Graphic Design in 7 Days by mrdzyn

A Crash Course on Graphics Design from the Basic Design Principles, to making Logos, Business Cards, Print and Web Media, and Mockups for Presentation to Clients

This eBOOK comes with templates to help YOU get started QUICKLY on DESIGN Projects for Personal or Commercial Projects

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

PUBLISHED BY

STUDIO

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. If you have bought / downloaded this book outside of Payhip or MRDZYN's official website and/or our authorized online marketing sites, we encourage you to send an email / get in touch with us and we will get back to you to thank you for your efforts then we can talk from there. MRDZYN Studio mrdzyn@outlook.com facebook.com/mrdzyn https://payhip.com/mrdzyn https://mrdzyn.jimdo.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

TABLE OF CONTENTS STUDIO

TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Author Day 1: Design Principles Day 2: Designing Logos Day 3: Designing Business Cards Day 4: Desiging Stationery Day 5: Designing Flyers Day 6: Designing for Social Media Day 7: Designing Mockups for Client Presentation WUP : Wrapping Up!

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

4 5 12 20 22 23 25 29 31

LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR STUDIO

LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR This book has been written for all the people who want to do graphic design but does not have the time to spend going through all the myriad of Design books available in the Market. Each section of this book and all succeeding books thereafter is designed to be as nondesigner friendly as possible so as to encourage everyone that DESIGN is not just for a selected few but for everyone who has a passion to learn and the desire to help other people. This book assumes you have the time or interest to study design and all its related disciplines and/or by-products. Furthermore, we assume you have already used a vector and raster software such as Inkscape / GIMP, Affinity Designer / Photo, Adobe Illustrator / Photoshop, Corel Draw / Graphics, and other software used for Computer Aided Graphic Design. We hope we had helped you in your journey to be a Great Designer and be sure to check out our library of digital downloads for your personal and company needs. With Best Intentions,

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 1: DESIGN PRINCIPLES STUDIO

DESIGN PRINCIPLES Graphic Design also known as communication design, as defined by the Professional Association of AIGA (aiga.org), is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content. The form it takes can be physical or virtual and can include images, words, or graphics. The experience can take place in an instant or over a long period of time. The work can happen at any scale, from the design of a single postage stamp to a national postal signage system. It can be intended for a small number of people, such as a oneoff or limited-edition book or exhibition design, or can be seen by millions, as with the interlinked digital and physical content of an international news organization. It can also be for any purpose, whether commercial, educational, cultural, or political.* Before you deep dive into a project, it is very important to know about the BASIC Design Principles. It is discussed in the following sections below and in the next few pages. CONTRAST The idea behind this principle is to avoid elements that are similar on the same page or very near each other. Take a look at the sample logo below and see how CONTRAST emphasizes on the word SWITCH vs FOOD:

* https://www.aiga.org/guide-whatisgraphicdesign

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 1: DESIGN PRINCIPLES STUDIO

CONTRAST (continued...) Take a look at the business card example below, can you see just how CONTRAST directs the eye of the recipient of the card? You can do a lot of variations on this card to direct the attention of the reader.

NAME SURNAME

Position

COMPANY NAME HERE

Street, Avenue, Building City / State, Country Zip Code Fax : +123 456 789 : +123 456 789 Tel Email : email@email.com

REPETITION

We will discuss Business Cards in Day 2..

Aside from Contrast, you can direct the attention of the reader by repeating visual elements throughout the piece, like for example, the header and footer branding of this book are repeated for each page for a consistent look and feel. You can repeat colors, shapes, textures, lines, fonts, graphics, etc. This further unifies the whole piece Take a look at the 2 sided flyers that was designed for a charity organization. How many elements can you see that unifies the whole piece? You should at least see 3. (HINT: Hands, Colors, Lines)

Design by MRDZYN Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 1: DESIGN PRINCIPLES STUDIO

