ASSIGNMENT

Personal Table Tent Design

Lesson Title

Who Am I? Personal Table Tent Design

Course

Graphics 1

Duration

3 Class Periods

Assignment Description

Students will design and create a personal table tent that introduces their identity and interests through typography and imagery. The final design must be created on an 11" × 8.5" landscape-oriented document and designed to be hotdog folded (folded in half vertically).

On one side, students will place their first name in a large, legible font. The name should be visually prominent and demonstrate thoughtful use of typography.

On the back side, students will include a minimum of six images that communicate something about themselves, their interests, hobbies, personality, culture, goals, or experiences. Students should carefully select and arrange images so that the design is visually appealing and communicates information about who they are.

Students will apply basic graphic design principles, including typography, composition, visual hierarchy, balance, alignment, contrast, and image selection.

Final Requirements

• Document size: 11" × 8.5"

• Orientation: Landscape

• Fold: Hotdog fold (vertical fold)

• One side must feature the student's first name, displayed large and in a legible font

• The opposite side must include a minimum of 6 images representing the student's interests or identity

• Images should be thoughtfully arranged and visually appealing

• Design should demonstrate intentional use of graphic design principles

• Final work should be neat, complete, and professionally presented

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Create a digital table tent using an 11" × 8.5" landscape document.

2. Apply basic principles of graphic design and visual communication.

3. Select appropriate fonts based on legibility, style, and purpose.

4. Use typography to create a clear visual focal point.

5. Select and arrange images that communicate personal interests and identity.

6. Demonstrate an understanding of composition, balance, alignment, contrast, and visual hierarchy.

7. Organize visual elements within a defined layout and prepare a design for physical folding.

8. Evaluate a peer's design and provide specific, constructive feedback.

9. Use peer feedback to make meaningful improvements to their own work.

Big Ideas

• Graphic design is a form of visual communication used to communicate ideas, information, and identity.

• Typography can communicate both information and personality through the choice, size, and arrangement of fonts.

• Images can communicate ideas and emotions without the use of words.

• Effective designs use design principles to organize visual information and guide the viewer's attention.

• A successful graphic designer makes intentional choices about layout, typography, imagery, and composition.

• Personal experiences, interests, and identity can be communicated through visual design.

• Critique and revision are important parts of the design process.

Essential Questions

1. How can graphic design communicate who we are without using many words?

2. How does typography influence the way a viewer understands a design?

3. How can images communicate personal interests, identity, and personality?

4. What makes a design visually appealing and easy to understand?

5. How can graphic design principles help organize information effectively?

6. How do designers make intentional choices about fonts, images, and layout?

7. How can feedback from others help improve a design?

8. Why is revision an important part of the graphic design process?

Vocabulary

Typography - The art and technique of arranging type to make written language readable, clear, and visually appealing.

Font - A specific style or design of lettering used to display text.

Typeface - The overall design or family of letterforms, such as Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Arial.

Legibility - How easily individual letters and words can be recognized and read.

Composition -The way visual elements are arranged within a design.

Layout -The organization and placement of text, images, and other visual elements within a design.

Visual Hierarchy -The arrangement of design elements to show the viewer what information is most important and what should be viewed first, second, and so on.

Balance -The distribution of visual weight within a composition. Balance can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial.

Alignment -The positioning of elements along common edges, lines, or visual guides to create order and organization.

Contrast -The difference between visual elements, such as light and dark, large and small, or bold and thin, used to create emphasis and visual interest.

Emphasis -The use of design elements to make a particular part of a composition stand out as the main focal point.

Focal Point -The area of a design that attracts the viewer's attention first.

Image - A visual representation used to communicate an idea, subject, message, or concept.

Resolution - The amount of detail contained in a digital image. Higher-resolution images generally appear clearer and sharper when printed.

Landscape Orientation - A page orientation in which the document is wider than it is tall.

Hotdog Fold - A fold made by folding a rectangular page in half lengthwise, creating two equal vertical sections.

Graphic Design - The practice of combining text, images, color, and other visual elements to communicate a message or idea.

Visual Communication - The use of visual elements such as typography, images, symbols, and design to communicate information or ideas.

Critique - A thoughtful evaluation of a work of art or design that identifies strengths and areas for improvement.

Revision - The process of making changes to improve the quality, clarity, or effectiveness of a design.

