Project 1: Digital Images

Image Created for Project 1: Digital Images

This project was created using both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop

Introduction and Learning Objective

My final project is to have a collection of media that can be used as part of our training and resources for online faculty as they design their courses for ease of use and navigation, while aligning with the Quality Matters rubric. The purpose of this image is to introduce some of the essential elements of the homepage that we would like for faculty to include in their courses. We do not mandate a design or force the use of an institutional template; but we will be implementing Quality Matters internal peer reviews in Fall 2019, and this is one of the steps in introducing some guidelines and ideas to faculty along with Quality Matter, Canvas, and online best practices training.

Original File Links and Licensing

The photos used in this projects are both photos that I took on campus. One was taken out of my office window during sunrise (when I was there much earlier than normal), and the other was taken during the eclipse last year.

SCC at sunrise

SCC during the eclipse

(see images below and link to the folder on Google drive with all Illustrator and Photoshop files or this project)

Techniques

Basic raster techniques:

• Resized the image used as the background
• Adjusted levels on background (sunrise) image and text background (eclipse)
• Adjusted exposure on background (sunrise) image and text background (eclipse)
• Applied a Sandstone filter to background (sunrise) image
• Applied a Ripple filter to text background (eclipse) image and adjusted settings to heavily distort the image

Advanced raster techniques:

• Used the eraser tool to remove a sidewalk lamp in the foreground
• Used the healing tool to replace the background in context where the lamp was removed
• Merged the background and background image layers
• Created layers for each piece of the image so that it could be edited more easily
• Added texture to both images

Basic vector techniques:

• Created simple shapes - rectangles and lines
• Formatted shapes - rounded corners of rectangles, added arrows to lines, adjusted the stroke of both
• Combined shapes

Advanced vector techniques:

• Recolored shapes and lines using the eyedropper tool to match the gold in the homepage image
• Placed the homepage image and formatted
• Created OLE (Online and E-Learning) Resource book using multiple shapes, text, grouping, and the shaper tool to create the image
• Created two ellipse shapes, the same size, one lower than the other, and used the Type on a Path tool to create the title for the image

Design Elements

Contrast:

There is contrast between the background and images/text so that is easy to read . The second captured image (eclipse) has been adjusted and filter to provide a light background for the bulk of the text to make it easily readable. After embedding the vector image into the raster image, I can see that although I wanted the repetition and continuity of the colors with the stroke matching the gold in the homepage, it could use a little more contrast between the shape and the background. The black font color of the text does still stand out well and is easy to read.

Repetition:

Colors are repeated throughout the image using the colors from the homepage which are college colors. Element names and themes are repeated as well. One theme is the college; it is repeated through the captured images of the campus and the college colors incorporated into the image and artwork. The shapes used are repeated in shape and style throughout, and the text in the column on the right side of the image repeats the label names, each in bold in order to stand out and easier match to the labels.

Alignment:

The alignment of the image is well balanced, though a little heavier on the right side with the light background behind the text for easier reading. The title is centered, and the OEL (Online and E-Learning is the name of our department) is centered just below the title. The vector image and text together are centered on the image, but in hindsight, I think that having a similar background in the shapes as is behind the paragraphs of text would help with the balance and visual feel of alignment.

Proximity:

Labels and information are in close proximity to their locations so that it is easy to follow. Lines were inserted to direct the reader's eye from the label to the element on the homepage. The paragraphs of text explaining those elements is also close by and in close proximity to each of those elements as well. I found that it was better to pull the text out and just use labels rather than to try to add the text within the labels as I did on my first draft. It made it less cluttered.

Reflection

This assignment was difficult for me to begin for a couple of reasons. One, I had a hard time trying to decide how to incorporate the captured images into my image given much of what I planned to use was going to be screenshots. That made me begin to rethink my approach, and as many times as I decided how I wanted to create this, I still want to change it again. The second reason is that I have created images similar to this for many trainings, but I have never used the software that was really intended for that purpose. Learning to use the software at the same time as designing this project was a much bigger hurdle than I expected. I had never used Adobe Illustrator before this course. I found it intimidating, and still do to an extent, but I also now understand how powerful this software is and how much it would benefit me to learn it better and use it more.

In the end, I still see elements of my design that I would like to tweak and techniques I would like to try, but I almost always find myself in this position. I tried creating it as a landscape image thinking it would give me more space if I placed the images well, but it didn't fit the way I wanted. I haven't given up on that idea yet, though. What I have known (and faced multiple times with this project) is that there is always room for improvement, and what I've learned is there are so many options available, that images can be manipulated for almost any purpose. I look forward to experimenting more with digital images.

All Project Files Located on Google Drive for Review

Click any file below to see the original file used in this project.