Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you? I hope you're feeling really great today.

My name's Ms. Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling really excited about that.

Today we are going to be looking at design.

In particular, we're going to be designing in response to a specific theme, and that's even the title of our lesson.

I'm interested wondering what kinds of themes you'll be coming up with, what themes are important to you? Our lesson comes from the unit of work, Finding your artistic voice: an introduction to the creative process.

So that's enough of an introduction.

Let's get started with our lesson.

If you're ready, open, and feeling creative, let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is, "I can generate and develop visual ideas in response to a specific theme through research and sketching techniques." There are some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Theme, mood board, and visual response.

So what do these words mean? Theme is the specific subject or content that the artwork focuses on.

Mood board, a collection of images, colours, and textures used to explore and develop visual ideas.

And visual response, artwork or design that communicates an idea through images and design elements.

So these are our keywords, theme, mood board, and visual response.

Let's look out and listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called Designing in response to a specific theme.

And it consists of two learning cycles, understanding themes and exploring visual ideas, and developing and refining a concept.

Let's begin by understanding themes and exploring visual ideas.

And let's take a look into the future at what some outcomes for today might look like.

Look at these two designs for the word grow.

Really quite different, both really quite captivating.

Pause the video and share with someone which are you more drawn to and why.

Thanks for sharing.

So what does it mean to design in response to a theme? Pause the video and share with someone what do you think.

And we can see someone designing text and graphics on a large board there, getting their ideas down.

Professional graphic designers respond to briefs or themes.

These may be a specific subject or content that the artwork focuses on.

And here we can see a graphic designer using a tablet.

A theme may be preselected by a campaign, brand, or client, or they may be chosen by the designer.

Designing in response to a theme means making creative decisions about colour, typography, imagery, layout.

These elements should communicate an idea or message connected to the theme.

And here we can see some designers choosing colours and graphics, all of which are part of these important creative decisions that need to be made.

In design, there's no one correct solution.

Themes can be represented in many different ways.

It's important to experiment, create multiple iterations, and evaluate designs to see which ones are most effective at communicating the theme.

And we can see a designer experimenting with ideas.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following best describes a theme and design? Is it A, a colour palette, B, a specific material, C, a central idea or concept, or D, a software tool? Pause here while you decide which of these best describes a theme in design.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Indeed, a theme in design is a central idea or concept.

Designers can work from all kinds of themes.

Ideally, the theme is personally meaningful to the designer, such as identity change, nature, conflict, time.

Pause here and share with someone which of these five themes are most personally meaningful to you, out of identity, change, nature, conflict, and time.

Thanks for sharing.

I think all of them would make such fantastic themes, but I think for me, identity would be the one that I'm absolutely most drawn to.

As with any theme, there are many ways it could be explored, visually represented, and designed for.

The theme of time could be represented through clocks, hourglasses and sand, a sundial, futuristic symbols, or objects from ancient history.

Discuss with a partner any words, ideas, or concepts which come to mind when you think of the theme, identity.

Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Let's hear a few.

Here's Jacob.

"When I think of identity, I think about my favourite things like clothes, games, music, friends and family.

Things that make me feel like myself and what represents who I am." And Aisha, "There are so many elements of identity with similarities and differences for everyone.

Families, culture, names, memories, places, personalities, and individuality are some of them." I love these responses.

Designers consider how ideas and a theme can be represented visually.

We could create a mind map.

So here's the theme, identity, and some ideas connected to it.

Portraits or figures, anything culturally or personally significant, objects, foods or items, fingerprints or hand prints, locations, places, flags, handwritten typography, names or words.

Pause here and share with someone which of these ideas around identity would you be most drawn to working with and exploring further.

Thanks for sharing.

I'm really interested in words, so the handwritten typography, names, or words.

Maybe combined with portraits or figures would be really interesting to me.

Themes don't need to be represented literally to effectively communicate an idea or concept.

Symbols, styles, abstract shapes, patterns, textures, or text can also be used.

And here's a graphic of a head outlined with multiple arrows.

Where is this mind going? So many directions.

You can identify distinct themes being used when observing the works of artists and designers.

Chila Kumari Singh Burman explores identity through vibrant colours, text, and layered mixed media methods.

Ibrahim Rayintakath creates graphic illustrations, envisioning futures where technology and medicine come together in extraordinary ways.

And Victor Papanek was an advocate for ecologically designed products and tools, which considered the impact of humanity on the environment.

And we can see a range of designs on the screen there.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Why is it important to generate more than one idea when responding to a theme? Is A, to show the future you are working, B, to explore creative possibilities and compare approaches, C, to use as much time as possible designing, or D, to avoid using sketchbooks to record ideas? Pause here while you decide which of these is why it's important to generate more than one idea when responding to a theme.

Well done if you selected B.

It's to explore creative possibilities and compare approaches.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to create a mind map centred around a selected theme.

For example, freedom, change, nature, conflict, or time.

Explore what this theme could mean visually, emotionally, culturally, or symbolically.

Include keywords, personal connections, colour associations, typography style ideas, and imagery.

So pause here while you have a go at this task, creating your mind map around a selected theme.

Well done for having a go at that.

You might have said something like this.

So if we take the theme of nature, leaves, branches, trees, grow, cycles, seasons, eco, connection, greens, browns, earthy tones, lettering like roots and branches, animals and plants, forests, skies, beaches, mountains.

Really great exploration of the theme of nature.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, developing and refining a concept.

Mind maps, mood boards, and thumbnail sketches are all tools that graphic designers can use to generate ideas and explore themes visually.

