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Creative Challenges
to Sharpen your Design Skills


These challenges are to exercise your creative side!  Enjoy and relax and be open to the possibilities.  

​"It’s critical that young people start flexing their creative muscles in order to take on the world's most complex challenges. "  Tim Brown

Help design a notepad for Great Valley

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Use the attached images to create a letterhead for a notepad that is 5.5 x 8.5


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hi res image to download
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Local Landscaping company needs a logo!


I Think, Therefore I Shop

"We can learn that reward comes in creation and re-creation, no just in the consumption of the world around us. Active participation in the process of creation is our right and our privilege. We can learn to measure the success of our ideas not by our bank accounts by their impact on the world."  Tim Brown
You've been asked to plan and create a retail store that sells ideas instead of physical, take-away objects.  In your explorations, consider naming, overall branding and signage.  
Exactly what kinds of ideas would exist there and how would they be made manifest for 'purchase"?  How would you approach constructing such and experience?  What role would design take in making it?  How would you want visitors to change sheri behavior after visiting such a place?

Never Tear Us Apart

There is definitely a specific style that accompanies music poster design:  Sleek Illustrator art touch up with a bit of grit, merged with hand drawn type that precisely fits into well defined shapes.  
Create a poster for a rock concert in Philly.  Instead of planning and executing your design via pencil or  traditional software,  make the poster complete out of torn things, pieces of paper, solid objects, found elements and collage.  You can scan things and collage them into Photoshop to put it all together.  
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Totally Cereal

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Write one or two sentences describing a new type of breakfast cereal.  Include a brand name, audience and type of store where this product will be sold. You product idea must have at least on unique dietary texture that sets it apart from similar cereal (organic, sustainablely grown, whole gran...


​Mr. Blue...create a magazine cover

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Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue.  Design the masthead and the cover of a new magazine dedicated solely to the things that are associated with the color blue.  Consider the magazine name, suggestions for art direction and what kinds of article you think the editor should include.
Don't restrict yourself to literal interpretation.  Feel free to branch your design ideas out into what kinds of people, places and feelings or emotions may be conceptually related to BLUE


Storybook Ending

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Once upon a time there was a designer who wanted to create a children's book.  She was an expert at drawing and painting in olds but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't come up with the right plot for the book of her dreams...
SKETCH out a ten to twelve panel storyboard for a book geared toward children ages three to seven.  




​Organize your working process as follows to make your plot decisions more intuitive:
1.  Spend ten minutes brainstorming an overall plot for the book.

Summarize the arc of the story in a sentence.
2.  Over the next ten minutes come up with rough sketched of the visual direction and write some copy describing how the story would play out over twenty to twenty four pages
​3. Use the rest of your time to tighten up your storyboards and tease out a moral.

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Printed and Sewn

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You've been asked by a local fashion designer to create her stationery system.  This designer specialize in stitching her own patterns over vintage clothes found at estate sales.  In you stationery materials, you must incorporate hand stitched thread.  
​For some more inspiration, check out GV grad Sarah Detweiler's work: https://www.sarahdetweiler.com/embroidery-painting


I'm Feeling Really, Really Lucky

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If a picture is worth a thousand words, an interface is worth a thousand pictures.  Execute the following instructions to the letter:
1.  Turn on the radio
2.  Write down the third and fourth words within the first complete sentence you her from the announcer or in a song.  
3.  Type those world into the google search engine
4.  Hit the  "I'm Feeling Lucky" button
5.   Redesign the user interface
​A good way to approach this exercise would be to start with a rough inventory of all the content that is displayed.  Sketch improvements with a pencil and paper for the navigation only.  Move from navigation to consideration of how the content in organized.  


Create an Infographic!

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Visually interpret written statistical information. Info Graphics is one of the core practices for a graphic designer. Basically, it is the art of relaying collected information by way of simple, clear, and understandable visualpresentation.

