Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Design I: Introduction to Graphic Design
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Email.
Introduction
Design is the visual language in which advertising is expressed; having knowledge of its principles and syntax is essential for anyone interested in having a career in advertising. The aim of this subject is to consolidate this knowledge through the use of Photoshop software as the tool for designing and digitally developing the advertising message.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
- To acquire the basic knowledge of the fundamentals of design.
- To learn how to use the Photoshop tools to create, edit and compose professional images.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN05 - Recognise the principal artificial intelligence tools with applications in advertising, marketing and public relations.
- CN07 - Identify emerging trends in digital communication, social media and interactive environments for planning advertising and public relations activities in digital and multi-platform contexts.
- CP04 - Manage creative communication projects in advertising and public relations, optimising technical, material and time-related resources.
- CP06 - Manage an organisation's corporate image strategically within advertising and public relations, implementing actions to enhance and protect its intangible assets.
- CP07 - Produce audiovisual advertising projects using core techniques in storytelling, recording, editing and post-production for a range of formats and media channels, taking economic viability into account.
- CP10 - Create graphic and visual elements by applying principles of design and visual communication to advertising and public relations campaigns.
- HB04 - Design strategic communication and public relations plans that respond to the needs of organisations across different sectors.
- HB08 - Develop creative advertising messages, adapting language and style to different contexts and formats.
- HB09 - Critically examine information derived from advertising and public relations messages across a range of media formats and platforms in order to assess their market viability.
- HB12 - Use specialised English terminology in advertising and public relations.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will be able to:
-
To identify photographic aesthetics and their application in persuasive techniques used in advertising.
-
To understand the relationships involved in sales processes, from the business idea to the distribution and promotion of products and services.
-
To master verbal communication to create advertising messages aimed at different audiences and adapted to various media.
-
To define key concepts and identify the settings and stakeholders involved in advertising communication, such as direct and promotional marketing, the point of sale and the sales team.
-
To develop a brand’s visual identity using image-editing applications, including artificial intelligence tools.
-
To define a brand’s sonic identity using audio libraries and music-editing software.
-
To use graphic design and website development software proficiently, including artificial intelligence tools.
-
To master graphic design techniques for persuasive media.
-
To predict the reach and return on investment of advertising communications in order to adjust advertising expenditure.
-
To develop multichannel marketing strategies, including the use of artificial intelligence tools.
Syllabus
1. Introduction to design:
- A brief history of graphic design
- Image syntax
- Optimised formats and resolutions
- Advantages in disadvantages
2. Design basics:
- Formal elements of the image
- Principles of composition
- Types of compositions
- Colour
- Analysis of advertising images
3. Think in pictures
- Creative techniques
4. Aesthetic design principles:
- Balance
- Unity
- Emphasis
5. Typography
- Basic concepts
- Working with text
- Characteristics
- Compositions
6. Basic photography corrections:
- Strategies for retouching photos
- Resolution and image size
- Straighten and retouch an image
- Use automatic adjustments
- Adjust the tonal range
- Remove the colour dye
- Replace colours in an image
- Compare manual and automatic results
7. Retouch and repair:
- Repair areas with the clone buffer tool
- Use the brush tool and patch
- Remove imperfections
- About snapshots and the history palette
- Use the patch tool
7. Working with sections:
- About selection and selection tools
- Select with the magic wand tool
- Working with geometric selections
- Select with the lasso tool
- Crop an image and delete within a selection
8. Masks and channels:
- Working with masks and channels
- Edit a mask
- Load a mask as selection and apply adjustment
- Create a gradient mask
Bibliography and resources
Ambrose, G., & Harris, P. (2006). Imagen. Parramón Ediciones.
Adobe. (s. f.). Photoshop Help. https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/
Domestika. (s. f.). Domestika. https://www.domestika.org/
Fraser, T., & Banks, A. (2004). Color: La guía más completa. Equipo de Edición.
GraphicExchange. (s. f.). GraphicExchange. https://www.graphic-exchange.com/
The Cool Hunter. (s. f.). The Cool Hunter. https://www.thecoolhunter.net/
Visuelle. (s. f.). Visuelle. https://visuelle.co.uk/