Instructional Design Document
Document Author: Dawn Anderson
Course Name: How to Create Event Posters with Impact
Revised 3-18-23
Executive Summary
In an attempt to get information out quickly to their audience, organizations overlook design principles in favor of speed. Unfortunately, those messages don’t always get through to the user, or the essential aspects of the message aren’t apparent. In fact, they may be hidden in a sea of blandness.
Unformatted text is difficult to understand and read because it does not visually define what is important on the page. By using font size, weight, color, and other design elements, aspiring designers can create documents that are easier to understand, provoke emotion, and are more user-friendly.
This course will demonstrate how to use Typographically Hierarchy and Graphic Design principles to create documents that will get your message across to your readers in a user-friendly, visually appealing, and thought-provoking manner.
Type of Course
The How to Create Event Posters with Impact course is an entry-level design course to teach aspiring designers how to use fonts and other design elements to organize data in an easy-to-understand, visually attractive format.
Target Audience and Learner Profile
The students that will be taking this course are first-year design students at a local community college. The ages and prior knowledge vary greatly since some students are recent high school graduates, some are participating in a college in high school program, others are adults who have never finished their degrees or attended college, while others are participating in a skills re-training program. Some students, such as the adults seeking new careers and the running start students, tend to be highly motivated, while recent grads are not always ready to learn. Since we are a community college, we have students from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
Learning Gap
The learning gap that exists is that some people do not know how to format documents in an easy-to-understand manner. They will barely format text, so the reader doesn’t understand what is most important. Demonstrating how to use typographical and design elements to draw attention to the most important parts of the document, designers will be able to create documents (posters, business cards, websites, etc.) that will allow the reader to understand the message quickly. Also, students do not always know how to resize images so there are tutorials on how to resize images in Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition, this class will include proper production techniques and how to prepare the files for printing at a commercial printer.
Terminal Learning Objective
By the end of the module, students will be able to take unformatted text and format while applying the principles of typographical hierarchy and graphic design. Students will be able to add images and other design elements to their documents and prepare their files for printing.
Course Learning Objectives
At the end of this course students will be able to:
- Arrange documents from the least amount to the most amount of hierarchy
- Create a hierarchy in a document using font sizes and weights as well as colors
- Apply chucking to a document to improve readability and hierarchy
- Include high resolution images and other design elements to aid in the document’s hierarchy
- Prepare the file to be printed at a commercial printer
Instructional Strategies
Activities & Tasks
- Hierarchy match game: Students will take a document containing 6 pages with identical text, each using different levels of hierarchy. Students will put the document in order from least to most. Students will then write a brief paragraph to explain why they choose the order.
- Document Formatting: Students will be given a document containing unformatted text. Students will apply the principles of typographical hierarchy and chunking to format the text.
- Resizing Images: Students will watch two tutorials on image resizing (Photoshop, Illustrator). They will then be given a vector image and a raster image to resize in the appropriate program.
- Readings, Lecture, and Quizzes: Students will read an article about visual principles, watch a lecture on Typographical Hierarchy, and take a short quiz on the materials.
- Discussion Board: Students will poster their event poster for a peer review. This is a graded assignment and must provide meaningful feedback to two of their peers. This feedback should include ways in which the designer could improve their poster.
- Final Project: Students will create an event poster utilizing the skills they learned in this course. They will have a peer review prior to submission. This project will have criteria for production and design principles.
Assessment Strategies
Assessments
- If the student arranges the documents in the correct order and can explain what principles were used.
- If the student’s formatted document contains the most important information first and lessor important information second, then they understand the concept. If they put similar information together and have a design that is not cluttered, then they have mastered the material.
- If the student’s images are the correct size, and resolution and free from distortion, they mastered the material.
- If student can provide useful feedback about a Typographical Hierarchy project using the terms learned from the readings and lectures than they understand the concept.
- If the student takes the quiz and passes, they have a basic understanding of the concept.
- If the student’s final project contains a correctly sized image, utilizes typographical hierarchy principles, is easy to understand, and passes Adobe inDesign’s Pre-Flight for print projects then the student has succeeded in the class.
