CD3402 Visual Design and Communication Syllabus:
CD3402 Visual Design and Communication Syllabus – Anna University Regulation 2021
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Understand the basics concepts and fundamental principles of visual design.
Explain the rules for making visually appealing and aesthetical design.
Develop visual thinking.
Familiarize the students with visual design software programs such as Adobe Illustrator, In Design and Photoshop.
Expose to wider application of design in media, advertisement and entertainment industry.
UNIT I ELEMENTS, PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF DESIGN
Introduction to design and visual communication, Meaning and Purpose of design, Design thinking processes, Multi-dimensional approach to finding a meaningful solution to a problem. Element of Design, Gestalt Principles – Semiotics – Color etc,. Critical evaluation of designs – Composition: Focus, leading lines, juxtaposition, white space, Rule of thirds, the Golden ratio., Typography: Evolution, principle, typeface & font, structure of letter (Baseline, meanline, ascender, descender, etc.), Serif & Sans-serif font, use in news media, illustrated magazines, ads, signs, logos, brochures, movie posters, digital platforms, etc.
UNIT II ASPECTS OF DESIGNING
Design processes: Discuss the problem, developing creative brief, concept building, visualization, development, etc., Stages of campaign planning, Steps involved in designing Press ad, Magazine ad, Hoardings, Kiosks, Interior & Exterior Signage, Danglers and Banners etc., Focusing on the composition and balancing the different element of design, Choice and use of images and colors Tagline, Visuals, Copy, Spot colors, Process colors, Color Management for images, Understanding the in-house style guide
UNIT III LAYOUTS AND DESIGN
Elements of an effective layout, Book design: stages of book/e-book design., Periodicals: magazine and newsletters functions. Editorial planning, design planning, design approach, Newspaper makeup: using photographs, communicating with type and color, Poster design: strengths and limitations of poster designing, its steps and poster production, Creative brief, research, brainstorming, conceptualization, refinement, client presentation, development, etc.
UNIT IV UNDERSTANDING DESIGNING SOFTWARE AND ITS USAGES : ILLUSTRATOR, INDESIGN
Understanding the basic architecture of and differences between vector and raster graphic software and their wider usages in media industry, Designing Logotype, Processes of logo design: Principles of logo design, Letterhead design, Business Card, Envelop, Catalogues, Brochures, Digital Posters, etc., Using the standardized style sheets on software, Basics of Adobe Illustrator: Document types and templates, Configuring the user interface, Creating various shapes, Fill and stroke, Transformation techniques, Selection tools, Grouping the objects, Alignment & distribution, Handling the appearance of objects, Drawing, Use of Various Brushes, Working with images (tracing), Typing options, Saving & exporting for print and the web, Basics of Adobe InDesign: Document type, Managing the workspace, working with templates, Bleed and slug, Importing docs and text, Various tools: Selection, type, line, pen, etc. Grouping, ungrouping and rotating, Layer, Color & swatches, Working with lines and frames, Master page, Guide-columns- grids etc., Using text and image: Basic formatting, Inserting symbols, Header and footer, Character & Paragraph style, Working with multiple pages and magazine spread, Creation and usages of table, Cheat sheets and shortcuts, Exporting options.
UNIT V VISUAL DESIGN FOR THE DIGITAL PLATFORMS
Understanding user experience for the Web, Static vs. dynamic design, Issues of file size and load time, Type of typography for the Web, Making GIF animation, User-friendly designs, Compression techniques: Lossy and Lossless, Color choices.
COURSE OUTCOMES:
CO1:Practice the sketching and drawing in the visual design
CO2:Demonstrate the basics concepts and principles of visual design.
CO3:Apply the rules for making visually appealing and aesthetic design.
CO4:Use visual design software programs such as Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop.
CO5:Design wider application of design in media, advertisement and entertainment industry.
TOTAL:45 PERIODS
TEXT BOOKS:
1. Ambrose, G., & Harris, P. (2009). The fundamentals of graphic design. Bloomsbury Publishing.
2. Bringhurst, R. (2004). The elements of typographic style. Point Roberts, WA: Hartley & Marks.
3. Cross, N. (2011). Design thinking: Understanding how designers think and work. Berg.
REFERENCES
1. Dabner, D., Stewart, S., & Vickress, A. (2017). Graphic design school: the principles and practice of graphic design. John Wiley & Sons.
2. Fahmy, S., Bock, M., & Wanta, W. (2014). Visual communication theory and research: A mass communication perspective. Springer.