btt1o_design_software

include component="page" wikiName="jmcintyre" page="course_tabs_header" include component="page" wikiName="jmcintyre" page="menu_btt1o_crumbs" =DESIGN SOFTWARE=

Commercial Art
The concept of commercial art varies with each person you ask. The general consensus however, is that commercial art is art for the sake of selling a product or an idea. William Morris, a school of arts and crafts founder, was but one of those who believed in and practiced the art of beautifying common things. Why run a newspaper ad featuring nothing but words? How about putting flowers on that tissue box? Wouldn't it be great if everything from magazines and brochures to food packages and road signs looked terrific while offering information? This thinking, a reflection of the world's growing desire to consume, formed the base of the movement known as commercial art.

Typical applications of commercial art are numerous, some include: print ads, website designs, product packaging, book illustrations, billboard layouts, TV storyboards, commercial signs, dust jackets, CD and DVD case and disk art, magazine covers, newspaper display ads, logos, catalogs, posters, bottles, cans, boxes, shopping bags, electronic displays, bus, cab and airplane ads, flyers, brochures, booklets, pamphlets, business letterhead, tickets, programs, marketing and sales presentation materials. Furthermore, commercial art extends to media messaging and trying to sway public opinion/perception regarding a subject.

Reasons to go into commercial art include excitement, the love of creative challenges, you adore working with other artsy types and you exhibit great stamina during crises. Stay away from commercial art if you are prone to ulcers, can't cope with quick project turnarounds and compromise isn't in your vocabulary. Commercial artists work closely with sales and marketing teams in a corporate environment. As a rule, ad agencies and design studios offer the best salaries because clients are demanding and the work is intense. The biggest educational requirement for a commercial artist is keeping up-to-date on emerging softwares. When designing a look and feel sometimes you just need some words to hold a place. As such, here's a placeholder [|text generator] or just some plain 3 paragraph random.

 =Inkscape for vector art= [[|source]] If Inkscape is not already installed on your computer, go either to the handout folder and get the inkscape instlaler, or alternatively download it directly [|from here](the 32 bit EXE installer). There are two kinds of computer graphics - __**raster**__ (composed of pixels) and __**vector**__ (composed of paths). Raster images are more commonly called bitmap images.

Vector art is the generic term used for creating or editing images by the use of tools that define borders by a mathematical function, rather than an x,y coordinate (which describes raster-art). Vector-based tools generate results that are a composed of a series of lines and curves that can be manipulated at any point using handles (Bézier curves/handles). Thus, a vector-based graphic is composed of a series of mathematically described lines that form geometric shapes. The benefit of vector art is that you can scale an image without making it blurry or pixelated and, you can easily go back and re-edit a vector, within the graphic. Vector graphics are also ideally suited for non-photographic detailed illustrative work, some 2D (and ALL 3D) animations, and industrial illustrations.

 =Assignment #6 - Learn Inkscape= [[|source]]

Part One
1) Select the rectangle tool from the main toolbox(far left) and draw a rectangle. Any colour is fine but be sure there is no stroke applied. This can be done by opening your '[|Fill & Stroke]' dialog(Menu bar - absolute top - [|Object>Fill&Stroke]) then select the middle tab at the very top named 'Stroke Paint'. Make sure that the 'x' is selected, if not then please click the icon to rectify the problem. After you have a shape, grab the select tool  from the toolbox and go to the 'tool controls bar'(above the ‘canvas’) and input the following settings: W=200 H=50 pixels

2) Now select the node tool from the toolbox(far left) and use it to select your rectangle within the canvas. Now you need to edit the corner shape handles (top right corner of any quadrilateral). Hold ‘Ctrl’ and drag the handle(represented by a circle) down as far as it will go. Now the ends of your rectangle will be circular.

3) Time to add some colour! Select your rectangle with the select tool then open your ‘[|Fill & Stroke]’ dialog(Menu bar - absolute top - [|Object>Fill&Stroke]). Select a 'Linear Gradient'  for your rectangle(this is the 3rd icon at the top of the dialog), the rectangle should now be a solid colour at the far left end and fully transparent at the far right. Now in the [|‘Fill & Stroke’ dialog], [|click edit] which is situated next to the 'duplicate' button. This will bring up the ‘[|gradient editor]’ pop-up, this will allow us to change the properties to our liking. For this specific button I have chosen a nice simple yellow-to-orange gradient, this can be done by selecting the drop-down box within the '[|gradient editor]'. I will now walk you through the process of editing the colours of the gradient.