Content Sources
https://www.canva.com/learn/visual-hierarchy/
https://blog.typekit.com/2011/03/17/type-study-typographic-hierarchy/
https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/understanding-typographic-hierarchy–webdesign-11636
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/visual-hierarchy
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/the-ux-designer-s-guide-to-typography
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/principles-visual-design/
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/visual-hierarchy-ux-definition/
https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/preparing-pdfs-service-providers.html
https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/preflighting-files-handoff.html
https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/resize-image.html
https://illustratorhow.com/resize-images/
Course Sequencing
- Introduction
- Watch: Lecture on Typographical Hierarchy
- Quiz: Test your knowledge on Typographical Hierarchy
- Assignment: Typographical Hierarchy Match Game
- Reading the Principles of Visual Design
- Quiz: Short quiz on the Principles of Visual Design
- Watch: Resizing Image Tutorials
- Assignment: Resizing Images Exercise
- Read: File Type Infographic
- Assignment: Typographical Hierarchy Layout Exercise
- Watch: Preparing Files for Printing Video
- Discuss: Design Critique on Final Project
- Final Project Due
Learning Model
This course will be designed using the Understand by Design Methodology because it is student-centered and focuses on the learning outcome at the end. The course material is designed to help guide students and provide them with a means of achieving the learning outcome and goal. (Bowen, R.S., 2017) The course also uses Rapid eLearning Development because it will be updated and changed quarterly in the Canvas LMS by the instructor. It is the most cost-effective method in the community college setting. (Omer, A.H., 2018)
Learning Theory
Constructivism and Andragogy were used to develop the assignments. The students actively engage in the content as they learn. I mention Andragogy because many of our students are adults and have prior knowledge or work experience. They want to learn and put it into practice immediately. The exercises provide allow them to apply the knowledge as it is acquired. (McLeod, S. A., 2019)
Course Standards
Participation is mandatory. Students need to be involved in this class therefore we will be having a discussion board set up the final project. Students must provide constructive criticisms on at least two projects. Feedback must be kind and useful.
Examples of good feedback
- “The font used in Paragraph 1 is a headline font and it is hard to read.”
- “I love the color you used for your circles, but the text is too hard to read. Can you use a lighter color?”
Examples of bad feedback
- “I like your design it is pretty.”
- “Your design stinks you should change majors.”
Any student needing accommodations due to a documented disability should notify the Center for Disability Services and me at the beginning of the quarter for further instructions.
All work submitted in this class is expected to be your own. Tracing artwork or written work may violate the owner’s copyright and is prohibited in this class. You will receive a failing grade in the class if you submit the work of others—professionals or students—as your own.
All work submitted in this class is expected to be completed during this quarter. Unless stated otherwise for a specific assignment, designs produced in other classes will not be accepted.
Using copyrighted photographs, clip art, or other materials as part of your assignments is allowed on a limited “educational purposes only” basis and only when allowed by the instructor.
Follow the instructions provided for each class assignment and exercise. Failure to do so will result in a reduction in your grade for each assignment. If you are unclear about the instructions for an assignment, please address the issue in class or contact me by email.
These deadlines, like any other in the real world, are absolute. Late assignments will automatically receive a reduced grade unless an extension is requested and granted in advance of the due date.
Academic Honesty
We expect all students to follow the highest standards for academic integrity.
Any student involved in cheating will receive a F/zero for that project.
Examples of cheating include:
- Allowing someone to create a project for you (or creating a project for another).
- Allowing someone to complete an in-class exercise for you (or completing it for another).
- Exactly copying someone else’s design (from a book, magazine, website, or other references).
- Attempting to alter a grade on a project after it has been returned to you.
Examples that are NOT cheating include:
- Asking someone to suggest improvements to your project, then acting on those suggestions.
- Asking someone to help you with a digital or manual technique that could improve your project.
- Getting together with other students to discuss a project or brainstorm ideas.
- Looking at other design work to analyze how/why it works (or doesn’t work).