ALIGNMENT Everything in your DESIGN should be in UNISON with each other. Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily or without reference to the other elements in the whole design piece. Take for example this whole page, all text elements are aligned LEFT and/or JUSTIFIED. Take a look back at the previous sample of the business card and flyer, and you can see that elements in close PROXIMITY to each other have the same alignment - either ALL are RIGHT-aligned or LEFT-aligned. There are NO HARD and FAST rules to alignment such as when to use CENTER, LEFT, or RIGHT, but there should always be consistency in the entire design. PROXIMITY Design elements placed or grouped close to each other becomes a single visual element rather than individual/separate elements. Take a look again at the business card example, you can see the company and contact information are grouped as a single visual element and this creates the reader a clear structure and thereby reduces clutter in the design. Take a look at another example of how proximity reduces clutter in this flyer and creates a sense of unity among the different design elements. Check how the design principles, C-R-A-P when put together creates a visually appealing design! There are no hard and fast rules in Design. Don't be afraid to create something different from the rest. Be Daring in your design. Find inspiration online. Go outside, take a walk to inspire yourself. Take risks. Don't be afraid to Fail. There is only one way, that is UP! Image shown copyrighted by its owner Design by MRDZYN Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 1: DESIGN PRINCIPLES STUDIO

COLORS Our minds are hardwired to respond to colors which tend to shape our perception of a design. The science of colors and the emotions they bring in is very important in the overall appeal of your design. RED Use the color RED when you want to convey a message of EXCITEMENT, YOUTHFULNESS, and Being BOLD. BLUE Blue is a calming color that instills a sense of AUTHORITY, SECURITY, and SUCCESS. Use BLUE to show TRUST and DEPENDABLE STRENGTH. GREEN Green is a peaceful and soothing color. Use GREEN to represent LIFE, RENEWAL, GROWTH, or HEALTH YELLOW The color YELLOW is an optimistic color. Use this to show WARMTH and CLARITY ORANGE Orange is CREATIVE and ENTHUSIASTIC. It resonates a FRIENDLY and CHEERFUL vibe. VIOLET / PURPLE Violet / Purple are rarely used colors but they represent CREATIVENESS and WISDOM. BROWN / BLACK / GRAY Brown indicates NATURE and UTILITY. Black represents POWER and SOPHISTICATION. GRAY is all about BALANCE and BEING CALM/NEUTRAL. All three are neutral colors and used to represent SIMPLICITY and NEUTRALITY. HINT: Take a look at different company logos and you can see just how each company uses COLOR to its full potential!

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 1: DESIGN PRINCIPLES STUDIO

COLORS (continued...) The amazing color wheel serves as a guide when using colors in the design. We have the primary colors, RED, BLUE, and YELLOW. Of these colors, when combined with each other, we come up with secondary colors, GREEN, PURPLE, and ORANGE. Tertiary colors are a combination of the primary and secondary colors which completes our wheel below. Black is the combination of all colors. WHITE is the absence of all colors.

COLOR RELATIONSHIPS There are different Color modes found in Graphic design software. The most common is RGB and CMYK. CMYK is the mode used for printing. RGB is used for the screen of computers or mobile gadgets. In the color wheel, Complementing colors are placed opposite of each other and if you want your design to stand out, better stick to these complementary colors: Blue & Orange, Red & Green, Yellow & Purple, and so on. When three colors is a bare minimum in the design, look for Triads of pleasing colors. The primary colors, RED, YELLOW, and BLUE is perhaps the most popular triad found in children's books. What other triads of colors can you find in the color wheel? Use them well to create excitement in your design. You can also try Split complement triads: Yellow-violet-blueish purple? Green-red orange-violet? The possibilities are endless. Analogous colors are composed of colors next to each other. Using these colors creates Harmony with all its different shades (adding white or black to the color) or Tone (how bright or how dark the color is). You can also take a look at Pastel colors, most popular in wedding invitations.

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 1: DESIGN PRINCIPLES STUDIO

TYPOGRAPHY Perhaps the most crucial and vital component of the design is the Typography to use, or the FONT in computer terms. The rule of thumb is to use at most 2 types of font in the design. The safest way to go is to use a single FONT for the whole design, and use the C-R-A-P principles to catch the audience attention. DO NOT use fonts that look very similar to each other in the same design. As mentioned, use the lessons learned in the previous sections, specifically CONTRAST. TYPE CATEGORIES To date, there are thousands of different typefaces / fonts available and many more are being created everyday. Most of these can be categorized as follows: Serif Serif typefaces have the "serif" and based on handlettering. This type is perfect for PRINT projects. Further these can be grouped into: Oldstyle This typeface is based on the handlettering of scribes and replicated humanist pen strokes. There is a diagonal/slanted stress/serif in each letter.