As stated, click on the drop-down menu of colours, firstly we shall edit the base colour on top, now fill in the appropriate settings: R/G/B/A = 255/212/0/255, or alternatively the hex-decimal code(bottom right of the dialog): ffd400ff. Now select the drop-down box once again and click on the lower base colour. Repeat the previous step, but this time, use the following settings: R/G/B/A = 255/150/0/255, or once again, you can opt to simply use the hex-decimal code: ff9600ff. Now you may close the ‘[|Gradient Editor]’ dialog.

4) Simply select the node tool from the toolbox once again and select your rectangle in the ‘canvas’. It will now have some more 'control' points, this is how you can alter the direction of your gradient/s. Simply select the right control node(circle) and drag it to the top of the rectangle, now select the left control node(square), hold ‘Ctrl’ and drag the node down to the bottom of the rectangle. Holding ‘Ctrl’ will ensure the line snaps perfectly vertical.

Part two
1) Go back to using your select tool and click on your rectangle, now right-click on it and from the drop-down menu select ‘Duplicate’(Ctrl+D). Go to your ‘Fill & Stroke’ dialog once again, this time however, select ‘[|Stroke Paint]’ from the 3 tabs at the very top. Now select the 'Flat colour' icon(in between the 'No stroke' and 'Linear Gradient' icons) so you will now have a stroke surrounding your rectangle. Now put in the following settings to there respective text boxes: R/G/B/A = 255/125/0/255 or the hex-decimal code: ff7d00ff. Now it’s time to thicken the stroke weight, to do this, select the last tab at the top, ‘[|Stroke Style]’. Now in the ‘[|Width]’ text box, simply write 2. Last of all we want to send the stroke to the back, you can do this via the 'tool control bar'. Find the ‘Lower selection to bottom’ icon and press it, this will - you guessed it - lower the stroke to the bottom, behind the original rectangle.

2) Duplicate your original rectangle(yellow-to-orange gradient) via instructions in Part-2>Step-1. Now refer to your '[|Fill & Stroke]' dialog and make the newly duplicated object a solid black(this can also be done via the palette just below the canvas). Within in the 'Fill & Stroke' dialog, slide the '[|Opacity]' meter to approximately 50%, this will make the following steps much easier. Refer to the ‘tool controls bar’ (this is outlined in Part-1>step-1) again and input the following settings: W = 200 H = 25 pixels

3) Grab your select tool from the toolbox once again, make sure your rectangle is selected. Now from the toolbox select the rectangle tool, the '[|tool controls bar]' will have changed so as to be relevant to the current tool selected, in this case, the rectangle. As is highlighted in the image, click on the 'Make corners sharp'  icon. this will create a perfect 90 degree edge.

//Tip: The reason being that during the ‘tool control bar’ operation, the nodes squash and the former goes out of range making it transparent and therefore useless. Although the result may differ slightly upon the de/selection of the 'When scaling rectangles, scale the radii of rounded courners', the process stays the same as it still effects the dynamics that are desired.//

4) Open the ‘Align & Distribute’ dialog([|Object>Align & Distribute] – this is placed near the bottom of the list). Once open look for [|Align>Relative to], then click on the drop-down box and choose the ‘Last selected’ option. Now, the order is __very__ important so pay attention. Select the last created object first(the black rectangle), then hold ‘Shift’ and select the original rectangle, they should both now be selected. Go back to your ‘[|Align & Distribute]’ dialog and find the ‘Align top edges’ icon, once found, click it. If you have followed the instructions correctly, the box will now move to the top edge of the original rectangle.

Part Three
1) Firstly grab the select tool from the toolbox, now click on an empty space within the canvas, this will deselect the items. Now click back down on your original rectangle(accessible via the lower half of the object), next duplicate your original rectangle(yellow-to-orange gradient) once again(instructions in Part-2>step-1). Once duplicated, press and hold ‘Shift’. While held, select the smaller black rectangle. If all is well so far, the corner will be poking out making it easily click-able. Check the 'status bar' for confirmation that two rectangles are selected. Now it is time to cut it, go to the menu bar up top, select [|Path>Intersection] while both of the objects are still selected. Now all the excess that was going over the edges is promptly trimmed away.

2) Simply make the now trimmed object white either via the ‘Palette’(below the ‘canvas’) or the ‘[|Fill & Stroke]’ dialog. Then make sure the opacity is set to 50%(the slider is placed on the lower part of the '[|Fill & Stroke]' dialog).

3) No go back to your ‘Fill & Stroke’ dialog, select the 'Fill' tab from the top, then select once again the linear gradient (P1>step 3). It will automatically have the desired gradient(white to full transparency), all you now need to do is move the gradient handles(via the node tool ) to the desired position, the optimum places are shown in the example.

