GRAPHIC DESIGN LESSON
Creative Ideas and Techniques - 4

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

Graphic Design Techniques

Example 4

REFLECTIONS

Reflected images create the type of design that you see through a kaleidoscope. You can experiment with different configurations of your images to create a variety of designs.

ROTATION AROUND A PATH
Mouse over the image to view

Rotating an image around a path is a good way to introduce pattern, color and movement into a design.

ROTATION AROUND A POINT

Rotating an image around a point is another way to suggest movement in your designs.

FRAMING AN IMAGE

A frame is a useful device to help you focus on an image. It creates a background for the design. A double frame is used here to add depth to the background.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, TRY AGAIN

Even with the double frame this image was still quite dull so we duplicated the bird on a smaller scale to emphasise the depth and improve the dynamics of the shapes in the design.

THE DYNAMICS OF
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SHAPES

Always be aware of the interaction between the positive and negative shapes in a design. Here, they are emphasised by reducing the image to a counterchange of black and white tones.

SYMBOLIC COLOR

Finally, four colors were added to complete this idea for an 'RSPB' logo. The colors, which represent both the sky and the variety of birdlife, are repeated in the 'Arial Black' italic font. An italic font was used to suggest movement and to counterbalance the motion of the birds.