GRAPHIC DESIGN LESSON
Creative Ideas and Techniques - 1

HOW TO DEVELOP CREATIVE IDEAS FOR GRAPHIC DESIGNS LESSON PLAN A graphic design is a creative arrangement of image and type that communicates a visual concept with a clarity and economy of means. There are tried and trusted techniques that you can use to increase your creativity in the search for a solution to any graphic design. In this lesson we use the symbols below to demonstrate a range of composition techniques that will help you to develop ideas for graphic designs. Click on the symbols below to see how each is developed into a creative idea for a graphic. Once you have studied these examples you can find some other symbols in our Graphic Design Resources that you may use to create your own graphic designs.
Graphic Design Lesson		Image Resources	Evaluating Your Designs
Designing a Logo		History of Logos	The Art of Typography

SIGNS DICTATE - DESIGN EDUCATES

A graphic design is much more than a sign? A sign will only tell you one thing such as 'stop' or 'go'. However, a graphic design can have layers of visual and verbal meaning that tell you many things.

This design lesson teaches you how to create graphic images with layers of meaning.

DEVELOPING IDEAS

Some students have skills in drawing but struggle when it comes to generating ideas.

This design lesson teaches you a variety of composition techniques that you can adapt to develop ideas for your graphic design projects.

COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES

The first ideas that you think of are not usually the most original. The reason they are already in your head is because you have seen them before in one form or another. The best ideas are those that you discover by trial and error through composing the elements of your design.

This design lesson teaches you techniques you can use to create original designs.

Graphic Design Techniques

Example 1

CREATING PATTERNS

Symmetrical forms like our snowflake are ideal for creating repeat patterns. They fit together like tiles.

Note how a cube or box is formed at the centre of the design on the right. Designs within designs are often waiting to be discovered. A good designer should always be awake to the possibilities that lie within a shape.

LESS OR MORE?

This Christmas card pushes the technique to extremes. However, in graphic design 'less is more' and consequently we are looking for a simpler idea.

ARRANGING IMAGE AND TYPE

The cube or box at the centre of the design suggests an appropriate use for the image: a logo for a refrigeration company named 'The Ice Box'.

The relationship between image and type in a design is very important and there are many ways of linking them. 'Arial Black' was chosen as the font for this design because the breadth of the letters match the thickness of the lines in the image. The triangular arrangement and placement of the type also mirrors the composition of the snowflakes.

'The Ice Box' idea now needs some further work to transform the basic image into a unified design.

COLOR LINKS

Three icy blue tones were added to the image to emphasise the three planes of the 'box'. The same three colors were also used for the type to strengthen the link between the image and font.

DEVELOPING THE DESIGN

The process of trial and error is essential in developing any graphic idea. In order to try to increase the chill factor in our design, its black outline was removed and replaced by a cold green backdrop. This, however, did not work well as the image lost some visibility and weakened the impact of the 'cube'.

IMPROVING THE DESIGN

In an attempt to improve the design, a drop shadow was added to increase the visibility of the image. This worked well and restored the impact of the logo.

FINALISING THE DESIGN

As the drop shadow dramatically increased the visibility of the design, the background was deemed unnecessary and removed. Finally, the type was changed to a single colour to improve its legibility.

The solution to 'The Ice Box', like most graphic designs, is the product of a process of trial and error, where error plays a positive part in the success of the work.