Introduction

The five month course in desktop publishing and design is a comprehensive course incorporating design principles and desktop publishing techniques. The course is aimed at students wishing to pursue careers as print designers and finished artists. Emphasis is placed on practical skills as well as the importance of conceptualisation, best practice in design and effective use of the relevant computer applications.

The course begins with an introduction to the computer environment and then takes the student through the most widely used print and new media applications. At the end of the course, students leave with an extensive and varied portfolio of work and the technical expertise required in the design industry.

To give students real-world skills and to encourage best practice, the learning environment is run as closely as it can be to a professional design studio. Students follow the design process from research and conceptualisation through to finished product. They explore ideas, learn the importance of planning, professionalism and teamwork, and they learn how to assess good design as their technical abilities develop. Lectures are given by industry professionals and projects are presented as real briefs with input from practicing designers and clients. Evaluation occurs regularly and is based on a student's technical knowledge, design ability and personal performance.

Course content

1. Image manipulation using Adobe Photoshop
   Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard application used for retouching, colour-correcting and manipulating images. It is probably the most widely used application across all design disciplines as most designs contain some form of imagery. Teaching begins with a light-hearted approach to photo manipulation and develops to demonstrate techniques used in the creation of book covers and CD artwork.
2. Page layout and typography using Adobe InDesign and QuarkXpress
   Eye-catching layout and well-crafted type are the primary requirements for good design. Through paper-based exercises students learn the fundamentals of layout and typography, which they then apply to the creation of newsletters, brochures and sophisticated magazine, spreads using Adobe InDesign.
3. Corporate identity and packaging with Adobe Illustrator
   Adobe Illustrator is a popular and versatile drawing application used to generate digital graphic artwork. Project-based exercises give students the opportunity to use the application in the context of the key disciplines of corporate identity and packaging design.
4. Illustration using Macromedia Freehand
   Students use Adobe Freehand to explore illustration for promotional items such as posters and point of sale products.
5. Repro and print with Adobe Acrobat
   Much of the success of a design lies in its reproduction and print. Students acquire a thorough knowledge of colour, resolution, paper and printing techniques through lectures and exposure to the printing industry.

At the end of the course students integrate all the work they have produced into their own digital portfolios and a group exhibition.

Five Month Desktop Publishing Course:
7 Jul - 21 Nov 2008
Monday to Friday
9:00 am - 1:00 pm