And here we can see ideas being explored through a mind map.

A mood board is a visual collection of ideas.

They explore elements connected to a theme or concept.

Mood boards may be created digitally through design software and internet research, or by hand using collage, images, and text.

Following an initial research stage, designers might create quick, rough drawings that explore layout and composition.

These are called thumbnail sketches.

And we can see some thumbnail sketches on the screen there.

Mood boards are useful tools to start building upon existing ideas and start creating thumbnail sketches from.

They're an opportunity to consider the layout, symbols, text and colours, which could be used, and how effectively they communicate the design theme.

And we can see someone making a mood board.

So much involved there.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What is the purpose of a mood board in graphic design? Is it A, to finalise a finished design and title, B, to test the durability of materials and tools, C, to list the cost of resources and materials, or D, to explore and communicate ideas visually? Pause here while you decide what's the purpose of a mood board in graphic design.

Well done if you selected answer D.

Indeed, to explore and communicate ideas visually is the purpose of a mood board in graphic design.

Well done If you selected this answer.

A visual response is an artwork or design that communicates an idea through images and design elements.

Do you know of any artists who've made a visual response to your local community? Pause here and discuss.

Thank you for sharing.

And we can see in this image an artist responding to a landscape through painting.

For a visual response To be effective, it should clearly communicate the chosen theme.

This allows viewers to understand the ideas, motivations, and intentions behind an artwork without necessarily having to refer to an explanation or study the mood board.

And we can see here a graphic design, which reads, "Explore the world," with text and imagery.

I love the way the text and imagery has been connected.

Not all designs need to be represent a theme through something obvious or literal.

Themes are open to interpretation.

Design often uses symbolism, abstraction, and personal meaning to create deeper, more thoughtful responses to a theme.

And we can see an abstracted graphic composition there.

Working visually, artists and designers may work abstractly, literally, or symbolically with themes in their works.

Fernando Molina explores technology, nature, and science through exaggerated shapes and colourful compositions.

Nuria Vila Punzano incorporates eco-awareness through the materials and processes of their designs.

And textile designer Althea Mcnish integrated natural imagery through lively abstract patterns and flowing imagery.

And we can see some balancing graphic elements on the screen there.

As part of the design process, multiple iterations and possible outcomes are created and considered.

Initial ideas can evolve and change over time as new influences are incorporated and themes are explored.

You can see some really lovely car designs featuring flowers.

When visual responses such as artworks or designs clearly communicate the intended message or theme, it demonstrates a successful design concept.

You can evaluate your visual responses through annotations to see if they achieve this.

And we can see an artist is evaluating a design there, looking at it very closely through a magnifying glass.

Let's have a check for understanding.

An effective visual response in design should, A, clearly communicate the intended message or theme, B, look the same as other designs, C, use the most expensive materials, or D, be created in one attempt.

What's here while you decide what an effective visual response in design should do.

Well done if you selected answer A.

Indeed, an effective visual response in design should clearly communicate the intended message or theme.

Now it's over to you to clearly communicate an intended message or theme as we approach our final task.

I would like you, first of all, to create a mood board using images, sketches, text, colours, and materials related to your mind map theme from the previous task.

So pause here while you have a go at this part of your task.

Great to be back with you.

And now, I'd like you to move on to the next part of your task.

Using your mood board, create two thumbnail sketches, roughly A6 size, of possible graphic design layouts that can communicate your theme.

You might design a poster, a logo, social media graphic, or a T-shirt design.

Each thumbnail sketch should include an image or symbol, a brief slogan or title, an indication of colour scheme or font style, labelled if not drawn.

So pause here while you now have a go at using your mood board to create two thumbnail sketches of possible graphic design layouts that communicate your theme.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay, great to be back with you.

And now, I'd like you to reflect on and evaluate one of your thumbnail sketches, considering how effectively it communicates your design concept.

Consider the following.

What message is communicated? What techniques have been used? How effective is this visual response in communicating the theme? So pause here while you have a go at reflecting on and evaluating one of your thumbnail sketches, considering how effectively it communicates your design concept.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay, it's great to be back with you.

So, initially, you might have created a mood board like this.

Oh, wow.

I am loving these colours.

Feels so immersed in nature.

So we're thinking about line and shape: curvilinear and organic, materials: hand-drawn, pencils, pens, colours: greens, browns, earth tones, words: grow, nature, bloom, cycle, expand, and font: swirling, branching, lettering, and typography style.

For the next part of your task, you might have created thumbnail sketches in response to your theme like this.

I love these thumbnail sketches, so expressive.

And you may have reflected in this way.

Let's hear from Sam.

"I've made a thumbnail sketch for nature and environmentally conscious company called Grow.

By using Leaves, seedlings, and hands as graphics, it gives the sense of connection to nature.

The handwritten, organic typography also helps add to this theme.

The visual response is effective, but I think the hands need to be simplified." Yeah, fair enough.

A lovely reflection from Sam.

I hope you enjoyed creating your own thumbnail designs, refining them, and then reflecting on them.

In a lesson, Designing in response to a specific theme, we've covered the following.

Designers respond creatively to a given theme through research and experimentation.

Using mood boards and thumbnail sketches can help to develop and refine visual ideas.

A successful visual response in graphic design communicates the theme clearly and creatively.

I think you've really created successful visual responses yourselves.

Well done for joining in with this lesson, Exploring what it means to design in response to a specific theme, and then creating your own mood boards, thumbnail sketches, and developing and refining your ideas.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson.

I really did.

And I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.