This document outlines the topics and activities for Week 2 of a course on layout and art direction. The week will cover color theory including the color wheel, color meanings and how colors affect each other. Examples of great color usage in design history from graphic designers like Saul Bass will be presented. Students will do in-class exercises on beginning a project with color and redesigning logos. Homework involves designing branding elements for a hypothetical food truck including logo, color story, uniforms and menus.

1. Course outline- Layout and Art direction
Fall 2014
Lori Peck, instructor
October 6th, 2014
Week 2: Color and it’s meaning
Guidelines on how to critique work in class
In class review of homework
Technical color information- CMYK vs RGB, what is Pantone, etc
Tips on printing
Color in layout:
-color combinations and the color wheel
-how colors affect each other, optical illusions
-hand out: color meanings-how people react to different colors
-examples of great uses of colors in design history:
Saul Bass- American Designer/Art Director (May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996)
Iconic American logos: AT&T, United Airlines, Dixie, Quaker, Girl Scouts, United Way...
*Psycho -Alfred Hitchcock
*Vertigo -Alfred Hitchcock
*The Man with a Golden Arm-Otto Preminger
*North by Northwest -Alfred Hitchcock
*Anatomy of a murder-Otto Preminger
*Mad Mad World- Stanley Kramer
In class exercise: Beginning a projectbuilding a color story.
You won American Idol. Now you need a logo for your new CD.
-what are your colors? Why? What do you wish to convey about you and your music by their choices?
Homework: Building a brand: You inherited an airstream, so now you are going to open your very own
food truck. Design your logo, build a color story that reflects your cuisine. Go even farther and design
employee t-shirts, menu’s, the actual trailer...
Design inspiration from current ad/design world
If time allows:
In class exercise: Ugly logo redesign think like an art director and make color choices
that aren’t arbitrary. Use appropriate colors- choose colors that would be appropriate for different
categories and targets.