GRAPHIC DESIGN LESSON
Creative Ideas and Techniques - 8

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 8

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

Good graphic design stands out from the crowd. By merely adjusting one of our stacked cups, this simple change to the image creates a visual metaphor that expresses deeper ideas about attitudes or behaviour.

A COUNTERCHANGE OF TONES

Shading techniques, such as a counterchange of graduated tones (light against dark changing to dark against light) can add a spatial elegance and depth to the most minimal shapes.

A COUNTERCHANGE OF SHAPES

To create a 'Morning Coffee' logo for a café, our equation demonstrates a counterchange of shapes that are then shaded and colored like the squares on a checkerboard.

A SIMPLE LAYOUT

To develop the idea further, the image was framed with a background that suggested a tray or a café window. The 'Cooper Black' font, chosen for its gently curved corners which harmonize with the design, was added to complete a simple layout.

AN INTERGRATED LAYOUT

Don't be satisfied with your first design - try different layouts. In order to integrate the typography with the image, the layout was altered to include the text within the design. This also removed any ambiguity about the frame which now looks more like a café window with the cup of coffee sitting comfortably in the foreground.

AN APPROPRIATE CHOICE OF TYPOGRAPHY

Always test different examples of typography in a design. Here the type has been swapped for a less formal 'Brush Stroke' font whose calligraphic strokes set a more relaxed tone. The decision as to what works best is usually down to the personal preference and experience of the designer.