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COMM 362, Principles of Design for Media
Instructor: Ross Collins, North Dakota State University, Fargo

Class resources

Everyone knows what graphic design is? Right? (YouTube video).

Beginning quiz.

Lecture synopses.

Class lecture PowerPoint presentations.

How did pictures evolve into writing? Chart by Frank M. Cross, Jr., on Phoenicia.org.

Ross's illustrated newspaper design 1674-1974.

Lorem Ipsum file.

Type anatomy and samples.

• Check out Hoefler & Frere-Jones, one of the country's premier type design firms.

Ross's 10 typography pitfalls.
(Includes keystroke commands for common glyphs.)

Midterm exam review.

Final exam review.

Beginner's Guide to PageMaker
Alternative to InDesign; no longer furnished in NDSU clusters.

How to identify roman type (PDF chart).

A brief introduction to color theory.

Ross's nine principles of design.

Basic principles: a simple flyer.

How to choose a photo for publication.

Analyzing a magazine.

Speed dating form for work groups.

Honors Day poster 2018.

Design Exercises (InDesign)

Beginner's Guide to InDesign.

Design Exercise One: certificate.

Alternate Exercise One: certificate.

Design Exercise Two, a flyer: manipulating type.

• More on color in InDesign.

Design Exercise Three: newsletter.

What you'll learn:

• general newsletter design;
• working with Master Pages;
• defining type styles;
• drawing and placing reversed, screened, and regular boxes;
• drawing and placing mask boxes;
• working with lorem ipsum type; practicing the Place, Copy and Paste commands;
• working with drop shadows;
• placing photos.

Design Exercise Four: build your own flyer.

What you'll learn:

• Drawing a shape with Pen Tool;
• adding text on a path;
• building a gradient; using leadered tabs;
• using dingbats (glyphs) as clip art;
• filling shape or text with photo or pattern.

Design Exercise Five: simple graphics.

Alternate Design Exercise Five: large format.

Design Exercise Six: preflght.Design Exercise Seven: photo page.

Design Exercise Eight: brochure.

Design Exercise Nine: magazine.

Alternate Exercise Nine: magazine.

Creative process exercises:

Balance exercise: redesign this flyer for a dynamic (asymmetrical) balance.

Advertisement exercise: redesign this advertisement. Submit a thumbnail.

Business card/newsletter exercise: redesign this business card and newsletter, using InDesign, as directed. Submit a rough or comp.

Magazine exercise: setting up and analyzing a magazine.

Photoshop Exercises

Photoshop Lesson One.
Tools, sizing, cropping, file formats, selecting.

Photoshop Lesson Two.
Levels/curves, dodging, burning, dust and scratches, sharpening.

Photoshop Lesson Two(b).
Alternative workflow using Camera Raw.

Photoshop Lesson Three.
Selecting, cutting, cloning, sharpening, gaussian blur, image modes.

Photoshop Lesson Four.
Cutting, pasting, painting, erasing, color balance.

Photoshop Lesson Five.
Working with type.

Photoshop Lesson Six.
Layers, red-eye removal, Select and Mask, improving skin tones.

Photoshop Lesson Seven.
Create a montage.

Photoshop Lesson Eight.
Nip & tuck.

Photoshop Lesson Nine.
Transparent backgrounds, replacing backgrounds.

Photoshop Lesson Ten.
Black and white.

Photos for practice:

Fez, 2001.

Rome, 1989.

Washington State, 1982.

Club Moss, 1976.

Limerick, 1980.

Dijon, 1983.

More photos for practice.

Midterm exam analysis.

Final exam: photo for analysis.

Illustrations: globe and java jive.

Lewis Hine.

Photos for Honors Day poster.

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