Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

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

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

I'm feeling good about that because I'm really interested in what we're looking at today.

We're looking at design and in particular, graphic design.

Our lesson is called "Communicating ideas through graphic design," so I'm interested to find out what ideas you'll be communicating, how you'll be doing this.

We're going to get right into all of that.

Our lesson comes from the unit of work An overview of design.

So if you are ready with some focus, energy, ideas, curiosity, then that's a great combination and we're ready to begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is: I can use colour, images, and layout to create a piece of graphic design.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Graphic design and layout.

So what do these words mean? Well, graphic design is the art of using visual elements to communicate messages.

And layout is the arrangement of text and images on a surface.

These are our keywords: graphic design and layout.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called "Communicating ideas through graphic design," and it has three learning cycles.

First of all, purpose and message, next, colour and images, and finally, layout design.

Let's begin with purpose and message.

And let's fast forward to the end of the lesson and have a look at what an outcome for today's lesson might be.

Fantastic example of graphic design, and we will work our way towards this.

Let's begin with this question.

Which area of art and design is this image an example of? Pause here and share with someone.

Perhaps you said that this image is an example of graphic design, and this is a really intriguing one.

I'm really quite drawn to this image of the hands and the text.

Graphic design is the art of using visual elements to communicate messages.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What does graphic design use to communicate messages? A, verbal elements; B, visual elements; C, sensory elements.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected visual elements.

Graphic design can be seen throughout daily life on logos and branding, packaging design, wearable graphic design.

Pause here and share with someone some examples of graphic design that you might see in daily life, perhaps even wear.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

I really love a slogan, so I've definitely got some clothing and even hats with slogans on.

I wonder what examples of graphic design you noticed.

Designers often push traditional boundaries of what is considered to be graphic design through ways including using non-traditional materials such as textiles, communicating message about social justice.

Love that message.

I will be free to be me.

Graphic designers can use their work to communicate a variety of messages, such as social justice.

Greg Bunbury's upbringing in East London shaped his commitment to social justice and representation in graphic design.

He's known for founding Black Outdoor Art, a platform that showcases Black creativity on public billboards and created the Empire Windrush typeface.

What an amazing creation.

And we can see some typographic designs on the screen there.

Ananya Rao-Middleton is a contemporary British illustrator and disability activist whose vibrant work explores chronic illness, race, gender, and identity.

Through her design, she empowers disabled individuals to feel seen and understood.

So, so essential.

And we can see some graphic design symbols on the screen there.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? The main role of graphic designers is to make work that is pleasing to the viewer's eye.

Pause and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Many graphic designers push traditional boundaries and shift the focus from creating purely aesthetically pleasing works to communicating messages about social justice.

And I'm so glad they do.

When a graphic designer begins work, they consider the purpose of the design, the message which needs to be communicated, and who the target audience is.

This poster was designed with the purpose of encouraging more visitors to a wildlife reserve in the town of Oak.

Looks like a beautiful place to visit, Oak's wildlife reserve.

Looking at the style of this poster, which group of people do you think the target audience might be? Pause here and share with someone.

Here's Alex.

"I think the illustrative style, clear text, and warm colours creates a relaxed and welcoming design.

Because of this, the target audience might be families, children, and people who enjoy being in nature." I'd love to go there.

The design communicates the message that the reserve is a place of beauty, with a wide range of wildlife and an interactive and fun place for children to be.

Sofia is explaining why she thinks this example is effective for the target audience.

"I think this is an effective graphic design because the images and colours make it look appealing and interesting for the intended audience." Do you agree with Sofia's view? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your views.

Let's have a check for understanding.

When a graphic designer begins work, they often consider: A, metaphors, adjectives, and similes; B, longitude, latitude, and distance; C, purpose, audience and message.

Pause here while you decide what a graphic designer often considers when they begin work.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Indeed, they often consider purpose, audience, and message.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to use the provided table to plan a poster to promote an interesting feature or activity in your local area.

