Graphic Design Principles Lesson Plan for 9th Grade Students

Topic: Graphic Design Principles

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to define and explain the basic principles of graphic design, including unity, balance, contrast, space, and proportion.

Materials

• Handout describing the basic principles of graphic design (unity, balance, contrast, space, and proportion)
• Examples of graphic designs that demonstrate these principles

Warm-up

• Have students look at a variety of different graphic designs (posters, advertisements, websites, etc.) and ask them to think about how the designs might have been created, considering the use of different elements and their placement on the page or screen.
• As a class, discuss some of the different elements that might be used in a graphic design (colors, shapes, lines, fonts, etc.).

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of graphic design principles, explaining that these are guidelines or rules that designers use to create effective and appealing designs.
• Discuss the importance of these principles, explaining that they help to ensure that a design is legible, understandable, and aesthetically pleasing.
• Provide examples of each of the principles and have students brainstorm how they might be applied in a real-world design.

Guided Practice

• Provide students with a set of graphic designs (e.g. advertisements, book covers, websites) and have them identify and discuss how the designers have applied the principles of graphic design.
• As a class, create a list of the principles that are evident in the examples provided.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose a topic or project that interests them and that requires the use of graphic design.
• Have them create a project that demonstrates their understanding of the principles of graphic design. This could be a poster, a brochure, a website, or another form of graphic design.

Closure

• Have students share their projects with the class and discuss the design choices they made and how they used the principles of graphic design in their project.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice portion of the lesson and provide feedback on their use of closure, alignment, and balance in their projects.
• Administer a written test at the end of the lesson to assess student understanding of the principles of graphic design and their use in different types of visual communication.