Goudy Palatino

Times

Baskerville

Garamond

Modern This type has horizontal serifs.

Bodoni Onyx Didot Slab Serif Originated from modern typefaces but thicker and uniform in form (no thick and thin lines)

Clarendon

Geo Slab Josefina Slab Roboto Slab

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 1: DESIGN PRINCIPLES STUDIO

TYPOGRAPHY (continued...) Sans Serif Sans Serif typefaces based from the word itself is the absence (sans) of the "serif" and almost always monoweight (no thick or thin lines). The type is perfect for the SCREEN of computers and mobile gadgets, and perhaps the most commonly used in Web Design. Some Sample fonts below:

Proxima Nova Gotham Fira Sans Fontin Sans Lato League Gothic Roboto Helvetica

Raleway Anton Arial

Script This type includes all typefaces that appears to be handlettered with a calligraphy pen or brush.

Milkshake

Lobster Two

Bambusa Pro

Mistral

Decorative Decorative fonts are fun, distinctive, easy to use, but their use is limited based on how serious or fun looking you want your design to be.

ALGERIAN Audiowide Seaside Resort Ravie Monoton hominis

Sabo Spicy Rice Gothic Pixel

When combining different typefaces, be sure to check with your own eyes if they COMPLEMENT each other and not CONFLICTING with each other. The typography can make or break the entire design, so be extra careful. You can use fonts that have different weights (Light, Thin, Regular, Medium, Bold, Black, Extra Black, etc.) in the same design to create contrast. DON'T pair a sans serif with another sans serif, and so on. Make sure to follow the C-R-A-P principle and that ends our Day 1!

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 2: DESIGNING LOGOS STUDIO

LOGOS After learning Design Principles in Day 1, you should now be ready to take on your first design challenge, the Company Logo! Logo design might seem to be an easy task but it actually is a very tricky one as you try to apply the design principles on Day 1. The Logo should conceptualize the story behind the brand that the company is trying to establish to its customers and stakeholders as well as tries to embody what the company stands for. In this section, you will learn the very basic essentials of a logo and how you can come up with your very first (or nth) logo using the basic guidelines required for an effective logo -- to be the visual representation of the company brand. The logo is just the tip of iceberg, that is the brand being established by the company which is the overall relationship with its customers.

Take for example the logo above which the company BOLDVISION wanted to show that they are experts in their field /industry. A logo is important but the relationship that the company has with its customers as well as the reputation that the company establishes outweighs the logo in terms of importance. As a logo designer, your main focus should be on designing a graphic that clearly summarizes the value of the company in terms of what problems they solve. In the next sections on Day 2, we are going to dig deep into what a company logo should be and what should it not be. Where and how will the logo be used? Take a look at the sample logo below.

Image copyrighted by Owner Design by MRDZYN Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 2: DESIGNING LOGOS STUDIO

LOGOS (continued...) In the previous page, the sample logo is being used as a profile picture in a Facebook page for a Baking company. As you can see, it is circular in design, which is the perfect shape for a profile picture in Facebook which is 180 px x 180 px. It is very important to know where the company logo will be used (i.e. web, print, etc.)

Take a look at the logo above which was presented to the client. Their logo needs to be printed on a tarpaulin type which is horizontal in orientation. Additional elements (bubbles) were added to the design to preserve the proportion of the logo when stretched. A logo is what identifes a company by the use of a symbol, signature or mark. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily have to describe what a business does like in the previous examples, but it should represent the story of the brand and company. Logos are a unique identifer of the company, through colors, fonts and images, as they provide essential information allowing customers to relate with the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand bringing us to the next question to ask your client... What is your target audience / customer? Take a look at the next sample below. What customers does this attract?

Image copyrighted by Owner Design by MRDZYN Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 2: DESIGNING LOGOS STUDIO

LOGOS (continued...) In the previous page, does the logo attract FUN-LOVING individuals because of the colors that they've used? Take for example the NIKE Logo with its signature CHECK icon, does it inspire you to do SPORTS? This brings us to the next question to ask your client... What message needs to be communicated to the target audience / customer? Take a look at the next sample below. What do you think is the message of their logo to their customers?

