Graphic Design

Brochure
Design Using
Adobe
InDesign
Summary Notes
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Contents

3 Introduction

Is it graphic design or graphics design?

4 Typography

4 Basic typography terms

6 Mistakes to avoid

11 Adobe InDesign Demo

12 Conclusion

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Introduction
An interesting fact to stir your curiosity in graphic design even more: according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics,
there will be an increase in the demand for graphic designers in the next decade. Since its more accessible to start a
business and these businesses are more dependent on the Internet and specifically social media as well.

Jim Rohn was an entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker. He stated something I believe we all struggle
with. “If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”

Walt Disney, stated the same by saying “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, either way, you’re right.”

How many times do we make an excuse because we feel so overwhelmed by the task at hand? Just start!
Sometimes it is not that difficult at all and if it is difficult, can you imagine how you will feel after completing this
task? You will have achieved something that would have been overwhelming for most people and most of them
would have given up.

Is it graphic design or graphics design?

I would like to take this opportunity to ask the following question: What is the correct term to use? Is it a) graphic design or
b) graphics design?

The term we use to refer to visual communication through the means of problem solving (in other words, this course you
are doing at the moment) is known as GRAPHIC DESIGN and not graphics design as a lot of people might think.

There is a difference and being able to differentiate will show people that you have a broad knowledge and passion for the
field.

Graphics design is a term that is not as common as graphic design and is mostly linked to the specific task of creating
charts, tables or graphs, in digital format. Graphics design thus falls under the broader field of graphic design.

Graphic design however includes the whole process of coming up with ideas and concepts where you do not necessarily
always design for digital purposes as the result.

Know the difference!

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Typography
Typography, the topic we will delve into today will become your new best friend as soon as you get to know and
understand it.

You have heard of the term typography before but you’re not 100% sure of what it means. Let’s break it up to try
understanding the word better. The first two syllables are ty-po and the last two syllables are gra-phy. Typo or type would
link to the process of using letters, numbers and punctuation marks to form words and sentences. Basically, relating to
the process of writing, right?

Graphy links to the process of graphing, drawing or creating images. This would then mean that typography relates to the
process of using, creating and designing with type.

I’m sure all of you have made use of typography in most forms, from typing a message to writing an essay. With the advent
of the digital age, we can even go as far and change the font of the type on your computer or digital device – technically,
without realising it, you have been designing with typography!

Basic typographic terms

To fully appreciate typography, we will need to investigate terms to familiarise ourselves with.

I will touch on the basic and most crucial terms in this lesson.

The first term, typeface is also known as a font family. Very important: typeface should not be confused with the term font.

Examples of typefaces or font families

An example would be: Times New Roman, or Arial. Most people incorrectly refer to these as fonts, where in fact, they are
actually typefaces or font families.

Examples of fonts

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So, if Times New Roman is a font family, that would make Times New Roman 25pts regular a font as well as Times New
Roman 20pts Bold another font. The moment you change one aspect of a typeface, it becomes another font.

Another important term that you need to familiarise yourself with is Leading, pronounced as “ledding”. Leading is also
known as line spacing and determines the distance between each line of type.

Examples of leading

Kerning, also known as letterspacing relates to adjusting the spacing between pairs of letters to create uniformity. An
example can be the letters T & i in the word Time. By simply moving the i closer to the T is creates uniformity within the
word.

Example of Kerning

Tracking links to improving the legibility and to fit more or less text into a given space. It is usually applied to a block of
text as a whole and not just single letters. You will mostly make use of tracking when designing.

Examples of tracking

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Hyphenation is when a word gets cut off due to its length and position. Apply hyphenation only to your body copy and not
to your headings, subheadings and contact details.

Example of hyphenation

Mistakes to avoid
There is no excuse to make these mistakes once you are informed, so avoid them at all costs.

The first mistake is poor use of typefaces, I will show you examples of orphan and widows when designing with type. We
will learn what a river in graphic design terms are and how to avoid them. The 4th mistake, you should be well familiar with
by now and it relates to having no margins. Mistake five is having a cluttered or busy background, mistake six is making
use of corny borders & bullets. Our 3rd last mistake you are also familiar with and it links to stretching your images. The 2 nd
last mistake, which we also discussed in lesson 1 is to try and fill all spaces. Lastly is to avoid plagiarism. Let’s look at
these mistakes in more detail.

Poor use of typefaces

Know and understand the mood and message your typeface conveys. If you struggle with this, get some input and ask
your friends, family or colleagues to give their opinion.

This option on the right immediately has a more relaxing mood and does not make you as uncomfortable as the example
on the left. Using the wrong typeface has dire consequences so learn to understand your typefaces and the feelings they
convey.

