Where to Start with Graphic Design
Canva is a graphic
design website that has a robust library of templates and customizable elements
for anything – social media posts, bulletins, flyers, newsletters, infographics
– you name it, they have templates for it! It’s free to create an account and
can be used anywhere. Adobe programs are available for use in the Digital
Learning Lab (on the third floor of the Library, room 3132). Adobe Express
offers a lot of templates and might be the easiest program to jump into if you
aren't familiar with Adobe programs. Photoshop and Indesign are professional
standard programs for graphic design and offer the most versatility, but they
have a steep learning curve. Adobe does offer walkthrough tutorials for all of
their programs though, so if you want to learn how to use them, there are lots
of resources. The other great thing about Adobe is that you also have access
to their massive library of fonts and graphics through the DLL computers.
It’s helpful to start by thinking
through the purpose behind design and why it’s important. Understanding why it
matters helps ground the approach to design and communications in the church’s
identity. Here are some resources about design and branding for churches.
· The Role of Graphic Design in the Church with Emily Carlton – this podcast is a great starting point to think through the
“why” and importance of design
· Why Church Branding Matters – and How to Do It
· Church Branding: What Your Mission Looks Like
Here are a few articles about
design basics and principles. There’s some overlap in the information, but
each article also links out to different, more detailed resources that may be
useful.
· Design 101: Graphic Design Basics
· 8 Basic Design Principles for Graphics - This is from Adobe and provides links to Adobe Express
templates and features!
· 20 Design Elements and Principles – This is from Canva and talks through a lot of different options
for graphic design with great examples and explanations
· Web Design Basics
· Your Ultimate Guide to Understanding Typography
Finally, Canva offers free
instructional courses for graphic design. They have a whole library of free
courses. Here are two that will help get you
started with designing your own projects.
· Graphic Design Basics
· Typography and Layout