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Telling Text

Graphic design is a process of projecting visual communications to transmit messages or ideas. Students will explore this artistic field and create an illustrated word or message.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

Steps

  • Step 1

    Medieval artists and scribes may have been among the world's first graphic designers. Using illuminated letters and miniature illustrations they helped readers find their way through books and provided ways to appreciate the work more fully. Today, graphic design uses creative and lateral thinking as well as digital tools to create and present visual messages.

  • Step 2

    Have students think of words or ideas they can illustrate to convey the meaning. For example, they might write the word "idea" using a light bulb as the dot over the "i" or illustrate the word "success" by having the letters progress up a ladder. Or they might choose a concept such as "world peace" and use words like joy, harmony, cooperation, etc. to draw a peace sign. Or they may be inspired by the art image in this lesson and use droplets as part of the word "water."

  • Step 3

    Ask students to create their design. They can use various techniques. Perhaps they will draw directly on the paper, or maybe they'll use a collage technique to add texture to their illustration.

  • Step 4

    Have them present their illustrative text and discuss the techniques they used and why they chose the word and images they depicted.

Standards

ARTS: Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to written text to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Adaptations

Invite a graphic designer to the class to talk about working in that field, which spans many areas including web design, advertising, logo design, packaging, etc.

Have students work in groups and design a graphic ad for a product of their choice.