11-15-10 Adobe InDesign

This week we'll start working in Adobe InDesign. Adobe InDesign is the industry-leading page layout software. It can do just about anything you can imagine (page layout-wise) and then some. We'll start with the basics this week to get you working with importing and formatting type, learning about paragraph styles, placing images and more.

I want you to be thinking about great page layouts this week because next week you're going to have to work on your own! And don't forget, great page layout begins with sketches! So dust off those sketchbooks, cause you're going to need them!

First, I want you to look through some magazines and find some great examples of page layout. This does NOT include ads! You must find 3 examples of editorial content (articles) that you like and bring them, or a copy of them, to class with you next Monday.

Second, I want you to start sketching some ideas for cool page layouts. I want to see at least five rough sketches and then I want to see you tighten up two of those into highly developed layouts. You'll use these to create your page layout in next week's class.

Third, I want you to come up with an idea for an article to lay out. When you decide on a topic, you can find text to use on Wikipedia (or wherever you'd like,) but you'll need multiple paragraphs of body copy. You'll also need to find some appropriate images to use with it and also be thinking about what sort of font would work well. Maybe your headline needs to be a bold font? Or a script font? Or a grunge font? All of that is up to you, but your choices should reflect the type of article you are laying out.

Be ready to work on your layouts during class time next week!

HOMEWORK:

• Bring in 3 examples of articles with page layouts you like

• Make at least five rough sketches of layout ideas

• Refine at least TWO of those ideas into tighter drawings

• Decide what type of article you want to lay out

• Get a text file of your article to bring with you

• Bring appropriate images to class

11-8-10: Technical difficulties

Well, due to unforseen technical difficulties, like my car needing an emergency serpentine belt tensioner replacement (shown at left), I won't be in class tonight. However, I encourage you to use your time wisely and stick around during class time (if we could persuade Miss Chipps to be our lab tech) to learn a little about Adobe InDesign.

Our class tonight was going to be going over the basics of Adobe's page-layout program: InDesign. Just because I'm not there, doesn't mean you can't learn about it. Have a look at this series of video tutorials from Adobe's website. You'll only need to watch episodes GS-01 through GS-07. We won't be messing with the later stuff in our class, like adding interactivity, motion or outputting for the web.

So, get acquainted with InDesign so you can hit the ground running next week when we start working on our first InDesign project!

For those of you who needed to turn in late work, you just gained an extra week. So everyone had better be caught up by next weeks class!

HOMEWORK:

• Watch GS-01 through GS-07 Adobe InDesign video tutorials.

• Bring in all unfinished work to class on 11-15-10

Regional Job Openings

Just letting everyone know of some Regional Job Openings in the area. This information was passed along to me and I wanted to share it with all of you.

11-1-10: Your homework is your make-up work

All pre-mid-term make-up work must be submitted by next Monday, November 8th. For this reason, I am not assigning any new homework this week. If you are are caught up on all your work, you get a week of not having to worry about homework. If you have not turned in assignments, this is the week to get them done.

I will NOT accept late pre-mid-term assignments after November 8th. They will go down in my gradebook as a permanent zero. Nobody wants that, so get them all made up and turned in at the BEGINNING of class next Monday. You've had 10 weeks to get them done, so no excuses!

It's HALLOWEEN week!!!! Let's do something fun!

Halloween is upon us! Now is the time to use your creative skills to make something spooky, scary and fun! This is going to be a fun assignment with very few boundaries, so let your minds go wild!

Your task is to create some sort of Halloween imagery. It could be a flyer to a Halloween party you are hosting or attending. It could just be a graphic designed to scare the bejeezus out of others! It could be a fun Halloween illustration! It could be a Photoshop zombie self-portrait or an Illustrator zombie self-portrait!

You are free to use any software you would like and there are no size requirements. The only thing I'm requiring is that it fit in somehow with a Halloween theme. So, knock yourselves out with this one!

These will be due at the end of class on Monday, November 1st. So, I want you to have at least three ideas sketched out in your sketchbook by (the beginning of class) next Monday. If at all possible, try to have your digital work started before class next Monday. At the very least, bring all of your images and sketchbook to class, so you'll have everything you need to get started.

Happy Halloween everyone! Have fun this week and most importantly, be safe!

HOMEWORK:

• Make at least three different Halloween imagery sketches in your sketchbook

• Come up with an idea for your Halloween imagery and start digitizing it

• Use ANY software you want

• Use ANY subject matter you want (keep it at least PG-13 though. . .)

• Most importantly, use your IMAGINATION!

10-18-10 Finalizing your logo designs

This week in class we will be talking more about techniques to use in Adobe Illustrator to help with your logos. We will go over the type tool, shape tools and other items you'll find essential to your logo project. Tonight's class will primarily be work time and one-on-one instruction as you continue to work on your designs. Your finished logo designs will be due at the end of class on Monday, October 25th.

For your homework, I want you to do some more research on logos. Look around at items you use every day and see what techniques are used to create them. I'd like you to bring in five examples of logos you like, and be prepared to tell us what attracted you to them. You can bring in digital logos or you can bring in products, posters, etc. that show the logo you are talking about.

HOMEWORK:

• Bring in five examples of logos you like (digital or hard copy)

• Be prepared to work on your logo designs in class

10-11-10 Logo Design

We see logos all over the place. Have you ever stopped and thought about the people who create them? How about the creative process they go through? Well, you will now. Our next project will be LOGO DESIGN!

Logos can be simple. Logos can be complex. Most importantly, logos need to make a statement. It isn't the method of logo creation that is important, instead it is the impact of the logo that determines its success or failure. Some logos are type heavy and some are image heavy while many balance right in between. In any case, you'll be looking at logos closer than you ever have before.

The first thing I'd like you to do is to go out in the world and take a look at some logos you see often. Really take a long, hard look at them and think about what went into creating them. Try to be thinking about why the designer used that specific font. Think about how the graphic (if any) works with the composition of the logo. Think about what you might have done differently. Now, in order to understand logos, you'll need to actually make some. So, for the first part of this week's assignment, I want to you to draw some logos in your sketchbook. I want you to choose THREE different logos and draw each of them, taking a full page for each, in your sketchbook. Take your time and try to make them as accurate as possible. These sketches will be GRADED.

The next thing you're going to do is start creating a logo for an imaginary company. You can choose between these businesses:

• Jack's Poker Parlor

• Bud's Rose Garden

• Three Circle Marketing

After you've picked your company, I want you to start sketching ideas in your sketchbook for a possible logo. I want to see a LOT of these. Remember, sometimes you have to draw the bad ideas to get them out of your head to make way for great ideas! That means, I want to see a MINIMUM of 20 sketches for your logo ideas. You are encouraged to draw more than 20, but fewer will result in a poor grade. Yes, these sketches will be graded also.

HOMEWORK: (in your sketchbooks)

• Sketch three different existing logos (full page each)

• Pick your imaginary company

• Sketch 20 (or more) logo ideas for your company

• Be prepared to start digitizing your logos on 10/18.

• You MUST pay for your sketchbook by 10/18 or I will collect it and you will receive a grade of "0" for BOTH assignments. There is no reason to slack off paying your $3.25 for these sketchbooks. Pay up!