Today’s Plan:
- Mini-Project 1
- Lay Out Sins
- Homework
Mini-Project 1: Re-Make It Work
For homework I want you to read chapter 3 of the WSINYE, in which Hagen and Golombisky share their “works every time layout.” They outline 7 parts of the layout:
- margins (no bleed)
- columns (two)
- visual (graphic image)
- cutline (alt text for image, not common)
- headline
- copy (body text)
- tags (logos, etc)
[Marc–share some grid ideas from chapter 6]
You can choose one of the flyers from your layout sins presentation for this mini-project. You can also choose another flyer that you saw in class today. You can choose a flyer currently hanging on the bulletin board right around the corner, or something you saw hanging anywhere else around campus.
I’ve debated what technology to use for this first project. I’ve decided against Canvas–what I really want you to practice/internalize here is Golumbiski and Hagen’s formula, the “works every time” layout. I want you to practice selecting and sizing text, blocking out a page (working with space, proximity). I want you to select colors that work together and develop contrast. So, rather than work with a template, I’d like you to design your 8 1/2 by 11 flyer from the ground up.
If you have previous InDesign experience and want to use that, fine. You are also welcome to use Photoshop. Those who feel a bit of anxiety can design this thing in Microsoft Word. However–Word doesn’t allow you to design a document that uses a bleed (color/image/content all the way to the edge of the page).
One other thing: Golumbiski and Hagen’s “works every time” layout is designed around a strong, graphic image (“graphic” is a tricky word to define here–but it generally means something like stunning, engaging, vibrant, etc). I encourage you to take a photograph that you can use in your design. This could be a picture of a building, of students studying, of a book or pile of books, a tree–whatever fits your subject matter. If you can’t think of how to take a picture to fit your subject matter, talk to me! If you really, really don’t want to do this, then you can use an existing image for your design.
If you take a photograph, think about adjusting the size, lighting, contrast, color, etc in Photoshop. I’ll show you how to do this in Wednesday’s class.
A few tips for taking a good photograph:
- Lighting: if you are outside, make sure the sun is behind you casting natural light on your subject. If you are inside, you want indirect light behind you–if you have a lamp directly lighting your subject, then you are going to get glare. Throw a tee-shirt over a lamp (make sure the tee-shirt is not touching the bulb or you might start a fire). Do not use a flash.
- Rule of thirds; this is a rule that you must follow until you have permission to break it
- Zoom in with your feet. Don’t use the zoom on your camera. If you want to be close to your subject, then get close.
Lay Out Sins
Let’s review what you found and what you saw.
Homework
I’d like you to throw together a draft of this for Wednesday’s class. Submit either a .jpeg image or a .pdf of your revision to Canvas before class on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s class will be a “crit”: I’ll share all of the drafts with the class–we will discuss them, highlight their strengths and make suggestions for revision. Final revisions of this assignment will be due Saturday at midnight (so I can provide feedback on Sunday). We’ll come in fresh to start Mini-Project 2 next Monday.
