Course
Digital Practice 1

Focus
Grid based design principles
Storytelling
Production principles for print and digital
Basic Animation

In this course students are introduced to the basics of digital image making, core layout-design principles, grid-based illustration and type design, die-cut and simple animation in a restricted yet playful way.

The small projects are designed to work across multiple software applications to understand each strength, scope of usage and workflow to produce for both print and digital. Animation is integrated to teach early on the ability to design time-based, to think in transitions and to get a sense of the importance of rhythm in animation and transitions.

Aside from the technical basics, the goal is to highlight how aesthetics are influenced by layout, color, grid and form-language. I explain in all projects clearly the restrictions and their possibilities so students understand the benefits of restrictions in visual choices.

Core projects are:

• Designing grid-based Arabic letters and to create a playful animation by analyzing the created letter
• An educational Game for Kids based on 8 Cubes
• A short story using digitalized illustration describing a given topic in 2-3 scenes.

ASSIGNMENT 01

Cube toy

The first assignment is an introduction to Adobe Illustrator covering the basics of designing for print. The task is to design an educational cube game, where kids can form different combinations of the 8 cubes designed, informing them about a researched topic like a certain culture, city or country.

The students learn how to design in a grid, for a die-cut with a limited colour scheme.

ASSIGNMENT 02

Digitalised Illustration

This assignment explains principles on how to digitalise sketches and how to polish them in Illustrator. The student are given a topic to illustrate a 2-4 scene long story. Aside the technical aspects the student learn that illustration is not necessarily realistic drawings but rather an engaging story and a consistent style.

ASSIGNMENT 3

Animated Arabic Letter

The task is to design a given Arabic letter within a chosen grid only using basic shapes and then to think about a simple movement fitting the designed letter.