Sources:
Bowen, R. S. (2017). Understanding by Design. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved 12/12/2021 from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/understanding-by-design/.
McLeod, S. A. (2019, July 17). Constructivism as a theory for teaching and learning. Simply Psychology. Retrieved 12/19/2021 from www.simplypsychology.org/constructivism.html
Omer, Ayesha Habeeb (2018). Rapid eLearning Design and Development: A Watered Down Version Of ADDIE? Retrieved 12/12/2021 from https://elearningindustry.com/rapid-elearning-design-and-development-watered-down-version-addie
Pappas, Christopher (2013) The Adult Learning Theory – Andragogy – of Malcolm Knowles. Retrieved 12/19/2021 from https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles
Learning Gap
The learning gap that exists is that some people do not know how to format documents in an easy-to-understand manner. They will barely format text, so the reader doesn’t understand what is most important. Demonstrating how to use typographical and design elements to draw attention to the most important parts of the document, designers will be able to create documents (posters, business cards, websites, etc.) that will allow the reader to understand the message quickly. Also, students do not always know how to resize images so there are tutorials on how to resize images in Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition, this class will include proper production techniques and how to prepare the files for printing at a commercial printer.
Instructional Strategy
For the assignments, I used a variety of media including video, visual/written, and discussions. I used the materials to explain the concepts of typographical hierarchy, file types, image editing, visual design principles, and print productions. Students would be able to see, read, hear and interact with the explanations of what it is and how to use it in their designs.
What tools have you used for development? Articulate? Captive? Powtoons? Any others?
For the images, video editing, screen capturing, etc I used Canva, PowerPoint, Adobe Premiere Rush, Placeit.com, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Techsmith Snagit. I published the videos on YouTube and I created my portfolio on a self-hosted WordPress site using the Kadence Framework.
OERs, Creative Commons, Checklists
- All media is labeled with their license on the item or at the end of the video excluding audio.
- All digital checklists are linked to the document on the items pages.
- Open Education Resources:
Main Issue
I teach graphic and web design at two local community colleges. I have also co-taught an online teaching certification class for my peers. What I have discovered, regardless of educational background, many people do not understand the concept of visual hierarchy when it comes to content creation. Having documents, especially digital ones, that are formatted with a hierarchy makes the content easier to understand and more accessible for individuals who use assistive technology.
Once you teach someone these principles, inevitably, they will want to use images and color in their documents. There are many issues that arise when this happens. For example, they do not understand image resolutions, resizing the images, color formats, file types, or print production. So, then you must teach them the basics of image manipulation and print production. Also, another issue that many people are unaware of is how color and contrast play a role in legibility and accessibility. I try to briefly mention it because it is important, but this could be a class on its own.
My students tend to be adults of all ages since I teach at a college. The Andragogy learning theory mainly applies because they have prior knowledge they can pull from and use. Since the class is asynchronous, there is a lot of self-directed learning. However, some students do not have basic computer knowledge and will struggle without intervention from the instructor or tutor. Adult learners want to learn something and apply it immediately to their job or hobby, which the content of this class allows them to do.
Out-of-date materials can hinder learning, especially in graphic design classes that utilize Adobe products that are updated regularly. The materials need to be updated constantly. Therefore, I will use Rapid eLearning development to create the course. I believe ADDIE methods take too long and are too expensive. I can make my class in my home office with my computer, software, and a mic.
In addition, I believe that the curriculum lends itself to the UbD Model because you identify the desired outcome and work your way backward.
Syllabus
Published Lesson
How to Design Event Posters with Impact
Objectives
To prepare adult learners to create a visually appealing, high-impact legible event poster using the principles of Typographical Hierarchy. In addition, they will learn basic image editing and print production methods. These skills can be used in a variety of projects.
Assessments
- Three Quizzes
- Image Editing Exercises
- Typographical Hierarchy Exercises
- Two Graded Discussion Boards
- Final Project
Engagement
Two Discussion boards and an ice breaker.
Audio Visual
Images and instructional videos by module.
Compliance
All instructional video excluding the print production videos, are my original content developed for this class. All other content was linked directly to the content creator’s website.