Here’s a little challenge for you. You should probably know something about logo design already. You’ve probably had to design one in this course previously. You should also know something about Illustrator and how to create illustrations in that application.

Assignment: Using Illustrator drawing tools AND text, create a logo for Westwood Graphic Tech. Here’s the twist. When you design a logo for a customer, you generally have to come up with a few different concepts so that the customer can have some choices. You will design THREE DIFFERENT logos for Westwood Graphic Tech. THREE. Each one should be unique.

Think carefully about all of the elements you include. Your reflection this time will involve explaining WHY you chose the images, words, fonts, and colours that you did. You’ll also have to get feedback from your customer (ME!) and from your peers, and make changes if necessary.

It doesn’t really matter what size your document is for now, but for easy reference, I’ll make mine Letter sized (the size of a standard piece of paper), 8.5 x 11 inches

STUFF YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW (if not, get learning!):

• The difference between VECTOR and RASTER images,
• how to draw using various tools (ellipse, rectangle, line, polygon)
• How to “constrain” to draw perfect squares and circles
• How to round the corners of a shape
• How to use the Direct Selection tool to modify shapes
• How to use the pen or pencil tool to draw freehand
• Combining shapes with the Pathfinder or Shape Builder Tool
• Tracing raster images

If you already know how to use Illustrator, or if you think you can pick it up very quickly, this tutorial is very quick, but might be a good reminder/start: Combine shapes to build a logo.

Here’s another excellent tutorial on how to create a logo

If you need more information or help, I recommend looking in the Help menu!

Or go to YouTube or LinkedIn Learning.

Once you’ve finished any major project, or any independent learning objective, you will have to reflect on what you’ve learned and accomplished.

This is a way of preparing yourself for your final portfolio! If you do these well now, your final portfolio project will be MUCH EASIER!

The basic job of the portfolio, and these reflections, is to explain the project to someone who isn’t in the class (like your parents or a friend in another class or a prospective employer.)

Creating these in a Word document is acceptable. If you want to start using InDesign more (the more you use it, the better you’ll get), that’s even better.Title your file with the name of the project and “reflection” (eg: Interactive Quiz reflection) OR start compiling a Learning Log, which might be one document or file that contains your reflections for multiple projects.

Reflection content:

1. Explain to someone what exactly you were doing with this project. What was the goal/purpose/lesson. Try to keep me out of it. Don’t say, “Mr. Robson made me,” or “Mr. Robson told me to…”, explain what you were trying to accomplish.
2. What did the project teach you? What were the new things you learned? What specific skills did you gain by doing this? What was new/difficult/interesting about it.
3. What are you most proud of? Looking back at your work, what stands out as being impressive/interesting/effective? (If you aren’t proud of your work and don’t think it’s interesting or effective, WHY HAND IT IN? Do a good job and make sure that you’ve created something you can be proud of.)
4. What other applications could you have for this type of project? Can you see using this in another class or at your current or future place of employment? What concepts did you learn that might help you in other areas?
5. For me only, not the portfolio: What did you have trouble with? Is there anything that you had to work at or learn? Is there anything that would have helped you do better on this task? If you didn’t find it that challenging and didn’t struggle, then tell me what you liked about doing this