Speaking of visual design

This week's class reminded of an assignment I had given my 8th grade students a few years ago. We were studying media literacy at the time. I was teaching them how images could be persuasive- how you can make people look noble or cowardly, good or bad, warm or cold- using certain visual techniques. I assigned my students to create their own graphics in Fireworks for the person they were researching in Social Studies. At the time, I vowed to never give the assignment again- the process was too lengthy and the outcome relied on design skills I hadn't really taught them. All the same, I like looking at their graphics. Here are some of my favorites:



Having reviewed the principles of design, I'm more likely to give this assignment again. Perhaps to my English students if we can compact the other curriculum. More likely to my Computer Applications students. I think I'll teach them the four basic principles outlined by Robin Williams in The Non-Designer's Design Book: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. They'll love the acronym.