Curriculum

Essential Questions:

  • What makes good art good? What does “Quality” look like?
  • What makes effective graphic design?
  • How can I develop the skills to become a graphic designer?
  • How can my art more effectively communicate meaning?
  • Where can graphic design take me?
  • How is graphic design important today?
  • How do I build a strong portfolio?
  • From where can I draw inspiration as an artist?
  • What are the options available to me as an artist?
  • How can I prepare myself for a creative future?
  • What informs why, how, and what artists and designers make?
  • How do artists and designers make works of art and design?
  • Why and how do artists and designers present their work to viewers?


Topics and Skills:

  • Making Meaning -- Visual Communication and Personal Expression
  • Studio Habits of Mind
  • Design-Thinking
    • The Importance of Process - from concept to visual
    • Conceptual Drawing for Graphic Design
    • Visual problem-solving, planning, and process
    • Reflection and Analysis
    • Giving, Receiving, and Applying Feedback -- Critique
  • Creative Thinking -- Visual Thinking Exercises – Improving Your Creativity
  • Design / Aesthetics
    • Review of Design Basics: Elements and Principles of Art
    • The Principles of Graphic Design: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity
    • Color for Designers
    • Typography
    • Layout – Using the Grid
  • Skills with Tools and Techniques:
    • Macintosh Computer Platform Basics
    • Adobe Illustrator – A Vector-Based Drawing and Design Program
    • Adobe Photoshop – A Pixel-Based Painting and Photo-Editing Program
    • Photography for Graphic Design
    • Image Capture Using a Scanner
    • Adobe InDesign Basics – A Page Layout Program
    • Using the Programs (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) Together
    • Observational Skills
  • Commercial Practices may include:
    • Symbols and Logos
    • Flyers, Programs and Posters
    • Signage and Informational Graphics
    • Corporate Design
    • Editorial Layout – Books and/or Magazines
    • Packaging
    • Advertising
    • Campaign – Communicating Ideas through a Series
    • Display