4) Select the text tool from the toolbox and simply click anywhere and type ‘Donate’ or any other text of your choice. Make the font Arial>Italic via the '[|tool control bar]' as indicated specifically by the image, this is a nice simple choice that looks classy and professional. It is also the preferred font for buttons of a similar nature.

Part Four
1) Firstly deselect the text by clicking on an empty space of the canvas, the select tool from the toolbox on the left is the tool to use for this. Now reselect your newly created text, press and hold 'Shift', then proceed to select the original rectangle(yellow-to-orange gradient) once again. Go to your ‘[|Align and Distribute]’ dialog and click both the ‘Centre on vertical axis’  and ‘Centre on horizontal axis’  icons. This will centre the text in the very middle of the rectangle. //Note: This step presumes you have the same settings as outlined earlier in the tutorial. Once again the order of the selections is paramount to the correct result. As is always the case with the 'Align and Distribute' functions.// 2) Once again, click on an empty space of the canvas with the select tool. Click on your text once to reselect, note the directional pull-tabs. Hold ‘Ctrl’ and ‘Shift’ and pull on one slowly, the text will re-size with the drag of your mouse. //Tip: holding shift will make the object re-size from the centre point of the object. Control holds the current Width-to-Height ratio.// 3) While your text is still selected we will move the text below the semi-transparent white object by simply pressing ‘Page Dn’ or using the manual method by clicking the 'Lower selection one step' icon to acquire the same result. Do this until the text is visibly below the white object. And here you have a finished button, this is perfect for display on various items such as websites, blogs or even in applications. Next I will show you how to make a spiffier looking version, however this can only be used providing the size is of a quantifiable amount such as shown in the example.

Part Five
1) Select the text once more and open your ‘Fill & Stroke’ dialog. Make sure the upper tab is on the tab titled 'Fill', now proceed to fill in the appropriate settings as shown: R/G/B/A = 255/225/0/255 or the hex-decimal code: ffe100ff.

2) Now Duplicate the text(instructions: P2>step 1), this time change the colour to the following settings: R/G/B/A = 255/110/0/255 or the hex-decimal code: ff6e00ff.

3) Now hold the ‘Ctrl’ key and drag the orange text upwards, then release and repeat but go to the left, remember to keep it as even as possible. Or alternatively you may prefer to use the keyboard shortcuts. To do this hold 'Alt' and use your arrow keys to 'nudge' the text into position. //Note: the distance that is required for this effect to work differs per the full size. The example above is just about perfect for the example size, however this will change with any changes to the texts size. Also when using the keyboard method that the distance moved is relative to the zoom level, a higher zoom level will instigate smaller more precise movements.//

4) Select both pieces of text by utilising the ‘Shift’ key or using the mouse to envelop both objects, which will then select them both, now go up to your 'Menu bar', click Object>Group. Now they are attached and cannot be separated until you ‘ungroup’ them. And finally, press ‘Page Dn’ until the text is below the white object.

Summary
And there you have it, an in-depth Inkscape tutorial showing you how to create a Donate button. This tutorial is much more than it may seem, it teaches the fundamentals that are requisite before you can create serious designs in Inkscape. The 'engrave' technique is very simple but extremely useful in your future endeavours with the Inkscape program.

If you have enjoyed this tutorial please make sure to [|visit the author's site directly]

Evaluation
by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so. || Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so. ||
 * **CATEGORY** || **4** || **3** || **2** || **1** ||
 * **Diligently follows instruction**
 * ** || Judicious use of elements lead to an exemplary product. || Generation of a product of expected quality || Product approaches expected quality. There are some steps missed or done with a quality that misses what was expected. || Product does not approach expected quality/reproduction. ||
 * **Product fundamentals**
 * ** || Fundamental concepts clearly demonstrated beyond expectations. Product follows convention in a way superior to what was expected. || Fundamental concepts generally demonstrated at level expectations. Product follows convention in a way that was expected. || Concepts generally demonstrated at level slightly below expectations. Product generally follows convention. || Concepts demonstrated at a level below expectations. Product needs refinement in order to approach expectations. ||
 * **Use of Time**
 * ** || Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well (as shown by observation

== =The Makings of a Great Logo= gratefully from [|here]

__**6 questions to ask yourself when designing your brand**__

An effective logo can establish the right tone and set the proper ethos.