3-Class-Period Lesson Sequence

Bell Ringer

"How Would You Improve It?"

Students look at their neighbor's work and identify:

• Three improvements they would make.

• Why those changes would help improve the design.

CLASS PERIOD 1 — Ideation, Personal Identity & Planning

Opening

Students Will...

• Examine the Table Tent examples and identify how designers use type, images, composition, and visual hierarchy to communicate information about themselves.

• Discuss what makes a name legible and visually prominent.

• Identify personal interests, experiences, hobbies, places, objects, symbols, and characteristics that could be represented visually.

Teacher Will...

• Introduce the purpose and requirements of the Table Tent project.

• Demonstrate the required document setup: 11" × 8.5", landscape, 150 dpi.

• Model how typography, size, placement, contrast, and spacing affect legibility.

• Review examples and prompt students to identify successful design choices.

• Clarify that students need more than six images representing themselves.

Work Session

Students Will...

• Brainstorm a minimum of 8–10 possible images/symbols that communicate something about themselves.

• Select images that have personal meaning rather than simply filling space.

• Begin experimenting with possible name placement and image arrangements.

• Create an initial digital layout.

• Consider how the formal components of art and design—line, shape, color, space, value, and typography—can strengthen their visual message.

Standards:

• VAHSGD.CR.1 — Visualize and generate ideas for creating works of art.

• VAHSGD.CR.2 — Choose materials, methods, and practices to plan and create works of art.

• VAHSGD.CR.6 — Keep an ongoing visual and verbal record to explore and develop works of art.

Closing/Debrief

Students Will...

• Save their working file.

• Share one design decision they made and explain how it communicates something about them.

• Identify one area of their design that needs additional development during the next class.

Exit Question:
Which image or design choice communicates the most about you, and why?

CLASS PERIOD 2 — Digital Design, Typography & Visual Communication

Opening

Students Will...

• Revisit the project requirements and evaluate their current design for legibility, balance, contrast, and visual hierarchy.

• Analyze whether their name is immediately recognizable as the primary typographic element.

Teacher Will...

• Demonstrate strategies for:

  • Creating visual hierarchy.

  • Improving typographic legibility.

  • Balancing multiple images.

  • Using negative space.

  • Creating unity among unrelated images.

  • Avoiding overcrowding.

• Conduct individual conferences and provide targeted feedback.

• Model how to revise a design rather than simply adding more elements.

Work Session

Students Will...

• Continue developing their Table Tent.

• Add and arrange more than six images that communicate personal information.

• Experiment with typography, scale, placement, spacing, and composition.

• Refine the relationship between their name and supporting imagery.

• Evaluate whether every image contributes to the overall communication of the design.

• Make revisions based on peer or teacher feedback.

Standards:

• VAHSGD.CR.3 — Engage in processes, media, techniques, and technology through experimentation, practice, and persistence.

• VAHSGD.CR.4 — Incorporate formal and informal components to create works of art.

• VAHSGD.CR.5 — Reflect on, revise, and refine works of art.

• VAHSGD.CN.2 — Develop life skills through the production of art, including creativity, critical thinking, and communication.

Closing/Debrief

Students Will...

• Conduct a quick self-evaluation using the project requirements.

• Identify one successful design choice and one area requiring revision.

• Save an updated version of the project.

Self-Check:

• Is my name easy to read?

• Do I have more than six images?

• Do my images communicate something about me?

• Is the composition balanced?

• Is anything distracting or unnecessary?

CLASS PERIOD 3 — Refinement, Critique & Submission

Opening

Students Will...

• Participate in a brief peer critique focused on legibility, composition, visual hierarchy, and personal communication.

• Compare their work against the project requirements and standards.

Teacher Will...

• Review common issues found during the design process.

• Model final revision strategies.

• Facilitate student-to-student critique using specific design vocabulary.

• Review the required file naming convention:
  LastName_FirstName_ProjectName-##.jpeg

• Demonstrate the final export and submission process.

Work Session

Students Will...

• Revise their Table Tent based on critique and self-evaluation.

• Refine:

  • Typography

  • Legibility

  • Image placement

  • Balance

  • Contrast

  • Spacing

  • Overall visual hierarchy

• Verify that the document is 11" × 8.5", landscape, and 150 dpi.

• Confirm that the design contains more than six images.