Image copyrighted by Owner Design by MRDZYN Studio

Your design will depend on what message the company needs to communicate to their customers. Be it as professional, fun, or whatever values the company has, the logo tries to summarize all of them. It is important to note the industry that the client company is doing business in so as to take a look at their competition's logos before you start on theirs. Before you start sketching on your notebook or computer, it is important to know the different types of logos. In the Logo world, there are different types of Logos which the client can choose from. Wordmark Logos This type of logo relies on text, typeface, and unique typographic treatments to express the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity. Because there are no graphic elements to convey messaging, the text is often exactly literal, stating the name of the company and sometimes even what it does.

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 2: DESIGNING LOGOS STUDIO

LOGOS (continued...) Famous wordmark logos include Google, Coca Cola, Yahoo, Netflix, Home Depot, Wallmart, and so much more. This type works best when you have a very distinct name which people can later on relate to products and services. Take for example the sample logo below which the client wanted for their real estate investment company. This type also works best if you have limited marketing budget.

Lettermark Logos Now what can you do if your company name is a bit long and an abbreviation or your company's initials are much more appropriate as a logo? Then you can use this type of logo. This type highlights the company's initials rather than the full name. Famous logos include IBM, HBO, CNN, EA, and many more. This type makes it easier for customers to remember or associate your brand with the company initials. Take for example the CNN logo which acts as a simple mnemonic device for the "CNN" brand.

Sample Logo Design by MRDZYN Studio

Brandmark Logos (Symbol or Icon) There are times that a symbol can express certain ideas much more effectively than TEXT alone. Think of Traffic signs which aid vehicle drivers to navigate safely. Brandmark logos work the same way wherein the company symbol or icon visually represents the company's identiy in the absence of words or letters. This type works best for global companies whose names have been a household name such as Microsoft, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Yamaha, and so much more. Sample Logo Design by MRDZYN Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 2: DESIGNING LOGOS STUDIO

Combination Marks This logotype incorporate both text and a symbol and is the most commonly used logotype. Combination marks are much more complex to design and the symbol and text should go hand in hand for the overall appeal of the design. Famous logos include Pizza Hut, Adidas, Macy's and many more.

Sample Logo Design by MRDZYN Studio

Emblem type Logos (Text with the Symbol) This type involves placing text inside of a symbol so that the two are practically inseparable. This type is the most common choice of an official badge or seal, for government and political organizations as well as sports teams. They are also used by well-known private companies like Starbucks Coffee and Harley Davidson.

Image copyrighted by Owner Design by MRDZYN Studio

Abstract Logos This type is very similar to Brandmark type of logos but this logotype focus on an abstract representation of the brand. Famous logos include the BP Starburst logo, the Pepsi Circle and the stripy Adidas flower. Abstract logos allow you to create something truly unique to represent the company brand. Mascot Logos This type is often colorful, sometimes cartoonish, but most always FUN. This type works best if you want your company to be represented by a MASCOT / FIGURE / SPOKESMAN. Famous logos include KFC's Colonel Sanders, Kool Aid Man, Planter's Mr. Peanut and so much more. Now that you know your options for logotype, it is time for some designing, but be sure to check for...

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 2: DESIGNING LOGOS STUDIO

Uniqueness As mentioned in the previous section, it is very important to know your competition. Searching in GOOGLE for the competition's or industry common logos, you will have an idea what not to do, to avoid cliches in the logo design world, and to create a unique effective logo. The design should not look like it has been purchased off a stock library of logos. Google search results often return these types of logos that you should be avoiding. Versatility Remember the question we asked the client on where and how the logo will be used? The logo should be versatile enough to be printed on WHITE, DARK, and COLORFUL (NOISY) backgrounds. It will be best to try your logos on different mockups which we will discuss on Day 7. Also, start with a single color design like BLACK and color from there. The logo should be recognizable even on smaller sizes (i.e. mobile app icons)

Image copyrighted by Owner Design by MRDZYN Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 2: DESIGNING LOGOS STUDIO