__1. What emotions does the logo evoke?__ Above all design guidelines, the most important criterion is whether the logo reflects the character of the company. The emotions that the logo evoke should be appropriate to the company values. For example, the Disney logo evokes a sense of happiness and optimism. The curvy and fun typeface is appropriate for a company that has been making cartoons and animated pictures for kids. However, a similar logo style on a sales platform would not be appropriate. Designers should understand the psychology of colors and the effect that typeface has on the design of a great logo. For example, green usually reflects growth, health, and the environment. It promotes relaxing and refreshing emotions. On the other hand, red may evoke danger and passionate emotions. Similarly for typefaces, Garamond, Helvetica, and Comic Sans all elicit very different sentiments. Serif fonts like Garamond promote the idea of respect and tradition, and are hence more suitable for an environment that demands integrity such as a university or a news publisher. Sans Serif fonts like Helvetica are clean and modern, and are well suited for high tech businesses such as computer or media companies. Casual script fonts like Comic Sans are probably best left for fun and animated companies such as toy companies. A good understanding of the psychology of colors, typefaces, and shapes is an important part of making a great logo. The fun styling of the Disney logo is appropriate for a design that aims to be fun, but such a style would not be appropriate for a sales platform company.

__2. What's the meaning behind the logo?__ Behind every great logo is a story.

A great logo is not about slapping your business name on a generic shape, which is why choosing from ready-made logos is a poor idea. An excellent way to make sure that a logo is not generic is when the logo has a meaningful story behind it. A good designer first understands the culture of the company, the tone of the product, and the vision of the business, much before embarking on ideas for the logo. The end result of a quality logo is reflective of the philosophy and values of the company.

The arrow in the logo represents that Amazon sells everything from a to z and the smile on the customer's face when they buy a product.

__3. Will the logo stand the test of time?__ How will the logo look in 2, 10, 20 years' time? Designers should avoid getting sucked into flavor-of the-month trends. Trends like ultra-thin fonts and flat shadows are design styles that will probably not stand the test of time. Simple is far better than complex. A simple yet memorable logo can be used in 20 years' time without being outdated. A good way to test the logo is to let it 'sit' with you for a while before releasing it. Some logos grow with you - the more you look at it, the more you like it. Some logos start to feel nauseating after a while - the more you look at it, the more you hate it. If after a couple of weeks with the logo you find it boring, the logo is probably not strong or timeless enough.

The simplistic outline and shape of the Apple Inc. logo allows it to endure the test of time. The first prototype of the logo would definitely not be suitable today.

__4. Is it unique? Can it be instantly recognizable?__ A great logo is distinctive, memorable, and recognizable. Even if you have only seen it once, you should still be able to remember what it looks like after a period of time. A good way to test this is to show your logo to a friend, then cover it up and have your friend describe the logo in a week's time. A fresh pair of eyes can be very effective in figuring out the most memorable components of a logo. In addition, if the logo reminds you of others you have seen, it is not distinct enough and probably a sign to make the logo more recognizable.

The logos of Path and Pinterest are very similar.

__5. How does it look in black and white?__ When I begin designing a logo, I always start in black and white. Designing with this limitation first forces you to make sure that the logo is recognizable purely by its shape and outline, and not by its color. A strong logo is one that is still memorable just by its contours. A one color logo also provides the benefit of using your brand easily in multiple mediums with different backgrounds and textures.

It is much harder to recognize the National Geography symbol once we remove its signature yellow color.

__6. Is it clear and distinct in small dimensions?__ Another way to make sure logos are simple and recognizable is to scale it down dramatically. Even at tiny resolutions, a strong logo should still be recognizable at a glance. This is also a good test to make sure that the logo is not overtly complicated with unnecessary design flourishes.

All these logos are sized to fit in 16 x 16 pixels. The Nike, McDonalds, Twitter, and WWF logos are still very distinct at small sizes. The GE and Starbucks logos are far more cluttered, and hence less recognizable when they are small.

These are not hard-and-fast rules, but good guidelines to make an effective logo. It is still possible to make a strong logo even if it is complicated, but understand the trade-offs of such a decision. So, the next time you find yourself designing or picking a new logo, ask yourself these questions. They may be helpful in deciding the right logo.

Business Card Size and Setup
The standard dimensions for a printed business card are 3.5 x 2 inches. That's the finished card size. Many printed designs include bleed. The "bleed area" is an extra 1/8 inch of space for design elements or backgrounds that extend beyond the finished size of your piece. A business card design with bleed is printed slightly oversized and then cut down to size, giving the appearance that the printing "bleeds" off the edge of the card, rather than having white borders.

