GRAPHIC DESIGN LESSON
Creative Ideas and Techniques - 5

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 5

PUNCHING

Punching is the process illustrated in our visual equation above. It is a method of merging two shapes to create a single shape that has the characteristics of both. Designers use this technique to simplify ideas into a single form as one image has more impact and is easier to remember than two.

We have used the punching technique here to adapt the '&' symbol to the shape of a square tile which makes it easier to organize as a repeat pattern.

REPEAT PATTERNS

Spice up a simple repeat pattern by changing the colors of the tiles.

MIRRORED REPEATS

This symmetrical arrangement of reflected forms, a composition technique that goes back hundreds of years, creates an old fashioned crest design.

AN ASYMMETRICAL ARRANGEMENT

At first glance, this asymmetrical arrangement looks random. On closer inspection you can see that it is carefully arranged so that each shape overlaps the next at a key points in the design. There is nothing haphazard about good design.

LESS IS OFTEN MORE

Repeating an image sometimes weakens its impact as it gets lost in the complexity of a pattern. An image often has a stronger identity on its own.

COMBINING IMAGE AND TYPE

The '&' sign in our square tile is a printing symbol, the ideal image for a publisher's logo: 'Writers' & 'Critics'. The simple addition of some appropriate typography completes the design.

'Edwardian Script', an elegant calligraphic font, was chosen for 'Writers'. This stylish black typeface perfectly illustrates the crafts of writing and printing.

'Jokerman', an awkward novelty font, was chosen for 'Critics'. Its angry red form bristles with rage as it impertinently jumps onto the design.

The square green '&' symbol creates a neutral zone between these two adversaries.

The style, shape, colors and arrangement of this logo all combine to evoke the nature of the publishing industry.