Vector vs Raster Most newbies in logo design use a raster based type of software such as GIMP, Photoshop, and the like. In designing logos, a vector based program such as Inkscape, Affinity Designer, Illustrator, or Corel Draw should be used. Vector graphics are comprised of points, which ensures that a logo can be shrunken down or enlarged infinitely without any loss in quality. On the other hand, Raster graphics are made of pixels. A raster logo can only be enlarged up to the maximum size of the original source file without losing quality. For example a 1024x1024 pixel logo in Photoshop format would appear pixelated when printed in large format. This is not the case for a vector file which can be enlarged infinitely without loss of resolution. Conceptual vs Literal Remember the question we asked the client on what message they wanted to communicate to their target audience? The next design consideration will be based on how well the conceptual and literal logos are accepted by the client. Conceptual logos give just enough information to begin understanding the "concept", then lets the audience figure it out themselves. Literal logos are the most common generic type of logos, which are the easiest way to show things literally. Depending on the client's preference, they may opt for a Conceptual logo which is the best way for them to go or the Literal one which may be well similar to other logos available in the stock library. (HINT: Watch out for my next ebook on Communicating with your clients)

Sample Logo Design by MRDZYN Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 2: DESIGNING LOGOS STUDIO

Balance The most often ignored in designing a logo is the Balance between the icon/symbol and the text. The entire design should flow nicely, with the style of the typeface matching the style of the iconic mark. The logo should also make effective and consistent use of spacing and/or negative space (blank space).

Image copyrighted by Owner Design by MRDZYN Studio

Colors Color choice is important in the context of branding. No more than 2 colors should be chosen for logo. Colors should be chosen based on the complementing colors of the color wheel. This rule might be broken if the client wants to have a myriad of colors or on mascot type of logos and abstract logos. HINT: I included in this eBook some references on the science of colors.

Typography Use only fonts that you have commercial license of specially for nonpersonal projects. There are a ton of fonts commonly used in Logos. The most common type of fonts are Sans and Sans Serif. With some logos having Script, Decorative, or Display Fonts. Design your First (or Nth) Logo You can find in the zip file a template for a vintage logo designed for a design contest (HINT: Watch out for my next ebook on Winning Design Contests). As parting words, avoid industry cliches and DO NOT design DERIVATIVE logos to stay out of trouble.

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 3: DESIGNING BUSINESS CARDS STUDIO

BUSINESS CARDS After designing a logo in Day 2, you should now be ready to take that logo and place it on a business card! A template has been provided with this book so that you can easily create your own business card. When designing business cards, make sure to set your graphic software to CMYK mode or Print Press Ready so that when you export the design to PDF, EPS, or whatever format the print shop can accept, you are sure that the colors in your screen will be the same as the print outs. Standard business card size in the US is 3.5 inches wide by 2 inches tall (8.5cm x 5.5cm in many other countries). Vertical orientation or Portrait mode should be 2 x 3.5 inches and so on. General rule of thumb when desining business cards (or anything in general) is that make sure there is enough spacing between the content (text or graphics) and the invisible border (edges of the business card). Be sure to pick the right font for the job that creates a BALANCE between your logo and the business card details. Always be guided by the C-R-A-P principles that we have discussed in Day 1. NAME SURNAME

Position

COMPANY NAME HERE

Street, Avenue, Building City / State, Country Zip Code +123 456 789 +123 456 789 (fax) email@email.com

Avoid using a 12point size font and do not attempt to fill up all of the empty space. Words such as email, web site, phone number are not necessary, it's clear what they are. You can try to make the last line BOLD or different to create CONTRAST and direct the eye of the reader from top to bottom. People read in a "Z" fashion.

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 3: DESIGNING BUSINESS CARDS STUDIO

BUSINESS CARDS (continued...) Make sure to align everything up. Use Colors that are the same or complementing with your logo.

Design by MRDZYN Studio

Most of the time, a LEFT or RIGHT alignment is stronger than a CENTERED one, but this depends on the overall look of the design. Business Cards are challenging to design because of the amount of information that needs to be put into a small space. Business Cards can be printed on one side or back-to-back.

You can have it in horizontal or vertical orientation. Rounded edges or straight? Choose one that works best with the information and graphics at hand. If you plan to create a letterhead / stationery with matching envelopes, make sure to create a consistent image (branding) on all pieces. This wraps up our Day 3. You can spend the rest of the day going back to the previous sections or try designing more business cards with different logos!

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 4: DESIGNING STATIONERY STUDIO

STATIONERY After desiging your logo and your business card, it is quite as important to complete your branding package which includes the Letterhead and envelopes. From the quality of the paper you choose, to the design, color, typeface, and matching envelope, the message to be communicated to the customer should be consistent and inspire confidence in your company's / client's business.

