Computer Graphic Design

Introduction to Adobe Animate CC – Spring 2024

Welcome to Adobe Animate CC! Where Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard vector graphics drawing program, a program called Adobe Flash was the industry standard in rich media production for much of the past decade. Flash allowed its users to produce everything from basic animations to interactive multimedia experiences, to applications such as games.

Adobe Animate works a lot like Flash, but adds a lot of new features that are only possible in HTML5, the current web code standard. We are going to spend the next couple of weeks learning about Adobe Animate, exploring its relationship to Illustrator, and learning how both programs can help you to develop rich interactive multimedia experiences for the web.  

Objectives:

  • Identify the elements of the Animate interface, including the Stage, Timeline, Panels and Tool Panel.
  • Produce Rectangle, Rectangle Primitive, Oval, Oval Primitive and Polystar shapes, and discuss their properties.
  • Explain the difference between Object-Drawn shapes drawn with and Merge-drawn Shapes.
  • Explain the difference between Shape Primitives and standard Shapes.

Student Friendly Objectives:

  • I can  identify the elements of the Animate interface.
  • I can produce shapes using the Animate tools.
  • I can explain the difference between a shape drawn with Object Drawing enabled and disabled.
  • I can explain the difference between a Shape Primitive and a standard Shape.

Video Links:

Adobe Animate CC
How to Create and Publish an HTML5 Canvas Document 

Topics Discussed:

  • Start a new document in Animate CC using the Welcome screen.
  • HTML5
  • Canvas
  • Stage
  • Timeline
  • Panels
  • Tool Panel
  • Rectangle Tool
  • Rectangle Primitive Tool
  • Oval
  • Oval Primitive Tool
  • Polystar Tool
  • Object Drawing

Assignment:

  1. Produce a single HTML5 Canvas. Name it “Your Name – Animate Day 1″
  2. Edit the properties of the Stage to make a 30fps, 1280 x 720 pixel (HD) stage for animation. Change the color of the stage to any color you like (other than the default white).
  3. Use the Shape tools to draw examples of the following shapes:
    • Rectangle
    • Rectangle Primitive
    • Oval
    • Oval Primitive
    • Polystar Polygon
    • Polystar Star
    • Two overlapping Object drawn shapes (representing the properties of Objects)
    • Two overlapping Merge drawn shapes, where one shape takes a “bite” out of the other
  4. Upload the completed “Your Name – Animate Day 1.fla” file to the “Introduction to Adobe Animate CC” assignment post on the Google Classroom page by the end of the day on Friday.

Assigned: April 18th, 2024
Due Date: April 19th, 2024

Computer Graphic Design

Logo Design Spring 2024 – Steps 5, 6 and 7 – Reflection, Positioning and Presentation

Objective: To complete the logo design process by selecting and finalizing a logo design.

Web Links:

Presentation: The Logo Design Process of Top Graphic Designers
(The Eight Step Logo Design Process)

Presentation: Native American Code Writers Program

Google Search: “Native American Code Writers”

Google Image Search: “Native American Organization Logos”

Google Image Search: “Computer Science Logos”

Topics Discussed:

  • Eight Step Logo Design Process
    • Step 5 – Reflection
    • Step 6 – Positioning
    • Step 7 – Presentation
    • Step 8 – Celebration

Assignment:

Hopefully, you completed Step 5 – Reflection this past weekend by getting some good rest and coming back refreshed and renewed. Look at your logo sketches in the wire basket on the front table once more, and select one to begin refining into your final logo design. This final logo design must adhere to the Six Principles of Good Logo Design that we previously studied, and should incorporate all that you’ve learned about the Principles of Design, Shape, Color Theory and Symbolism.

Step 6 – Positioning

By now, you should have read the NACWP Logo Client Responses posted in our Google Classroom. Read the responses that the team has provided, and take the advice under consideration. Now you have a decision to make: Will you alter your logo design to meet the requests that the team has made, or will you proceed with your own ideas with the confidence that as a trained designer, you know what they will like better than they do? This decision is called Positioning, and it is a choice that every professional designer who takes on a client has to make. Bear in mind that unlike most professional designers, you will not have the opportunity to support or defend your design decisions when it comes time for the team to judge the winner of the competition, so make your decisions accordingly.

Step 7 – Presentation

Make a new Print Illustrator document with a standard Letter size artboard (8.5 in x 11 in). Using all that you’ve learned about the principles of good logo design, the Principles of Design (C.R.A.P.), Color Theory, shapes and symbols, begin using the path, shape, color and type tools in Illustrator to design a simple, yet unique and attractive logo that is easy to remember, relevant to the Native American Code Writers Program, will look good even printed in a single color, and will stand the test of time.

To best ensure that your final logo design is seen exactly as you intended, Export your design to a High Quality PDF using the following steps: File -> Save As -> Change the Format: drop down menu to Adobe PDF -> Click the blue Save button -> Click the Save PDF button.

Your exported PDF file and the original .ai Illustrator file containing your final logo design on a single artboard should have your name in the filename, and should be submitted to the “Final Logo Design – NACWP 2024” assignment post on the Google Classroom page for your class period no later than the end of the day on Friday, April 12th. This is a rigid deadline, and any late submissions will not be accepted for the competition. There are two important reasons for this: the first is that it would be unfair to allow any one individual more time to work on their design by allowing them to turn it in later than everyone else, and the second is that we will be moving on to an exciting new unit the following week. You will have at least four 50 minute classes to work with, plus whatever time you wish to put in after school or during Advisory. Manage your time wisely.

Judging will occur on Monday, April 15th, and the winner will be announced in all Graphic Design classes by Friday, April 19th, and then it will be time for the final step: Step 8 – Celebration!

Good luck, work hard, make good decisions, and we’ll see you all at the celebration where we’ll toast the winner of the competition as well as everyone who successfully worked through the process to create and submit an original logo design that they can be proud of.

Assigned: Monday, April 8th, 2024
Due Date: Friday, April 12th, 2024

It’s super effective!