During this activity you will create a simple Instagram advert. Re-watch the videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard Instagram square advert (1080px by 1080px). Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate). Video tutorial

Project Brief

A well known brand has created a simple advert as part of their Instagram sale campaign. They have asked you to recreate the advert shown below exactly, but make one simple creative change. They have left it up to you decide what that change will be. You need to set the canvas size correctly (1080px by 1080px). When you have finished, you must save as a JPEG and a PSD.

Media Product to Re-create:

During this activity you will create a simple Instagram advert. Re-watch the videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard Instagram square advert (1080px by 1080px). Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate). Video tutorial

Project Brief:

A well known brand of shoes/trainers has asked you to create a simple Instagram advert. They want a simple close up photograph of the shoe/trainers with some creatively edited text. You need to set the canvas size correctly (1080px by 1080px). When you have finished, you must save as a JPEG and a PSD.

Examples to give you some ideas:

During this activity, you will create a simple prospectus front cover. Re-watch the videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard prospectus size (8.5in x 11in). Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Image colour fill/Gradients. Video tutorial

Project Brief

Your school has asked you to create the front cover of their prospectus. A prospectus is given to potential students to inform them about the school and the courses they can study if they go there. Your school need a front cover for the prospectus given to students when they are opting for which courses to take. They have seen a prospectus they really like which has a picture of the school on the front, edited so that it is all shades of one colour (such as purple) with inspirational words on to entice students to opt for the different courses.

You will need to take a good photograph of your school (you can work in small groups to do this). You will need to edit it to so that it is filled with only shades of one colour (or you can be bold and add a gradient). You will also need to add some appropriate text (school name, inspirational words, names of courses etc). Format the text to make them stand out. Using the videos above to help you, create the prospectus using Photoshop. Remember to save as both a .PSD and .JPG.

Examples to give you some ideas:

During this activity you will create an Instagram square advert. Re-watch the videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard Instagram square advert (1080px by 1080px). Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Removing the background from your photographs. Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate). Video tutorial

Practice Project Brief

WWF (World Wildlife Fund) is the world's leading independent conservation organisation. Did you know that global wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% on average since 1970? The WWF aims to help protect precious habitats around the world and created the 'adopt and animal' campaign in order to do this. You can read more about this campaign here. They have created a series of Instagram square adverts to promote this campaign and want you to create one more. Choose an animal that is at risk (look at the list on this page). You must make sure that the advert has a consistent design to their other adverts. Consistency is very important in effective advertising campaigns as it ensures the audience can recognise it.

The advert must be square (1080px x 1080px). The background image must be a real photograph of the animal. A large white triangle shape covers the bottom right corner. Take a photograph of a soft animal toy (with the background removed) at position it at the bottom center. White text on a black rectangle saying 'Adopt a XXXX'. White words on an orange background saying 'Adopt Now'. Finally, a picture of the welcome pack is located bottom right.

You should take your own photograph of the soft toy. Combine this with a copyright-free image found on the Internet of the animal (use Pixabay). Use the image of the welcome pack below (but remove the background and edit the text e.g. change it from 'turtles' to 'lions').

Examples to give you some ideas:

During this you will create a simple Facebook square advert. Re-watch the videos below only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard Instagram square advert (1080px by 1080px). Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate). Video tutorial

• Clipping mask tool (e.g. clipping images onto shapes and text) Video tutorial

Practice Project Brief

Your school was so impressed with the options prospectus front cover you created that they asked you to create some social media advertisements for each of the different subjects. These will be shared on Facebook and will hopefully help students to make their decision about which of the option subjects they should choose. You can choose the subject you want to advertise.

The advert must be square (1080px x 1080px). Take a photograph of a student or a teacher and clip it into a large circle. Position this circular image to the top left. Include a simple stroke and possibly a drop shadow to the circle. Use more circles in your design and scatter them throughout with keywords or phrases that will entice students to opt for the subject. Make sure the subject name is at the top right and a short description of the subject on the bottom left. Choose a simple colour scheme and use it consistently throughout the product. Following these design rules will make sure all the advertisements produced will have a consistent theme. Consistent design has been shown to improve the effectiveness of advertisement campaigns like this. Make sure you save your final media project as a .PSD and a .jpg.

Examples to give you some ideas:

During this activity you will create a magazine front cover. Re-watch the videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard magazine front cover size (11 in by 8.5 in). Video tutorial

• Using rulers and grids. Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Creating a masthead. Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate). Video tutorial

Project Brief

Billboard is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly. Have a look at some of these examples of past front cover designs. During an interview to work in their design department, you have been asked to recreate one of their past magazine covers but with some creative changes of your own choice. They want to see if you have the skills required to work for them. Choose one of their magazine covers and recreate it. You can replace the celebrity with a photograph of someone in your class (maybe even your teacher!). This is a fun magazine, so make sure the model you choose is directed to look happy. You should edit the background (either replace it with an image or a simple colour), add drop shadow effects to the image, format the text creatively and add shapes to generate interest. You should try and incorporate as many of the tools and techniques you have practiced so far (videos above if you need to watch them again). You will need to work in small groups to take the photograph but then work independently to create the magazine front cover using Photoshop. Use the videos above to help you only if you need them. Remember to save as both a .PSD and .JPG when you have finished.

Examples to give you some ideas:

During this activity you will create create marketing material for the NHS 'Get Boosted Now' campaign. These adverts will be placed on bus stops.