Use a single arrangement on both the business card, letterhead and envelope. All three items should look like they belong together. Don't try to center everything on the page. Be Creative. Be Clear with the message. Create a focal point which could be the Logo. Standard envelope size is 9.5 x 4.125 inches or #10 envelope. European size is 110 mm x 220 mm or C4 envelope. If there is a need for a second page, you can take a small element like the logo, make it smaller than the first page but be consistent with the alignment, so it appears the transition between the first and second page is as smooth as possible. Day 4 lesson is done! You can review the previous lessons and sleep well for Day 5!

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 5: DESIGNING FLYERS STUDIO

FLYERS Flyers maybe one of the most fun to create as you can be as CREATIVE and CRAZY at the same time. It is a great outlet for your overflowing desire to design! Often these flyers are handed out on the streets, at your local supermarket, or even posted on a bulletin board with dozens of other flyers competing for the reader's attention. One of the best ways to call attention is to design a very catchy headline. Grab one or two stock images from the Internet. Make the typography as HUGE as possible. The possibilities are endless! There are no standard sizes for flyers. Again, apply the C-R-A-P principles we have learned in Day 1. You can even use MS WORD or POWERPOINT to design a flyer. Althought it is best to use a Desktop publishing software such as Adobe InDesign, MS Publisher, or the upcoming Affinity Publisher. Vector software is also preferred by some. Sample templates are available on the internet (and this book).

Design by MRDZYN Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 5: DESIGNING FLYERS STUDIO

FLYERS (continued...) One of the most common mistakes of new designers when designing flyers is the lack of hierarchy in presenting information. Remember the Z fashion that readers read information? Create a focal / starting point and continue to "tell the story" from there. Use logo colors, if possible, but as we earlier said, flyers can be designed as wildly as possible.

Image Copyrighterd by Owner Design by MRDZYN Studio

Make sure to be guided by all of the C-R-A-P Design Principles in Day 1. Pick an appropriate font and be consistent all throughout. Use bullet points appropriately and make sure there is BALANCE as with the Logo design guidelines in Day 2. Take advantage of the emotions created by colors. Be CREATIVE and DESIGN MORE. Day 5 is over, Rest Well and see you tomorrow.

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 6: DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA STUDIO

DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA Perhaps, one of the most sought after designs in recent years is designing for social media. With the millions of users on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and more social media sites, companies have been turning to digital content to engage and communicate with their customers. Design with mobile in mind.

Facebook Facebook maybe the most popular social media site that is being used by companies to engage and communicate with their customers. Below are the images that you should be able to create for this site. Profile Image must be at least 180 x 180 px, but will appear on the site as 160x160px. Photo thumbnail will appear as 32x32 pixels. This will be the photo representing your brand on Facebook. This will appear on all timeline posts, comments, search results, and other walls Cover Photo appears on page as 820 x 310 px, anything less will be stretched smartphone display as 640 x 360px (design should be checked when on mobile) JPG works best in social media, but PNG may do also

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 6: DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA STUDIO

DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA - Facebook (continued...) Shared Images recommended upload size is at 1200x630 pixels. Highlighted Images recommended upload size is at 1200 x 717px but will appear in page at 843 x 504 pixels. Choose high resolution photos Shared link recommended upload size of 1200 x 627px Facebook will scale photos below minimum dimension of 116 x 116px Event Image similar to a facebook cover photo. recommended upload size of 1920 x 1080 px, scales down to 470 x 174 pixels on feed Perhaps the most popular site for Professionals and Companies, Linkedin users have nearly doubled in the past years or so.

Profile Image / Company Logo recommended size of 400 x 400 px and maximum of 20,000px. Maximum of 4-10MB file size. Can be JPG, PNG, or GIF. Personal Background Image recommended size of 1584 x 396 px Company Brand Image recommended size of 1536 x 768 px, minimum of 1192 x 220px. Can be JPG, PNG, or GIF.