You must create your chart/graph without the use of photographs. Concept is key to success with this assignment. This means that you must think outside of typical bars, lines and pie charts. The visual elements must complement the information. For example: If I were to do a graph on the building of high-rise condos on the beach, I may choose to substitute the arrows and bars for condosor hotels.

Possible Directions
ADHD in childrenPoverty levels
Education vs. Experience Public School test scores Diabetes related to age

graphicdesignlevel4informationgraphics.pdf
File Size: 589 kb
File Type: pdf
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Choose a topic you are deeply interested in and create an infographic on the topic.  Ideas:
  • research an environmental issue (such as specific endangered animals, comparing electric vehicles to gas vehicles, panda bears,water conservancy, etc. )
  • create an info graphic on "the path to graduation". Shows credit requirements and other options.
  • create a skills based resume as info graphics , would provide lots of information.
  • Technology information over time like cell phone use, number users on different social media could also be interesting
  • your favorite soccer team
  • diet:   concern about sugary drinks in schools
  • old films....

Create one of the suns for CBS Sunday morning

Check out article here:  ​https://www.phillymag.com/news/2019/01/28/cbs-sunday-morning-suns/

Re-Design and Nike shoe

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Follow along in Photoshop with Seth Fowler:  Today I’m sketching and rendering my idea of what an OFF-WHITE Nike Air Jordan 3 sneaker might look like! I based my design on the Off White Nike sneakers that are already available and Virgil Abloh ’s body of work for Off White. In this video I show you How to Draw a Nike shoe, more specifically How to Draw an Air Jordan Sneaker. Check out the video to learn more!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRPqzVxrUZM

all-grad-cards-from-photographyplanet.zip
File Size: 20915 kb
File Type: zip
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Illustrate a news story...wordlessnews

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Illustrate a news story that inspires you.  Check out the website:
​http://wordlessnews.com/


Update a famous painting

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Find a famous painting and use Adobe Photoshop to do a modern twist on it.  Use layers and layer styles to color it or filters.  Make sure the original painting is recognizable.

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Product Mockup in Photoshop

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ipad-mockup-template.psd
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Practice your skills by creating a variety of mockups for a fictitious company.  Use the clipping mask to clip your information into any of the templates.  Edit>transform and make it fit into the template
https://www.mockupworld.co​
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Illustrate a 6 word story

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This one comes courtesy of Ernest Hemingway who famously wrote, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Your own story doesn’t have to be so dark or so big, but try to boil something meaningful to you down to just six words. Then try to write one every day for a week.  Illustrate it in Photoshop
​#sixwordstory


Design a One Line Logo 

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One Line Logo: Philadelphia Zoo
An owl clinging to a tree branch. A woman's face framed by a dove. The whimsical shape of a painter's loyal dog...
When leafing through the pencil sketches of Pablo Picasso it is easy to be inspired by his fluid use of line. By reducing each visual ideas to a single line he was able to explore a wealth of artistic possibilities.


CHALLENGE: You've been asked to submit an identity design for the Philadelphia Zoo   The initial sketch of your logo must be composed from a single, unbroken line. Once you've placed your pen down on the paper you can't take it off the page until the logo is complete. Don't go back for corrections- embrace mistakes!

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Hello...my name is

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Spend ten minutes answering the following questions: “What are my three strengths as a designer? My weaknesses? What’s my favorite color? What designers do I love? What design work do I enjoy? What kind of work do I want to do in the future?” Then design a logo for yourself that is clearly informed by your off-the-cuff responses. Be sure to stick to the time limit provided—don’t cheat! 



It Sounds Better on Vinyl:   90 minutes...packaging

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Tune the radio to your local variety or mix radio station.  Write down the name of the first artist you recognize.  You're now designing the LP cover of their latest greatest hits collection.  In your design execution of the cover you must have a photograph that transitions into an illustration or vice versa.