• Export the final design as a JPEG.

• Apply the required naming convention.

• Submit the completed project through the submission form.

Standards:

• VAHSGD.CR.5 — Reflect on, revise, and refine works of art.

• VAHSGD.PR.1 — Plan, prepare, and present works of art for exhibition, virtual environments, and/or portfolio presentation.

• VAHSGD.RE.2 — Critique personal works of art and the artwork of others individually and collaboratively.

• VAHSGD.RE.3 — Engage in art criticism to make meaning and increase visual literacy.

Closing/Debrief

Students Will...

• Participate in a brief gallery walk or digital review.

• Identify one design decision that effectively communicates their identity.

• Reflect on how their understanding of legibility and visual communication changed during the project.

• Confirm that the final project has been successfully submitted.

Reflection Questions:

1. What design choice best communicates who you are?

2. How did you improve the legibility of your name?

3. What revision made the greatest improvement to your design?

4. How did your use of images communicate information without using words?

Standards:

• VAHSGD.RE.1 — Reflect on the context of personal works of art in relation to community, culture, and the world.

• VAHSGD.RE.2 — Critique personal works of art and the artwork of others.

• VAHSGD.CN.1 — Develop personal artistic voice through connecting uses of art to cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts.

Final Self-Assessment

Before submitting, students will check:

☐ My document is 11" × 8.5".
☐ My document is in landscape orientation.
☐ My design is intended to be hotdog folded.
☐ My first name is large and easy to read.
☐ I used a minimum of six images.
☐ My images communicate something about me or my interests.
☐ My design demonstrates balance and organization.
☐ My elements are properly aligned.
☐ I used contrast and visual hierarchy effectively.
☐ I made revisions based on feedback.
☐ My final design is complete and presentation-ready.

Submission

Students will submit their completed table tent design according to the teacher's submission requirements.

Closure

Students will briefly reflect on their design process by answering:

Assessment Criteria

Students will be assessed on:

Following Requirements

Correct size, landscape orientation, hotdog fold, and required content.

Typography

First name is large, legible, and appropriately formatted.

Image Selection

Includes at least six relevant images that communicate personal interests or identity.

Composition

Visual elements are thoughtfully arranged and organized.

Design Principles

Demonstrates effective use of balance, alignment, contrast, emphasis, and visual hierarchy.

Peer Critique and Revision

Student provides specific feedback to a peer and uses feedback to make meaningful improvements to their own work.

Craftsmanship

Final design is neat, complete, and professionally presented.

Creativity and Personal Expression

Design choices effectively communicate something meaningful about the student.

Specifications

• 11x8.5 @ 150 dpi landscape

• minimum of 6 images that tell me about you

• 8/21

  • Submission Link

You will be graded on the following:

• Correct Naming Convention: LastName_FirstName_ProjectName-##.jpeg

• Your name being legible on the front

• 6 or more images about yourself on the front and/or back side

Examples

Graphic Design Standards

Creating

VAHSGD.CR.1 Visualize and generate ideas for creating works of art.

VAHSGD.CR.2 Choose from a range of materials and methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices to plan and create works of art.

VAHSGD.CR.3 Engage in an array of processes, media, techniques, and technology through experimentation, practice and persistence.

VAHSGD.CR.4 Incorporate formal and informal components to create works of art.

VAHSGD.CR.5 Reflect on, revise, and refine works of art considering relevant traditional and contemporary practices as well as artistic ideation.

VAHSGD.CR.6 Keep an ongoing visual and verbal record to explore and develop works of art.

Presenting

VAHSGD.PR.1 Plan, prepare, and present works of art for exhibition in school, virtual environment, and/or portfolio presentation

Responding

VAHSGD.RE.1 Reflect on the context of personal works of art in relation to community, culture, and the world.

VAHSGD.RE.2 Critique personal works of art and the artwork of others, individually and collaboratively, using a variety of approaches.

VAHSGD.RE.3 Engage in the process of art criticism to make meaning and increase visual literacy.

Connecting

VAHSGD.CN.1 Develop personal artistic voice through connecting uses of art within a variety of cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts.

VAHSGD.CN.2 Develop life skills through the study and production of art (e.g. collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication).

VAHSGD.CN.3 Utilize a variety of resources to understand how artistic learning extends beyond the walls of the classroom.