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 6: DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA STUDIO

DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA (continued...) Youtube Channel Profile recommended upload size is at 800x800 pixels. Displays as 98x98 px Channel Cover Photo recommended upload size is at 2560 x 1440 px but will appear in a different dimension on page on different screen resolutions: Tablet display: 1,855 x 423 Mobile display: 1,546 x 423 TV display: 2,560 x 1,440 Desktop: 2,560 x 423 (1,546 x 423 pixels visible) Video Uploads upload size of 1280 x 720 px (full HD) Videos to maintain a 16:9 ratio Google + Profile Image recommended upload size is at 250x250 pixels. Google masks this square image as a circle. Cover Image recommended size is 1080 x 608 px (maximum of 2120 x 1192 px) The Google+ cover image is the biggest photo on your page and is a great opportunity for you to showcase a product or service that your brand offers, or an image that reflects the values of the company Instagram Perhaps the most popular photosharing app! Profile Image - 110 x 110 px Photo thumbnails - 161 x 161 px Photo size - 1080 x 1080 px Video Stories - 750 x 1334 px

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

DAY 6: DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA STUDIO

DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA (continued...) Twitter Perhaps the most popular "News" site! Header Photo recommended upload size is at 1500x500 pixels. Profile Photo recommended upload size is at 400 x 400 px. Displays at 200x200px In-stream Photo upload size of 440 x 220 px (max file size of 3-5mb) Pinterest The most popular bookmark app! Profile Image recommended upload size is at 165x165 pixels. Appears at 32x32px Board Display upload size of 222x150 px. Thumbnails are at 55x55px Pin sizes - width of 236px Tumbler Profile Image - 128 x 128 px Photo thumbnails - 500 x 750 px Photo size - 1280 x 1920 px (maximum) Please refer to the template in this book for the canvas sizes for each of the social media sites mentioned above. That wraps up our Day 6!

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

STUDIO

DAY 7: DESIGNING MOCKUPS FOR CLIENT PRESENTATION

DESIGNING MOCKUPS FOR CLIENT PRESENTATION It is now Day 7 of our Graphic Design lessons, and so far we have already learned the Design Principles which we applied to Logos, Business Cards, Stationery, Flyers, and Social Media Graphics. We are now ready to present the design to the client or to the company that we are designing for. Mockups are extremely vital in order to present clearly to the client all of the designs that we have made. There are actually free mockups on the Internet, usually in PSD format. Most are using the SMART OBJECTS feature available in Adobe Photoshop. You can use other graphic design software or even MS Powerpoint to present your designs. There are no hard and fast rules to presenting. Make use of the PERSPECTIVE tool to add some depth into the design. Add TEXTURES and shading to make it look as REALISTIC as possible. As mentioned in the previous sections, mockups are great to test the overall versatility of the design in various backgrounds. Take a look at this client presentation mockup for a logo designed for a design contest. Notice that it is easier to present the logo design when it is put into a mockup for branding (stationery, business cards) and a billboard sign. Presentation of ideas should be like telling the story of the brand through images, slides, or videos. The medium in which the design will be used is very important. Please refer to the next page for the next set of examples.

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

STUDIO

DAY 7: DESIGNING MOCKUPS FOR CLIENT PRESENTATION

DESIGNING MOCKUPS (Continued...) Mockups are extremely useful for Print Materials like Flyers, Brochures (HINT: watchout for my next ebook, Graphic Design After 7 Days soon), Posters, Invitation Cards, etc. as well as Web Design and Social Media.

Mockups are required for TShirt Design. Use a mockup to place the design on a shirt so that the client can easily check if the design will SELL. There are many free mockup templates on the web.

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

WRAPPING UP! STUDIO

WRAPPING UP! This wraps up our 7-day course for Graphic Design. Let us review again the lessons that we've learned from Day 1: Make sure you remember the Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity Design Principles. Create Contrast... GraphicDesign GraphicDesign GraphicDesign Use Repetition to direct the attention of the readers... GraphicDesign Create Harmony using Alignment... GraphicDesign In 7 Days.......... AvailableNow! Use Proximity and group design elements to COMMUNICATE CLEARLY Graphic Design in 7 Days Available today! Use the RIGHT colors to stir the RIGHT emotion Roses are RED Clouds are BLUE Leaves are GREEN The Sun is YELLOW Choose the RIGHT Typography/FONT for the Right Job Web vs Print

GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS

Learn the Basics of Graphics Design Fast and Easy with easy to use templates and straight up to the point explanation. Use the knowledge you gain from this book to design your own logos, business cards, flyers, brochures, social media images, and preparing for client presentations for commercial purposes. payhip.com/mrdzyn

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GRAPHIC DESIGN IN 7 DAYS