Graphic Design for Libraries: Designing materials for your library, from image editing to social media

Are you involved in programming and services or tasked with promoting the library via social media and other engagement tools like printable material? Are you interested in learning design principles and the tools and skill needed to create beautiful designs?

This course will provide you with the basics of design principles, standards and skills along with the practical application needed to understand design and apply it. Learners will be able to apply the concepts learned to their own library and community by creating designs that communicate library programs and services well to their users.

By the end of the course learners will:

• Understand design principles and standards that help make creative decisions
• Transfer knowledge of design to the library field, identifying best strategies in creating designs for your audience
• Utilize new skills of imaging and layout

Design isn’t just for designers. Learning basic design principles will help provide practical solutions to promote your library well and communicate better with your library users.

Course Description: This four-week course will include two interactive online sessions:

• Wednesday, August 31, 12-1:15pm Pacific
• Wednesday, September 14, 12-1:15pm Pacific

Please make every effort to ensure that you are able to attend these two meetings before enrolling in the course. If this is not possible, archived recordings will be made available.

In addition to the scheduled sessions, learners will participate in activities and discussion forums, with an opportunity to share your experiences. You will engage by sharing your design creations and discussing relevant topics that effect design. The instructor will provide resources, best practices, application activities and useful tips and techniques.

Course Outline: When you log in to the Infopeople online learning site, you will see weekly modules with these topics:

• Week 1: Elements and Principles of Design
  • How elements work with principles to shape design
  • Various types of design
  • Tools for creating designs
• Week 2: Training Your Eye: Applying the Rule of Thirds, Spacing, and Color Theory
  • Focal points
  • Training your eye for design
  • Image editing applying the rule of thirds
• Week 3: Design for Your Audience and by Design Type
  • Target your audience
  • Formatting by design type
  • Image quality and resolution
• Week 4: Layout Design for Print, Web, and Social Media
  • Editing images to fit formats
  • Create a design from scratch
  • How target audiences effect your layout

Time Required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend 2 ½ hours per week, for a total of ten course hours.

Who Should Take This Course: Design for Libraries is for those involved in programming and services or tasked with promoting the library via social media and other engagement tools like printable material. It is for anyone interested in learning design principles and the tools and skill needed to create beautiful designs.

Learner Requirements: Learners should have a basic understanding of word processing, internet browsing, and basic application of camera use and creating social media posts. These basic skills will translate well as you learn how to apply design skills.

Applications required: Microsoft Word or Google Docs, Canva (free version), Gimp (free) OR Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, or other advanced photo editor.

Not required but beneficial: A free application such as Hootsuite or Later. A tutorial on social media scheduling will be given as a bonus. An illustration-based application such as Vecteezy or Inkscape and video editing from Youtube. Adobe Spark for free for video editing.

Are you a member of ARSL or do you work in a tribal library? If so, you may be able to sign up for a free seat in this course. Limit is five free seats per course. Make your request here and if a free seat is available you will be notified.