• Setting the canvas size to a standard bus stop advertisement 3:2 ratio (8in by 12in). Video tutorial

• Creating a pattern background (begin by creating your pattern on a canvas sized 400px by 400px, then create a new canvas 8in by 12in to apply your pattern to). Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Black and white adjustment layer. Video tutorial

• Removing the background from your photographs. Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate). Video tutorial

Project Brief

The NHS often undertake public health campaigns whereby they alert the general public to important health information. They are concerned that the Covid booster vaccinations numbers are not as high as they should be at this time of year and have asked you create a poster to be displayed at bus stops around the country. The poster must have the NHS logo on it, the words 'Get boosted now', 'Get your Covid 19 booster vaccine' and 'NHS.UK/Covidvaccination'. You will need to take a picture of someone (a pupil or a teacher), standing proud that they have had their vaccine. Add an adjustment layer to this image to make it black and white. Place this on a background with a pattern you have created yourself of a covid virus (watch the video above to see how to create your own patterns). Remove the background to the black and white image (video above) and add a stroke to taht layer using one of the colours frmo your pattern. The canvas must be at a 3:2 ration (standard ratio for a bus stop), so around 8 inches by 12 inches. They also want the 'O' in 'Now' to stand out in some way.

Examples to give you some ideas:

During this activity you will create a festive postcard. You will consolidate your Photoshop learning so far by making independent choices about the design and the software tools you will use.

Re-watch the following videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard postcard size (4" x 6" ). Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Using the pen tool. Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate, opacity). Video tutorial

• Removing the background from your photographs. Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

Project Brief

Your school wants to give a festive postcard to all students on the last day of term before Christmas break. They want you to create it. This is your chance to showcase your amazing Photoshop skills! You should try really hard to use all the tools of the software you have learnt so far. Such as removing backgrounds, adding strokes around text, shapes and images, clipping images onto shapes, using the brush tool etc. They would love it if you took your own photographs of the festive decorations around the school. You may need to work in groups to do this. You can also use a few copyright free images from Pixbay if you need to. You also need to add a festive message and try and make sure you include the school name. You have total freedom over the design of the final product. Remember to save as both a .PSD and .JPG.

Examples to give you some ideas:

During this activity you will create an Instagram reel advert to raise support for a cause. You will learn how to use the pen tool to create customer shapes and reuse some other tools that you have practiced so far.

Re-watch the following videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard Instagram Reel advert size (1080px by 1920px). Video tutorial

• Using the pen tool. Video tutorial

• Adding images to a canvas. Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate, opacity). Video tutorial

• Removing the background from your photographs. Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

Pre activity task:

Before you begin this activity, you will need to learn how to use the pen tool. This Bezia game is a great way to practice. Have a go! Then open up Photoshop, find the pen tool on the left-hand side and practice creating custom shapes. Once you have made the shape you can fill it in with colour. Rewatch the shapes tutorial if you need to.

Project Brief

The Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) is very concerned about the decline in nature across the UK and the World. Nature is under threat and they want you to create an Instagram Story advert to raise awareness about this. You can read more about their campaign here. They would like the words 'Peoples's Plan for Nature' at the top and then 'What do you love about nature in the UK?', 'What would you miss if it disappeared?', 'Share your thoughts' and '#PeoplesPlanForNature' in the middle. They want lots of colourful custom shapes (using the pen tool) around the edges, some filled with images of nature (use copyright free images from Pixabay). Then a few random images of nature such as bugs, animals, sea etc (with the background cut out) scattered around the edges. Remember to save as both a .PSD and .JPG.

Examples to give you some ideas:

During this activity you will create a simple Facebook rectangle advert. Re-watch the videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard Facebook rectangle advert size (1080px by 1920px). Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Image colour fill/Gradients. Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate, opacity). Video tutorial

Project Brief

You are getting much better at editing using Photoshop! Your school now wants you advertise the sports day. Not many students wanted to take part last year and they want you to create a Facebook rectangle advert for their social media page to try and generate interest. They have seen one they really liked (shown below) and want you to recreate it. There will be many different activities for students to take part in on the day and they have said you can choose which one you want to focus on for the advert. For example; running, long jump, tennis, basketball etc. You will need to work in a small group to set up the shot and take lots of photographs to use on the advert. You will also need to change the text to be appropriate for the sports day. Using the videos above to help you, recreate the Facebook square advert using Photoshop. Remember to save as both a .PSD and .JPG.

Resources (if you can't take your own photographs):

During this activity you will create an Instagram square advert. Re-watch the videos only if you need to. You will learn/practice the following techniques:

• Setting the canvas size to a standard Facebook rectangle advert size (1080px x 1080px). Video tutorial

• Text Tool (colour, size, style, rotate). Video tutorial

• Shapes (colour, resize, rotate). Video tutorial

• Clipping Mask (to clip an image to a shape e.g. circle). Video tutorial

Project Brief

The UK government are trying to encourage more people improve their digital skills. They have been targeting people through Instagram. Below is one of their adverts showing the benefits of completing a skills bootcamp. You have been asked to create another advert that uses a consistent style to the one below to advertise one of the many specific skills bootcamps they offer. Go to this website and click on one of the areas (such as North West). Have a look at what skills bootcamps are available in that area. Then create an Instagram square advert to promote that skills bootcamp. You may need to work in small groups to take a suitable photograph, but then you should independently create it using Photoshop. Use the videos above to help you if you need them. Remember to save as both a .PSD and .JPG.

Resources (if you can't take your own photographs):