Teaching Visual Journalism – Design
Online lessons from Nicole Arduini and Adam Dawkins, Regis Jesuit HS
Hey there! We are going to learn all about what it takes to create visually stunning publications. We will look at how the pros do it and how student media does it, then we will critique the latest issue of Elevate Magazine!
Step 1: Watch this presentation about the elements of visual journalism and take notes:
Visual Journalism Presentation Presented by Mrs. Arduini (Links to an external site.)
Here is the PDF of the presentation so you can use it to reference: VISUAL JOURNALISM Presentation.pdf
Step 2: Now, using the issue 5.2 of Elevate Magazine – If you don’t have a copy at home here is the link to view online- critique the elements of visual journalism you just learned about. Answer the following questions:
Answer the following questions:
1. How did the magazine use contrast in their design? Examples: color to produce contrast, size contrast, focus or not in focus)
2. What elements of Repetition do you see? (theme or elements from page to page, coherence to achieve a consistent theme. How much repetition and how much variety do you want?)
3. Is there a noticeable difference between the “Display Type” and “Body Copy?” (Think story headlines and stories)
4. Does the magazine effectively use hierarchy to organize the content?
5. Does the typographical choices reinforce the design theme and aesthetics?
6. What do you like most about the magazine?
7. Are their areas that could use improvement?
8. What are some story ideas that you have for the next issue?
Visual Journalism Assignment #2
Step 1: Go to issuu.com and look at magazines like “GQ” and “Wired”
Step 2: When you find one of the required elements of visual journalism in the checklist below, take a screenshot of it and add it to your “notebook.” Your notebook is just a collection of screenshots you build in Notability.
Step 3: Label the screenshot you added to your notebook (in Notability) with the name of the element that screenshot demonstrates.
Step 4: Submit your finished Notebook of labeled screenshots to this assignment!
Here is the link to presentation we did in class about visual journalism: VISUAL JOURNALISM Presentation.pdf
Here is link to a video presentation about Layout & Composition.