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Today’s Class

• Introduction to Assessment 2
• Web Design – Photoshop Workshop (in class)

Assessment 2 – Design a GUI

This assessment is a combined assessment for: Create User Interfaces, Visual Design Components, Information and Meta-tags!

Design a Graphic User Interface. You can choose to design for a Website or App.

First: think about a project. What do you want the GUI to be for? Think about a client scenario, who is your client and what is the purpose of the site or app? What do you want the user to do after visiting it?

Develop sketches and refine your design in Photoshop.

You will need 4 pages (example Website: home, about us, portfolio, …)

Make sure to include:

• Patform consideration – basically decide on the output platform and write it down
• Dimensions – at what size will the user view your GUI?
• Target Audience – Visit class 3 for ‘Visual Design Components’ for ideas on how to develop your target audience.
• Influences – ‘screenshot after screenshot’, capture screenshots of influences, look up sites that influenced you.
• UCD considerations, design your GUI around User Centred Design considerations
• Follow a step by step approach for your design process – Visit class 2 for ‘Visual Design Components’ for examples of a design process

Web Design – Photoshop Workshop

In-class workshop. We will look at how to apply a grid system to a website design.

1. Access the 960 Grid System site: http://960.gs/ and download their 960 Grid System Templates by pressing the ‘Big ol’ Download Button’. This will start the download of a comprehensive folder by Nathan Smith with 960 Grid System templates and plug-ins for Photoshop, DreamWeaver and many other programs.
2. In template>Photoshop open the 960_grid_12_col template
3. Save the file under a new name and in your class folder.
4. Make sure the guides are visible (Command+; or Ctrl+;)
5. Add horizontal guides (View>New Guide) at 245px, 255px, 265px, 500px, 510px, 520px, 755px, 765px, 775px and 1010px. Lock your guides (View>Lock Guides or Alt+Ctrl+;) These guides will make it easier to arrange your content and to allow for 10px margins.
6. Use the M (Rectangular Marquee) Tool to create spaces for a banner, text content, image content and a menu. Fill the spaces with colour (Shift+F5). Place each on individual layers. Name the layers (banner, text content, etc)
7. Place images (File>Place). Make sure that they are located on top of the layers with the colourboxes.
8. Create Clipping Masks: make sure the banner image sits on top of the banner layer (with the colour space). Have only the layer with the image selected and right click on the active layer (beside the name of the layer) and click on Create Clipping Mask. Your image should take on the dimensions of the layer  below. – Alternatively you could use the short cut Ctrl+Alt+G (Cmd+Alt+G).

The 960_grid_12_col template is based on 12 columns. You can then place your text and images over 1, 2, 3 or more columns. The grid system allows you to organise your website in a visually pleasing way.