Active learning ideas
Creating promotional materials is a practical application of both design principles and technical software skills. This topic tasks 6th Year students with designing flyers, posters, and brochures for specific target audiences. They learn to combine text and graphics to communicate a clear, persuasive message that meets a specific goal.
Activity 01
Students act as a design agency responding to a client brief for a local festival flyer. They must present their initial sketches to the 'client' (the teacher or another group) and get feedback before starting the digital design.
How do we tailor a design for a specific audience?
Activity 02
Stations focus on specific software skills: one for managing layers, one for advanced text box formatting, and one for image cropping and transparency. Groups rotate to master each technique.
What are the key elements of an effective promotional flyer?
Activity 03
Students are given a product (e.g., a new sports drink) and two different target audiences (e.g., teenagers vs. retirees). They discuss in pairs how the design of a promotional poster would differ for each.
How do we manage layers and text boxes?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
You should put as much information as possible on a flyer.
A flyer should be concise and focused on a single call to action. Peer-led 'editing' sessions where students have to cut 50% of the text from a draft can help them see the power of brevity.
Any image from the internet is fine to use.
Students must understand copyright and the importance of using high-resolution, royalty-free images. A collaborative investigation into 'Creative Commons' can help clarify legal and quality issues.
Methods used in this brief
Principles of Visual Design
An exploration of basic design principles such as balance, contrast, and white space. Students will evaluate existing publications to understand effective layout strategies.
8 methodologies
Digital Presentations
This topic focuses on creating engaging slide presentations for professional or academic use. Students will learn to use animations, transitions, and multimedia elements appropriately.
8 methodologies