Graphic Design Apprentice

Objective: The goal of this task is to develop a comprehensive brand identity for a fictitious company. You will create a logo, select a color palette, specify typography, and design a basic style guide. This task is intended to help you understand the core principles of visual branding and design consistency.

Expected Deliverables: A single PDF file that includes the designed logo, color palette, typography selections, and a detailed style guide that explains your design choices, usage guidelines, and elements layout. The document should be professional and clearly annotated with your rationale behind each decision.

Key Steps:

1. Research and select a fictitious company from any industry of your choice. Define its mission, values, and target audience.
2. Create a creative brief summarizing your findings and design goals.
3. Sketch initial ideas for the logo and refine your design using your preferred design software.
4. Select a color palette and typography that resonate with the brand's personality.
5. Compile your work into a professional PDF file with clear sections for each element of the brand identity.

Evaluation Criteria: Your submission will be evaluated based on creativity, alignment with the fictitious company’s objectives, adherence to design principles, clarity of the style guide, and overall coherence of the brand identity. You must demonstrate a thorough understanding of branding through detailed explanations and visual consistency, with a submission time estimated at 30 to 35 hours.

Objective: In this task, you will design a set of marketing collateral for a product or service offered by a fictitious company. Your design should include a flyer, business card, and brochure layout, showcasing your ability to create integrated promotional materials that uphold brand consistency.

Expected Deliverables: A final submission in a single PDF file containing high-quality designs for a flyer, a business card, and a brochure. Each element should be fully designed and ready for printing, including print-ready bleeds and margins. Additionally, include a one-page document detailing the creative process and design rationale.

Key Steps:

1. Select or create a fictitious company and product/service. Develop a brief outline of the product’s key features and market positioning.
2. Design each piece of collateral using suitable graphic design software, maintaining brand consistency across all materials.
3. Ensure the designs are optimized for both digital viewing and print production.
4. Organize your work into a cohesive PDF, integrating your design rationales, sketches, and final iterations.

Evaluation Criteria: Your work will be assessed based on your ability to maintain a consistent design language across multiple collateral, attention to layout and typography, originality, and clarity in explaining your design process. Task completion should take approximately 30 to 35 hours of focused work.

Objective: This task focuses on designing visuals for a social media campaign. You will create a series of digital graphics tailored for different social platforms, which include promotional posts, cover images, and story templates. The aim is to capture the essence of a campaign that drives engagement and brand awareness.

Expected Deliverables: A zip file containing all visual assets in high-resolution formats, along with a one-page PDF explaining your design choices, campaign theme, and how each visual element is optimized for the intended social media platform.

Key Steps:

1. Select a fictitious campaign theme and decide on a target audience. Write a brief campaign summary outlining the goals and key messages.
2. Create individual visuals designed specifically for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter using your design software.
3. Design a series of story templates and highlight covers that integrate with the overall campaign aesthetics.
4. Ensure each visual element adheres to optimal dimension specifications for each platform.

Evaluation Criteria: Submissions will be evaluated on creative storytelling, platform optimization, visual consistency, and clarity in the design philosophy. The final deliverables must demonstrate a strategic approach to social media marketing and take approximately 30 to 35 hours to complete.

Objective: For this task, you will design a mockup for a personal portfolio website that showcases your graphic design work. You will demonstrate your ability to create a clean, modern, and navigable website layout that highlights various projects and your design process. This project will help you develop presentation and web design skills crucial for a career in graphic design.

Expected Deliverables: A single PDF file containing the complete mockup of your portfolio website, with clear annotations describing each section (e.g., Homepage, About, Portfolio, Contact). Additionally, include a written explanation of your design choices, statements on user experience, and how each section of the site contributes to building your personal brand.

Key Steps:

1. Define the structure of your portfolio website with a sitemap and flowchart outlining navigation and page hierarchy.
2. Design wireframes for each section, then transform these into polished full-page mockups using your preferred design software.
3. Integrate visual elements that reflect your personal style and align with best practices in user experience and responsive design.
4. Prepare a detailed PDF document that includes your designs and annotations explaining the functionality and design rationale.

Evaluation Criteria: Your submission will be judged on overall aesthetic appeal, usability, the logical layout of content, effective communication of your design process, and originality in presentation. This task is designed to simulate a real-world scenario and will require approximately 30 to 35 hours to complete.