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2-Dimensional Basics in Graphic Design

Inquiry Based Unit Plan

Overview

A unit covering the building blocks of design: points, lines, planes, Gestalt theory, and color. 

2 Week Unit Plan
11 - 50 minute classes
Sophomore-Junior Level Graphic Design Course

Overarching Inquiry Question:

How do you practically apply 2-D design principals to graphic design?

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Essential Question:

What makes a design successful and interesting?

Unit Direction

Pedagogical Considerations

  • How does this unit build upon the previous unit?

    • The use of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, tutorials on different tools throughout the unit.

  • Threshold Concept​

    • ​Change of perspective: In this unit, students will learn to look at design in the world around them and appreciate the intentionality of it.

  • ​How does this unit incorporate principles of structured inquiry or controlled inquiry or guided inquiry or free inquiry?

    • ​This unit requires students to inquire about design. They will have free inquiry in their final assessment to find symbolism of a company they will create. They will be encouraged to look at what real companies have done and assess what is successful. They will also have controlled inquiry through a gestalt assignment where they will research a famous piece of art that uses gestalt.

  • How will I facilitate the inquiry process throughout the unit? 

    • I facilitate inquiry by checking in with students daily on their processes through the various assignments. For example, in the culminating assignment, I will check in on what type of company they are choosing to create a logo for, what symbolism they have found, and what they have found to be successful with existing companies.

  • How might this inquiry appeal to all students in the class?

    • By having students make up their own company, they have the freedom to choose something of interest. They could create a new sports team, a soda brand, a coffee shop, or whatever they would find interesting to research and brand. They will build a new appreciation for companies that exist and all that goes into branding.

  • How can I provide a variety of materials and projects so that individual differences in interests, abilities and learning preferences will be provided for?

    • Throughout the unit, I have a variety of activities. I have writing activities, hands-on activities that get students moving, reflections, and of course the logo assignment. Each of these draws interest to a different learning preferences. Much of this unit can be considered analytical as well as creative, so it connects both sides of the brain.

  • Must-Know Material

    • The must know materials of are the building blocks of design. Students must understand that designs can be broken down designs into points, lines, planes, understand the concept of gestalt, and how color plays a roll into it all. I will give students brief presentations in each of the areas, but then I will give them time to use these concepts in their own practice through the assignments.

  • Does this unit incorporate interdisciplinary learning opportunities?  If so, how?

    • This unit does incorporate interdisciplinary learning opportunities. It encourages students to explore the world of marketing and entrepreneurship by creating their own company idea. It gives students the opportunity to use a bit of photography. Through their research on gestalt, students will have to dig into art history and history in general.

  • Technology

    • Students will use computers with the Adobe Suite​

    • Students will also use their personal devices for the camera feature

  • Next Unit?​

    • Typography and the importance of effective typographic choices​

Vocabulary

Points

Points mark a position in space. Graphically, a point takes form as a dot or visible mark

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Lines

Lines are an infinite series of points. Graphically, a line is the connection between two points, or it is the path of a moving point

Planes

a plane is a flat surface extending in height and width

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Composition

The nature of something’s components; the way in which a whole or mixture is made up.

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Gestalt

  • Theory that is a branch of psychology that says the brain groups things together to form a whole unit. . For designers and artists this means that while a composition has individual parts that can be studied and analyzed as distinct components, the whole of a composition is different and frequently more important than the individual part

 5 Principle of Gestalt
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humans group objects together that look similar

SIMILARITY
PROXIMITY

objects that are close to one another appear to form groups

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humans will find lines or contours and continue them beyond their ending points if the elements of the pattern establish an implied direction.

CONTINUITY
CLOSURE

the mind supplies the missing pieces in a composition if there are enough of the significant features visible

FIGURE/
GROUND
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a fundamental concept in design, it refers to the contrast between black and white, foreground and background, dark and light and equilibrium

Culminating
Assessment

Create a logo for a fictitious company of student’s choosing. The logos must exhibit the use of points, lines, planes, and gestalt. They will create a black and white version, as well as color. Additionally, they will Participate in class critique during work process and present what elements were present in logo.

Instructional Episodes

Instructional Episodes

(to facilitate the overarching inquiry)

  • How do you practically apply 2-D design principals to graphic design?

Preparing Students for New Learning

 

Day 1

Activating Schema:

  • What was the previous unit? How does this unit build upon the previous unit?

    •  My Previous unit would be an introduction to Adobe Illustrator. We will build upon this with the activities we do, along the unit I will do tutorials on different elements of illustrator.

  • What is/are the Threshold Concept/s in this unit?

    • The Threshold Concepts in this unit consist of changing perspective in order to see the intentionality of design in the world around them and being able to breakdown design to their key elements.

  • “Must Know” Material in this unit:

    • The building blocks of design: points, lines, planes, gestalt, and color. Students should be able to find these elements in design in the world around them by the end of this unit.How will I introduce my students to this unit?

  •            I will introduce this unit by asking students the essential question to start a conversation, then transition into the first lesson.

Presenting New Learning:

Days 2-3

  • Engagement Opportunity: How will you introduce the inquiry to engage your learners?

    • I will start by showing students a few design pieces that have nothing in common and ask, “What do these have in common?” And the answer will be that they all use the same building blocks of design.

    • I will then give the opening Power Point of points, lines, and planes.

  • Scaffolding Opportunities/Learning Strategies:

    • Front loading with images

  • Formative Assessments:

    • Having students create designs that convey a mood using basic points, lines and planes.

Deepening/Reinforcing Learning

 

Day 4

  • Engagement Opportunities:

    • Adding Gestalt to the building blocks of design.

  • Scaffolding Opportunities/Learning Strategies:

    • Introduction video

  • Formative Assessments:

    • Gestalt writing assignment: Find a piece of art using at least 3 principles of gestalt, 1-2 pages in length.

Applying and Demonstrating Learning

 

Days 5-10

  • Culminating Assessment—Project / Performance Task:

    • Students will come up with a fictitious company and design a logo for said company. On the second day, students will participate in a class critique to better their design and apply the critiques

Reflecting on/Celebrating Learning

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Day 11

  • Engagement Opportunity:

    • Presentation of logos to share how they incorporated points, lines, planes, and gestalt into their design.

    • Along with their presentation, students will turn in a written artist statement that reflects on what they’ve learned and how they have applied it to their designs.

Tentative Timeline

Day 1

  • Introduction to 2-D Design elements: Points, lines, and planes

    • PowerPoint

    • Class discussion on logos and artwork and their uses of points, lines, and planes

    • Assignment: Perspective Pictures

Day 2

  • Turn in Perspective Picture Assignment

  • Assign Points, lines, and planes assessment

    • Mood Design

Day 3

  • Work day

Day 4

  • Turn in Mood Design assignment

  • Introduction to Gestalt

  • Powerpoint & Video

  • Homework: Research piece of art that uses gestalt principles.

Day 5

  • Gestalt activity

  • Assign Gestalt writing assignment

Day 6

  • Introduction to Logo Culminating Assignment

  • Introduction presentation & handout

  • Students brainstorm company type they want to create a logo for

  • Start sketching

Day 7

  • Work Day

Day 8

  • Class Critique

Day 9

  • Intro to Color

  • Power Point

  • Students start applying color to their logos

Day 10

  • Work day

  • Paper due

  • Last day to work on Logos

Day 11

  • Logo Presentation

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