Digital Media Production with Adobe Creative Suite (Online)

Learner hours: 20

Our 4-day course will provide hands-on step-by-step instruction guiding you through these well-known applications. You will learn valuable skills and tools to turn your imagination into reality.

Whilst you explore and unlock your creativity you will learn the fundamental differences of these packages, appropriate uses or which application is best suited for particular tasks, as well as how they work together and complement each other to give you the best results. This short course will also stimulate your interest for further exploration of Adobe Creative Suite applications.

Day One - Illustrator

The session will cover: Introduction to tools and interfaces, creating and editing simple artwork and designs (individual brand identity). Interactive discussion about: What is a brand? What are the elements that make the brand? What is the logo's role in the brand?

• Identify project requirements
• Establish target audience and needs
• Define media format and publishing requirements
• Learning about the tools
• Drawing and creating shapes
• Design tips and tricks using Adobe Illustrator
• Integration of Illustrator with the rest of Creative Suite
• Save illustrations for both print and web purposes
• Optimise artwork for print and web
• The root of drawing in Illustrator
• Create a logo using simple shapes
• Package assets
• User interface
• Identify user interface elements
• Create and select Workspaces
• Navigate and zoom documents
• Add and delete Artboards

Exercise

• Create shapes
• Create a heart, mushroom, silhouette, clouds,
• From sketch (hand-drawn ideas) to vector
• Design a logo

Day Two - Photoshop

The session will cover: Introduction to the basics of image editing and design - image resizing, resolution, colour correction, using type and colours, and basic image editing techniques. Interactive discussion on using images, sourcing appropriate images, using images appropriately (what kind of image to use for different design situations).

• Interface environment and tools
• Cropping and rotating
• Tools
• Layers
• Text & typography
• Colour adjustment
• Filters
• Colours, painting & basic retouching
• Colour modes
• Image resizing & resolution
• Saving files
• Packaging assets
• User interface
• Identify user interface elements
• Create and select Workspaces
• Navigate and zoom documents
• Add and delete Artboards

Exercise

• Textures
• Create abstract banner/background
• Use smart objects (why use them and how to edit them)

Day Three - InDesign

The session will cover: Introduction to the basics of tools and the software interface, create a range of different documents (business cards, cv, etc.), page-layouts, combining text, images and graphics into professional document designs.

• Interface environment and tools
• Text & Typography & Styles
• Graphics & Images
• Tools
• Multi-section documents
• Styles
• Image and text frames
• Layout, grids, guides
• Setting up documents (Bleeds/Slugs)
• Save and Export PDFs
• Preparing files for printer's
• Packaging assets
• User interface
• Setting InDesign Preferences
• Create and select Workspaces
• Layers
• Add and delete Pages

Exercise

• Exploring and creating simple layouts
• Using Type
• Create cv
• Create business card
• Create presentations (for business/ clients/ proposals etc.)

Day Four - Linking and incorporating all the tools and skills

• Interactive discussion (exploring your individual business or entrepreneurial design needs)
• Re-cap (of the 3 days)
• Questions
• Putting all the skills learned together to prepare a cv, business cards, letterheads and introductory-level marketing material

Exercise

• Morning: CV, Business card/letterhead
• Afternoon: Marketing material.

At the end of the course, learners should have:

• Confidence using the software
• Knowledge of software tools
• Knowledge of appropriate use for each individual software (Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)
• Knowledge of designing a newsletter and poster

This course is for those with a keen interest in creativity and designing digital media.

Mode of delivery: Online

All our online courses are taught remotely using Zoom. The tutor will be delivering the class live and importantly providing feedback and answer any questions you may have during the lesson. You will need a pc or mac laptop. You will be given full instructions after you enrol on how to log on to Zoom so you can attend the course.

Prerequisites

To be able to maintain the pace of this course you should:

• Have PC skills that are above a basic level
• Have some experience using programs such as Word or Photoshop.
• Be expected to navigate files and folders on a computer and understand how to use Googles Search Engine

Key Staff

Course Tutor

Rea de Matas

Booking deadlines

Bookings for all Creative Arts Short Courses will be reviewed two weeks before the start date of each course. This will allow the Short Course team to determine whether a course has met the minimum number of students needed for the class to run. If a class has failed to recruit, the class will be re-scheduled and you will be informed. Where relevant you will be offered an alternative class. If the course has met minimum numbers, bookings will stay open to the course start date or until it has met maximum numbers.

We encourage you to book early before the deadline to avoid disappointment.

Bookings for all short courses need to be made online through our online booking system before a course commences. You cannot enroll or attend a class on the day the course starts.

Cancellations

If for any reason you change your mind about joining us after you have accepted the offer, you have a legal right to cancel your contract to study with us within 14 days. This cancellation period therefore ends at the end of 14 days after the day on which you accepted our offer. Find further details of our cancellation terms here.