Design Ideas and process

I believe my most successful task was the photoshop tasks, I tried a few including Combining multiple images, using select and mask tools, changing the image in the background and combining black and white with colour. My most successful task was using the select and mask tools to combine an image of a busy street and elephants to create a single image of the elephants walking along with the people. I started by overlaying the elephant image over the street image then selecting the marquee tool, clicking select, select and mask, then using zoom, the quick select tool and refine edge brush tool to cut out the elephants then resizing them to fit on the street.

Software Tutorials

For the illustrator task I used tutorials that warp text into custom shapes, how to change text, size and colour. They helped me to learn simple skills and ways to manipulate text into shapes and further on. To develop my illustrator skills further I would like to look at more advanced ways of manipulating text and more creative ways of combining them. To develop my learning for letter logos, I developed my understanding of ways in which to form them and create them in order to give me a wider range of outcomes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQUrVwzMWXE). For the photoshop tasks I used tutorials to select areas to remove a background, how to use layers and masks.They helped me to learn skills I had either not yet tried or wanted to recap over, I was able to create images that I was happy with. I feel to improve my skills on photoshop I need to be more ambitious with my designs and really push myself. I watched this additional video/ tutorial on using a layer mask, which I found helpful in teaching myself the steps to the final product (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQsYziKvx9c) For the Indesign tasks I used tutorials on making tables and flyers and also learnt how to make a hyperlink for my files. To improve my skills I should watch more tutorials and practice making more flyers as well as other layouts in the software and broaden my knowledge to the differences they oppose. I watched a video on flyer design to give me more inspiration for design and visual flare within a flyer layout and how I could make my design stand out (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aT66tMPx5s). I’d like to develop all my skills further on Illustrator, photoshop and Indesign by pushing myself more, watching more videos and practicing more varied and previously learnt skills.

Design Resources and articles

To develop my design ideas I looked at a broad range of articles, examples and step by step guides to create outcomes that challenge my skills and broaden my knowledge of the softwares. From Learning about layout in indesign adobe articles (https://www.adobe.com/uk/products/indesign.html?mv=search&mv=search&sdid=LCDWTLJX&ef_id=Cj0KCQiAmpyRBhC-ARIsABs2EAqKbPv8AiQ16zLNVnNYKe7KJWemY80ndBuxbQiQrS9TB4PHASLvsaAj5uEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!3085!3!520877072614!b!!g!!%2Bindesign!1422700472!55325978309&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmpyRBhC-ARIsABs2EAqKbPv8AiQ16zLN-VnNYKe7KJWem-Y80ndBuxbQiQrS9TB4PHASLvsaAj5uEALw_wcB) which encouraged me to really test how layouts can best be used for certain information, to looking at Pinterest for examples of letter logos for inspiration, this creating ideas in my head of the type of designs I could create (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/832814156079697545/) And finally looking at step by step guides for photoshop to create contrasting images that can tell a story, the step by step guides were helpful in allowing me to take my time, have visual examples to follow and refer to, being a visual learner these are a lot easier to follow (https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/how-to/black-and-white-with-color-photo.html)

Learning across the module

Throughout the module I have improved with my knowledge of all software, enjoying some creative freedom on photoshop, whilst seeing some encouraging signs for myself that I’m growing more confident with the likes of InDesign and Illustrator, with a strong understanding of what each software can be used for and what its benefits are, as seen in my quiz result going from 90/150 at the start of the module to 120/150 at the end. On photoshop the use of may tools has enabled me to grow in confidence about what I can do and where I can go with my designs, whilst on InDesign my knowledge of character and paragraph styles, layouts and tables are encouraging in broadening my understanding of the software and how it works. Illustrator also enabling me to focus on some key issues I has, such as the manipulation of letters, along with the basic tools. I also experienced using adobe after effects where despite colour not playing on my side in the final uploads, the use of transitions and learning the software was an enjoyable experience. Overall it has been an enjoyable module that has encouraged me and enabled me to grow in confidence.