Consider if there are any historical buildings, cultural sites, landmarks, or conservation areas, parks, playgrounds, shops, restaurants, or leisure centres.

So pause here while you complete this table.

Okay, good to be back with you.

So how did you get on? The name of the town is Acorn Row.

Some interesting features: a large marketplace, a beautiful canal.

Oh, sounds great.

And what activities can visitors do? A children's playground with a zip line.

Love it.

Family restaurants and community swimming pool.

Wonderful.

And now plan a poster which will promote key features of your local area to your chosen target audience.

It might include families, young people, children, teenagers, older people, pensioners.

So pause here while you plan your poster and remember to promote key features of your local area for your chosen target audience.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay, good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that? Let's hear from Aisha.

"For my location of Acorn Row, I've chosen to focus on families with young children, and I'm going to focus on the canal and children's playground as features to promote." Great ideas.

And now we're on to our next learning cycle, colour and images.

Colour is important in communicating the message and purpose in graphic design.

Notice how different colour combinations can visually communicate and alter the message of a word or letter.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of these two very different letter A's.

I'm getting such warmth and energy off of the orangey yellow letter A and a cool electric vibe off of the bluey purple A.

Many graphic designers use bright and vibrant colours to communicate their message, including: Morag Myerscough creates public installations with bold colour combinations to create inclusive, uplifting environments.

Lilia Quinaud's brand and packaging designs are inspired by her Brazilian heritage and features bold, vivid colours.

And Sam Prentice-Jones is known for their digital work which uses bold, playful, and vibrant colours to celebrate diversity and inclusivity.

You can see a very vibrant-looking graphic design reading "spring" on the screen there.

Check for understanding.

Which visual element do graphic designers often experiment with to create different moods? A, electricity; B, colour; or C, word count.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected B, colour.

These colour experiments were used in the design of the poster for Oak's wildlife reserve.

Which of these colour palettes do you think is the least and the most effective in communicating the message of the poster? Pause here and share with someone.

Let's hear from Izzy.

"I think the dark colour palette is least effective at sending the message that the wildlife reserve is a warm, welcoming place to be in.

It's dark and seems uninviting." Jun: "The design with bright, natural colours is most effective at communicating the space as an area of natural beauty." Graphic designers also experiment with imagery and the style of images in their designs to communicate their message.

And we can see a whole lot of different designs for birds there and for vehicles and for food and playgrounds.

Shigeo Fukuda was a renowned Japanese graphic designer who used imagery such as simple shapes and bold lines.

Ryan Dean Sprague draws inspiration from vintage artworks to create bright, contemporary illustrations and graphic designs.

And we can see a very abstract, colourful design on the screen there.

Really get lost in that.

Monika Lang is a graphic designer known for her colourful works, inspired by nature.

She blends stylized depictions of flora and fauna with bold lines, rich colours, and abstract forms through screen printing and murals.

And we can see a graphic design poster for a beautiful-looking national park in Canada.

Oh, I'd like to go there.

Which of these sketches might be most suited for a wildlife reserve poster with a target audience of families and children? Pause here and share with someone.

Here's Aisha.

"I think that the most realistic images are effective, as people will be able to identify the animals more easily.

Playground illustrations will also appeal to families and children as they are the target audience." Check for understanding.

What can graphic designers experiment with to help communicate their message? A, only colours; B, only text; C, images.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected C, images.

And now it's time for your next task.

Using your plan from the previous task, experiment with different colour combinations and select a palette that will be effective for the purpose and message of your poster.

Pause here while you have a go at this task, and I will see you when you're finished.

Okay.

It's great to be back with you.

So how did you get on with experimenting with different colour combinations and selecting a palette that will be effective for the purpose and message of your poster? You may have said something like this.

Here's Aisha.

"I decided on using bright colours and warm tones to communicate a sense of fun and to make it feel welcoming." Sounds like a great combination.

And now using your plan from the previous task, sketch a range of images which could be used for the poster about your local area.