__When creating your business card design file, use these tips:__


 * Make the document page size equal to the card size plus the bleed area, or 3.75" wide x 2.25" high, to be trimmed down to the finished size after printing. If you aren't planning to include bleeds, the bleed area isn't necessary, so set the document size to the finished size, 3.5 x 2 inches.
 * If you're designing a vertical card with the long size up, simply switch the page width and height so you won't have to rotate the card to see the design the way you intend it.

__Play it Safe near the Borders:__ Because cutting may vary ever so slightly, it's a good idea to keep all of your valuable text and logo information within the safe design zone. This zone is the 1/8 inch around the margin of your card. Make sure your text is within the 3.25 x 1.75 inch area of your card. You wouldn't want to have the last digit of your phone number trimmed off! Designing with borders can be tricky. Thin borders outside the safe zone that are less than 1/8th inch thick may not trim evenly. To avoid an "off-center" look, keep border lines or other thin lines away from the edge of your business card, within the safe zone.

 =Assignment #7 - Business Card= In creating your business card, you are making a card that represents you in your future life (based on what you think you will be at this point). The criteria are straightforward, design in Inkscape - keeping in mind the principles of design and the information posted above. You are to submit your __inkscape file__ AND __a PDF__ (file>save as) when you're finished. When done we can print off that format so you have a record of your card!

Evaluation:

 * **CATEGORY** || **4** || **3** || **2** || **1** ||
 * **Element Choices**
 * ** || The choice of elements complements the career chosen || The product largely reflects good choice in elements. || The piece has distracting elements and don't aid the piece. || Element choices lead the viewer to be distracted rather than enhance the piece. ||
 * **Presentation & placement of fonts**
 * ** || Stylistic choices show no errors in judgment || Overall the piece is well constructed, but the presentation is somewhat lacking due to choices in font size/readability. || Generally the piece is satisfactorily constructed, but the business card is lacking in many areas (either in font placement, colour, or size) || The piece is incomplete, or shows signs of obvious neglect in presentation. ||
 * **Use of Time ** || Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well (as shown by observation by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so. || Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so. ||
 * **Overall impact**
 * ** || The work clearly readable, and well thought-out || The work clearly reflects the career chosen. It is readable, but in some cases misses the target with either style, colour or placement choices. || Style, colour or placement choices lead the viewer to have a hard time reading the business card or understand the relevancy of the graphics chosen. || The piece doesn't work because principles of design have not been met, or the apparent effort is missing. ||

 =Desktop Publishing Software= One of the tasks that falls on owners of small businesses is the creation of documents using page layout skills on a personal computer. Desktop publishing software can generate layouts and produce typographic quality text and images comparable to traditional typography and printing with relative ease. You are going to learn how to use Microsoft Publisher to a degree of proficiency that will allow you to make a simple brochure for the company whose logo you designed in the previous assignment.

Read through [|this 11-step tutorial]to refresh or deepen your understanding of anything we've done in class.

 =Assignment #8 - Brochure= You are to create a brochure on an 8.5 x 11" sheet of paper (2-fold/3-panel)

Your advertising brochure must include: • A description of your products/services • Pictures • Testimonials • Your logo and slogan • Contact information • A map (take a screen capture from Google Maps) • The brochure should be appropriate to the demographic (i.e. your target customer)

Start with the templates in Microsoft Publisher, but your evaluation will reflect deeper understanding into levels 4 if you stray from the template and truly individualize your brochure.

Evaluation:

 * **CATEGORY** || **4** || **3** || **2** || **1** ||
 * **Element Choices**
 * ** || The choice of elements complements the business chosen || The product largely reflects good choice in elements reflecting the business. || The piece has distracting elements and don't aid the piece. || Element choices lead the viewer to be distracted rather than enhance the piece. ||
 * **Presentation & placement of fonts**
 * ** || Stylistic choices show no errors in judgment || Overall the piece is well constructed, but the presentation is somewhat lacking due to choices in font size/readability. || Generally the piece is satisfactorily constructed, but the business card is lacking in many areas (either in font placement, colour, or size) || The piece is incomplete, or shows signs of obvious neglect in presentation. ||
 * **Use of Time ** || Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well (as shown by observation by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so. || Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so. ||
 * **Overall impact**
 * ** || The work clearly readable, and well thought-out || The work clearly reflects the career chosen. It is readable, but in some cases misses the target with either style, colour or placement choices. || Style, colour or placement choices lead the viewer to have a hard time reading the business card or understand the relevancy of the graphics chosen. || The piece doesn't work because principles of design have not been met, or the apparent effort is missing. ||