Noun: rep·e·ti·tion /ˌrepəˈtiSHən/
The action of repeating something. The recurrence of an action or event.
Repeat visual elements of the design throughout the piece. You can repeat colours, shapes, textures, spatial relationships, line thicknesses, fonts, sizes, graphic concepts, etc. This develops the organisation and strengthens the unity.
the basics of graphic design
contrast
Noun: con·trast /ˈkäntrast/
The state of being strikingly different from something else, typically something in juxtaposition or close association.
The idea behind contrast is to avoid elements on the page that are merely similar. If the elements (type, color, size, line thickness, shape, space, etc.) are not the same, then make them very different. Contrast is often the most important visual attraction on a page - it’s what makes a reader look at the page in the first place.
the basics of graphic design
fonts
Noun: con·trast /fänt/
A set of type of one particular face and size
Graphic designers refer to fonts as types, or typefaces. Type is the basic building block of any printed page. Often it is irresistibly compelling and sometimes absolutely imperative to design a page with more than one typeface on it. But how do you know which typefaces work effectively together?
the basics of graphic design
website
http://basicsgraphicdesign.weebly.com
