30th January

Google use their Doodles to commemorate international events, including days of celebration, sporting events and birthdays of historical figures.  In today's lesson you will need to research some Google Doodles.  Produce a page of at least six, annotated to explain how the designers at Google have used the formal elements (line, tone, colour, shape, pattern, texture, composition) to create mood and communicate ideas about their subjects.

http://www.google.com/doodles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_logo

This afternoon you will need to create your own Google Doodle based on the existing logo.  You may use the original typeface (you can convert this to a vector from an image) or you can use alternative typography.  You need to ensure that your Doodle commemorates something connected to your previous work for the exam unit.

In your own time you need to collect primary images (at least 10 photos or 3 detailed drawings, or a mixture of the two) that relate to your ideas for the project.  These will be used in your ongoing final idea development.  You also need to ensure all of today's work is finished and written up in your sketchbook. The independent task set earlier today is now optional, and can be completed as an extension of today's work (see below).

[At home, research a brand connected with your ideas and redesign or redraw their logo in a number of ways that show connections with your theme.  Think about how you can connect the brand to an event or celebration.]

23rd January

Today you will need to submit your finished portfolio of work, meeting the demands of the brief.  A reminder of the project's deliverables, taken from the brief, is below:

·         Print-ready logo artwork files: PDF and AI
·         Screen-optimized logo artwork files: JPEG and PNG
·         Design Board PDF
·         Business-card design (double-sided) print-ready file: PDF *
·         Web banner design: PNG
·         Blog site showing all work towards final piece
·         Any font licenses and font files that may be used to complete the project

*Due to time constraints this year, you may choose to omit a business card design from your final submission if you feel you can successfully meet the assessment criteria without it

Please save all work in a single folder that can be transferred onto the shared area at the end of the day.

16th January

Today you experimented with photos of patterns and textures, using Photoshop to enhance them and then Illustrator to incorporate them into your design boards and logos.  You learnt how to use a clipping mask to overlay a shape onto an image.

At home you will need to write up your photos, the manipulation you have done in Photoshop and the development of your design work that resulted from these techniques and processes.  Include this on a page called 'Clipping mask development'.  For each stage of your write up, make sure annotation addresses the following points:

• Explain the processes you have used
• Explain what went well
• Analyse how the could the work be improved, or how else you could use the process to develop your ideas.

9th January

In your own time this week you will need to take at least 20 photographs of textures, surfaces and patterns.  These will be used to develop your logos, presentation boards and websites during next week's lesson.  You also need to ensure that there are no blank pages on your site and that all write ups have the appropriate photographs accompanying them.