Mind Bending Surreal Photography To Jumpstart Your Creativity

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Surreal photography has been around for quite some time, with the first surreal photography exhibition dating all the way back to 1925 which featured the photography of Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, and others. In modern times surrealism has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity thanks to advancements in camera technology and post processing techniques such as digital photography and powerful editing programs like Photoshop.
And, though the way we create surreal photography has changed, the core aesthetic has remained the same: to create an almost dreamlike world where the mind is put to task understanding the unknown and, oftentimes, impossible.
Tap into your imagination and unleash your wild ideas by getting started in the world of surreal photography.
Check them out here:  http://photographypla.net/20-mind-bending-examples-surreal-photography-jumpstart-creativity/photographypla.net/20-mind-bending-examples-surreal-photography-jumpstart-creativity/



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Texture Portraits

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Using Photoshop and images found on the web or better yet...TAKEN by you, create a self portrait.  Upload a photo of yourself then begin cutting and "pasting" in photoshop to create skin tones and hair.  Think about a neutral color for the background.  This is great for improving your selecting skills in Photoshop.

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Design a Grad announcement

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Use these templates to create your own graduation announcement!


all-grad-senior-overlays-from-photographyplanet.zip
File Size: 96632 kb
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Create a design for a piece of clothing based on a painting...

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Find or create a painting that inspires you.  Once you have the image create a dress, shirt, skirt or pants based on the painting

pattern for dress
File Size: 25 kb
File Type: gif
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2nd option for dress
File Size: 31 kb
File Type: gif
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Mythology: Illustrate a Greek myth using Photoshop or Illustrator

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Put your creative imaginations to work. Use your expertise and enthusiasm to create an illustration based on the famous adventures of the Greek heros and heroines. Stories rich in details and adventures include: Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece, the Labors of Hercules, the adventures of Theseus, or Odysseus and the Cyclops. Choose a favorite story and note the details you wish to include in the illustration.

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Lick it Good

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You've been asked by your county's post office to design a series of six commemorative postage stamps that celebrate energy conservation.  For your stamp designs, choose an illustration style from one of the following types:
Collage:  All elements cobbled together from found images and text
Stippled:   Illustrations comprised entirely of pinpoint dots that form specific shapes.
Painterly:  Work with brushes and paint layers in photoshop that relies on softness of line for its effect.
Photo-realistic: Use photography and digital type as the foundation of your design.
Folk art:  The design is comprised of colored and patterned paper shaped into form and type.


Spray Paint Wars

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Come up with a name for a new clothing company whose work is inspired by street art, then design a logo for your company in a graffiti style.  Once the logo is complete create a clothing sales tag.

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I'm drawing a Blank

"The single most overlooked element in visual design is emptiness."
—Alexander W. White, The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Typeem>
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You were recently hired by a paint company to help them with a rebranding effort. For your first project, they would like you to design a 9" x 12" (23cm x 30cm) folder that will hold a revamped press kit and other collateral. Your client has given only one mandatory direction: The folder must have at least 90 percent white showing in the overall design.  




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White space… the final frontier. These are the voyages of the graphic designer. Our mission: to bring balance and grace to an otherwise overloaded layout. To seek out opportunities to pare away excess and focus on what’s necessary. To boldly convey the appropriate conceptual idea to our audience.
Our quest for bold use of white space is what makes the following challenge so difficult—and the results that come out of it so rewarding.


Create a Photo Hunt

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Open a photo of yours and change some things.  Create a Photo Hunt for the changes.  
Make a list on the page so that when we print it, fellow students can find them.

Use the clone tool and the content aware command to take things away
change colors of objects
Use the type tool to change or add to text

Have fun

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  • Home
  • Holiday Cards
  • Creativity Challenges
  • Graphic Design Two
    • Logo Design
    • App icon design
    • Package Design
    • Poster Design
    • Photoshop Projects
    • Illustrator Projects
  • AD Design
    • Logo Design
    • Corporate ID
    • Brochure/menu Design
    • Promotional Projects
    • Advertising details