COM1005 – Visual Composition

Visual Composition is the first credit in Multimedia and you must pass this prerequisite course before moving on. In Visual Composition, you will learn how to use design elements and principles to improve the quality, aesthetic, and effectiveness of any project you work on regardless of media.

Assessment breakdown:

#1. Theory = 20%
#2. Practice = 40%
#3. Final Project = 40%

REMINDER: Unless indicated otherwise, all assignments are to be turned in through the assignments tab in Microsoft Teams.

Theory

IN THIS SECTION WE WILL LEARN IMPORTANT CONCEPTS NEEDED TO DO THE PRACTICE. PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE REVIEWED THE MATERIALS BELOW BEFORE TAKING THE QUIZ ASSIGNED THROUGH TEAMS.

Despite there being several design principles, most designers agree that these four can be found in almost all well designed compositions.

What are the elements and principles of design?

Authors work with letters; coders, 1’s and 0’s; and artists, or designers, the elements of design. Simply put, the ‘elements of design’, sometimes referred to as the ‘elements of art’, are the building blocks that form all artwork. The ‘principles of design’ are how designers organize these elements to create aesthetic compositions that give off an intended mood or meaning. Let’s learn more in Presentation 1.

 

How do the elements of art, specifically line treatment, impact the mood of each character?

How can I use the elements/principles of design to add mood to my work?

As humans, we have learned to associate certain colors, line styles, shapes, etc. with different emotions. You will get a certain look/feel to your work depending on how you use these design stereotypes. For example, does the packaging of a Monster energy drink have the same look, feel, and vibe as a Suja smoothie bottle? Short answer: no. Long answer: they are not supposed to because companies intentionally brand products to have a certain look (mood) so they can appeal to specific groups of people (target audiences). Let’s take a closer look in Presentation 2.

 

Same letters/word but wildly different text treatment. Which one is more appropriate for this movie poster and why?

What is the role of typography in visual communication?

For one, you are reading this type, more commonly referred to as text, in order to learn. We use letters to form words which hold meaning whether they are heard or seen. Besides words representing something, text can hold additional meaning based on how it’s designed and displayed. Let’s learn more about typography and it’s role in visual communication in Presentation 3.

Practice

IN THIS SECTION YOU WILL APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED IN THE THEORY SECTION. THE AIM OF PRACTICING IS TO EQUIP YOU WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NEEDED TO CHOOSE AND CREATE YOUR OWN FINAL PROJECT. CLICK ON THE BUTTON BELOW TO DOWNLOAD A PRACTICE PORTFOLIO TEMPLATE (SAVE IT TO YOUR STUDENT FOLDER) AND CAREFULLY REVIEW THE INSTRUCTIONS.

> How to do Practice Portfolios in Multimedia (00:00)
> Student Example

Include the following challenges, plus pictures of any other in-class activities you completed (earn bonus marks), inside your practice portfolio:

#1 – Elements of Art:

Download the Photoshop file linked below and use the tutorial and/or in-class instruction to fill it out. Done early? Feel free to practice doodling on your activity file before adding it to your portfolio (see example on the right).

Once completed, export a .jpeg of your work and add it to a slide in your practice portfolio.

> Elements of Art Photoshop Activity

 

#2 – Define It:

This is an excellent example of a completed slide for one of the design principles in the "Define It" practice challenge.

In your practice portfolio, add one slide for EACH of the following design principles: Balance, Emphasis, Variety, Unity + Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity (CRAP).

On each slide, include:

  • Title

  • Simple definition (COPY FROM STUDENT EXAMPLE)

  • Picture example(s) of commercial artwork (poster, advertisement, painting, web banner, etc.)

  • Brief explanation of how your chosen picture demonstrates the element or principle being discussed

 

#3 – Looks Like CRAP:

Choose a movie poster to analyze and identify the CRAP principles. In your practice portfolio paste a copy of the poster and include the following:

  • Contrast: Use arrows/markup to show where the focal point of the design is AND explain how contrast is used to guide the viewers eye and make certain elements stand out.

  • Repetition: Use arrows/markup to point out elements of design that are repeated throughout the poster (e.g., colours, line styles, angles, shapes, textures, etc.) AND explain how these elements contribute to a unified design.

  • Alignment: Use lines/markup to show elements that are aligned and, if applicable, instances where elements are purposely misaligned to create emphasis or tension.

  • Proximity: Use arrows/markup to identify elements that are grouped together AND discuss why that is the case.

 

#4 – Moody Text:

Download the following Inside the file you will work to make each word match its meaning. You will need to think through choices such as:

  • What font best embodies the word at hand (use asset links listed at the bottom of this webpage)

  • Should the letters be thin/thick, small/large, lowercase/uppercase, etc.?

  • How should the word interact with the frame around it?

  • What effects or warps could I add to the word to better support the theme

  • What color(s) should the word be displayed in (do this last)

> Moody Type Photoshop file

Final Project

IN THIS SECTION, YOU WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO CHOOSE AND DESIGN A PROJECT THAT RELATES TO WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THIS CREDIT (SEE FINAL PROJECT DESCRIPTION BELOW). PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE INSTRUCTIONS AND FOLLOW THEM CAREFULLY. PLEASE SEE ME IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING TO COME UP WITH A PROJECT IDEA OR NEXT ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.

Final Project Description: For this final project, you will produce a simple visual composition (e.g. poster, drawing, web banner, business card, etc.) and explain how elements and principles of design were used to enhance its aesthetic and mood.

> How to do Final Projects in Multimedia
> Final Project Ideas & Resources
> Student Example

 

SOFTWARE:

> Adobe Express (Free, Online Raster)
> Canva.com (Free, Online Raster)
> Photopea.com (Free, Online Raster)
> GIMP (Free, Raster)
> Witeboard (Collaborative Whiteboard)

ASSETS:

> Slidesgo.com (Free Ppwt. Templates)
> Dafont.com (Free Fonts)
> Google Fonts (Free Fonts)
> Unsplash.com (Free, Stock Images)
> Pexels.com (Free, Stock Images/Video)
> FreePik.com (Free Graphics)
> Blush.com (Free, Customizable Graphics)