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In addition to determining the mood of a typeface, make sure that you adhere to a limited number of typefaces as to not
overwhelm your audience. The size of your typeface is also very important. Legibility is key at the end of the day.

Orphans & widows

What do orphans and widows refer to in Graphic design terms? These mistakes normally happen in your body copy and
thus a lot of people tend to miss them when proofing their artwork. We normally focus so much on the headings that we
miss the small mistakes. An orphan is a single line of text at the bottom of a page and a widow is a single line of text at the
top of a page and thus separating it from its paragraph. Don’t separate single lines of text or words from their paragraphs.

How do we avoid widows and orphans? By adjusting your tracking and leading which I will show you in our last InDesign
demo soon for Module 1.

Rivers
A river is yet another term used in graphic design relating to large bodies of copy. Have you ever read a book or article and
found this gap in-between the lines of type that you just simply can’t avoid? Something line this?

Your eyes keep seeing it even if you are not looking for or at it.
This happens when we justify body copy and can be avoided by simply adjusting the tracking of the whole paragraph.

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No margins
As I have been saying since the start of this module, having very narrow or even no margins are the first sign to identify an
amateur. The reason why they should be avoided is that it can cut off valuable information, especially when you print a
document.

Also, leaving white spaces around your edges makes the document seem less cluttered.

Cluttered background
A cluttered background refers to any distracting background that equally competes for attention. You background should
be as its name implies: in the background.

Ask yourself whether it has any value to bring to your artwork and if you can’t think of any reason, rather have no
background.

Corny border & bullets

A border’s goal is to enhance certain elements. Having a big fat and corny border will certainly not draw attention to the
content inside it. Corny bullets like lightning strike symbols, smiley faces or peace signs will also scream amateur, so
please avoid them.

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As with corny borders, they are selfish in that they do not draw attention to the point they are trying to make but rather
draw attention to themselves. Keep it simple and stick to plain hyphens, dots or small squares.

Distorted images
I don’t think I have to elaborate too much on this mistake as we have been learning how to avoid it since the get-go of this
module. Just don’t do it – ever!

Lack of negative space

The reason why people tend to add elements into every open space they can find is their fear of white space. If you can
recall from lesson 1, remember that negative space is an ELEMENT and that you can make use of it!

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Don’t plagiarise
The last mistake is one that can cost you your name and you can even end up in jail. Simply using Google images or any
other website to get access to images to add to your designs is illegal. This is known as plagiarism and it is a form of
stealing! If an image has a logo or watermark over it, it is there for a reason – even if you get rid or try and get rid of the
watermark, this is even more suspicious. And if it does not have any logos or watermarks on – don’t use it unless you have
permission from the author. Ask yourself how you would feel if someone took your designs that you spend so much time
on creating and have not given you any credit? Would you agree to this? Of course not! If you can’t find any solid proof
from the author to use an image, then simply don’t use it under any circumstances.

PLEASE make use of the sources offering free images and fonts I provided throughout this course and in your starter pack
and if you do, please also read the fine print. Most of the times, seeing as you get it for free, you will need to credit the
author or sometimes you might only use it for personal use.

Alternatively, you can be a hero and create your own designs! Just don’t ever steal from other creatives. It is outright
disrespectful and a criminal offence, no matter where you are in the world. If you’re not 100% sure that you are allowed to
use an image, then simply don’t use it – as simple as that.

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Adobe InDesign demo

In our last demo for Module 1 I would like to start off and show you how to get access to images legally. I feel that this is a
topic that needs a lot more attention as most beginners don’t even realise that they are plagiarising.

I will be making use of the same details we used to create Fred’s Coffee flyer but instead of having it all fit onto one page,
we will have a cover page, two inside pages and a back page. You’re more than welcome to use those details and it is
uploaded to your starter pack.

Let’s head on over to your internet browser first.

Downloading images for free on website will provide you with a link to credit the author/creator.

Please view the lesson recording for demo on creating a flyer in InDesign.

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Once you have created your brochure, it should look something like this. Can you notice how the elements and principles
have been successfully applied to this design? I hope you are excited to use InDesign after this demo!

Conclusion
So, what did we end off lesson 8 today with? Well, we did the anatomy of typography and learnt that type is more than just
communication. We looked at mistakes beginners tend to make and also found solutions on how to solve these problems!
And then we ended off with a rich InDesign demo that was packed full of content and new tricks. IF you think you have
mastered InDesign, wait until you can use it to design e-publications and e-books with videos and animations in!

You have officially completed module 1 and you are one step closer to obtain your professional diploma in Graphic Design!
I want to thank everyone for joining me on this journey! I hope to see you in Module 2!

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