Try to choose images that are relevant to the purpose, message, and audience of your poster.

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

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay, how did you get on with sketching the images for your poster? Here's Aisha and her images.

"Focusing on a canal and a playground, I sketched things you might find in these places.

I used simple shapes and lines in my ink sketches that I can refine into a design later on." They look like images that will be very enticing for children and families.

And now we're on to our next learning cycle, layout design.

Graphic designers experiment with the layout of their designs once colour and imagery has been chosen.

Layout refers to the way that text and images have been arranged in a design.

The graphic designer and street artist Shepard Fairey's use of layout incorporates layering, often using processes that combine hand-drawing, digital refinement, and stencils.

Baraka Carberry, known as Bobika, uses dynamic layouts filled with vivid colours, rhythmic patterns, and symbolic imagery to highlight themes of identity, heritage, and representation.

And we can see an artist painting layers.

Love that bold use of colour and their tattoos.

Check for understanding.

What does Shepard Fairey's use of layout focus on? Is it A, symmetrical designs; B, layering; C, organic designs? Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, Shepard Fairey's use of layout focuses on layering.

Check for understanding.

Complete the following sentence: Baraka Carberry uses layouts of vivid colours, rhythmic patterns, and symbolic imagery to highlight themes of identity, heritage, and representation.

Pause here while you complete the sentence.

Well done if you used the word dynamic to complete the sentence.

Now, which of these layouts do you think is the least effective and why? Pause here while you share with someone.

Let's hear from Andeep, who's discussing which he thinks is least effective.

"I think that this is the least effective as the animals have been placed around the edge of the poster.

The text is really small and in a strange position." I wonder if you agreed.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What is layout in a piece of graphic design? Is it A, the materials used for text and images; B, the colour combinations in text and images; or C, the arrangement of text and images? Pause here while you decide what is layout in a piece of graphic design.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Layout in a piece of graphic design is the arrangement of text and images.

And now it's time for you to design the layout for your poster.

Consider where imagery and text will be placed in your design.

Which arrangement will help communicate the purpose and message most effectively for your target audience.

So pause here while you have a go at this first part of your task, designing the layout for your poster.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay, so how did you get on with designing the layout for your poster? You might have said something like this.

So we've got on the top left some playground features.

The text is in prime position down there at the bottom, quite large text.

We have the canal boat, pathway, and then horizon, trees, and hills.

And now using your plan, your chosen colour palette, sketched images, and layout design, create a graphic design poster which conveys a clear message to your intended audience.

So we're gathering together everything we've learned in the lesson so far to create your poster.

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

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with creating your graphic design poster? You might have created something like this.

And let's hear what Aisha has to say about her poster.

"I made this graphic design poster based on a place called Acorn Row, featuring a stylized nature scene with a playground, canal, boat, pathway, and green trees.

I used white text to make it clear and easy to see on the blue water, with a colour palette which makes the place look fun and relaxing for families, children, and people who enjoy natural spaces." Aisha, you have hit the brief.

Great job.

And I would like you now to share your poster with someone nearby and share with them how you have incorporated colour palette, images, and layout design to create an effective graphic design poster to hit your brief and your target audience.

Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for sharing.

I hope you're really pleased with what you've created.

In our lesson "Communicating ideas through graphic design," we've covered the following.

Graphic design is the art of using visual elements to communicate messages.

Graphic designers often begin working by considering the target audience, the purpose, and the message of the design piece.

Colour, imagery, and layout can be used to help communicate their message and purpose of a design.

Well done, everyone, for joining in with this lesson.

I loved exploring communicating ideas through graphic design with you.

It was great to look at what are all those elements that we need, the colour palette, the sketches, the imagery, and of course, the layout.

And not forgetting our target audience in order to create something effective, eye-catching, and something that gets our message across.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I've really enjoyed teaching you, and perhaps you can keep your eyes out for effective examples of graphic design as you go through your day.

I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.