How to Write a Good Great Resume

Hello Students,

Having a solid resume is the cornerstone to your job future. A well written and well designed resume is what sets you apart from other job applicants. A perfectly written job application, a quality resume and a list of positive references is the job seekers trifecta. In this class we will teach you these skills and more. Below is a list of writing tips, read over it before finalizing your resume.

Link, right click to download: ROP PORTFOLIO HANDBOOK

Resume Writing Tips:

Have an objective:

Know the purpose of your resume and edit it for different job scenarios. Having a focused job objective listed on your resume will help you with attaining an interview and getting hired.

Back up your special skills with job experience:

List your skills but make sure your listed job experience, training or education reflects those skills. Are you really good at making websites? Let them know how and where you learned that skill.

Research and use the right keywords:

Every industry has its own language, research job offerings and pay attention to the keywords that are used. If you put your resume online with a job placement service they will often use certain keywords to search their database for potential hires.

Be descriptive with job experience:

A job title will communicate your role, but not the details of your work experience. List the duties, tasks, activities, skills and achievements that were part of your job.

Format your text:

Use bold text to start each section. Use bullets for lists. Make the document easy to quickly scan and read. Clarity of format is crucial, you have ten seconds before the employer will move on to another applicant.

List most recent job experience first:

This also goes for education, list the most recent first. If your still in High School you can say "future class of 2012", or "Currently attending HS".

List most important skills first:

When writing out your skill list make the most important skills the first ones on the list. If you are applying for a web design job, list your web skills first. Change and edit this for different industries/jobs.

Leave out the obvious:

It is not necessary to add "available for interview" or "references available upon request". References are standard and expected, and of course you are available for an interview. Thats the whole point!

Avoid negativity:

Don't trash talk past employers or state that you didn't like a past job. Simply state that you were looking for future opportunities.

Go with what you got:

If you haven't had work experience yet, just list any summer jobs, volunteer experience etc. If you have hobbies that are relevant to the job you can list those. If you don't have a diploma or degree then just list your estimated date for completion.

Proofread your resume:

Have your neighbor or classmate read your resume. Sometimes the spellchecker doesn't catch typos. The more eyeballs that see your resume before it gets in the hands of the employer the better.

Although these resumes contain similar information, styles do vary.

- Mr.W

New Project: Create a Package Design and 3D Mockup

Hello Students,

Your new assignment is to create an original package design that can be printed and assembled into a 3 dimensional mockup.

Package Design Assignment Details:

• Search for template designs for packages, find one you like or make an original design. Try a google search for "package template(s)". Here is a link I found
• Outline or trace your template in Illustrator... note the tabs for gluing/taping together and the folding pattern
• Come up with a product idea and create a package design, front, back, sides, top and bottom
• Include product names, information, ingredients etc. Take time to create interesting designs or illustrations, use your color theory, typography and design skills in all aspects of the package
• All artwork must be original, no tracing or processing of photo's
• Your project will be graded on originality and complexity of your package design

Resources for inspiration:

Link: Packaging of the World

Link: Cool Hunter -  Power of the Package Design

Bonus Link: Vecteezy Free Package Templates in AI Format

Simple cereal box package template

Completed cereal package design

Have fun!

 - Mr.W

Watching and Writing Assignment: Helvetica The Movie

Hello Students,
Today we will be watching the documentary film: Helvetica, which is about the origin, uses and influence of the typeface Helvetica. Watch the film closely and take notes to use for your writing assignment.

Helvetica The Movie Watching / Writing Assignment:

• Where does Helvetica originate from? What country? 
• What does the original name mean? What is it's translation in English? 
• What year was Helvetica created? 
• What is the design style that Helvetica brought to popularity worldwide? 
• List the names of 3 different design styles or design movements that are discussed in the film. 
• Write about some of the insight about design you have taken away from the film. You can provide quotes if you like. 

ACTIVITIES:

• Where can examples of Helvetica be seen? Can you spot some examples on our own campus? Use your camera and take a picture of a few examples and include in your blog post. 
• Name 4 Designers that appear in the film. Look them up and show examples of their work, research and provide links to websites and any biographical information about them. Post the information to your blog. 

Getting Intimate With Typography: Hand Lettering

Hello Students,

Your next assignment will help you become familiar with letterforms. Your assignment is to hand letter your own name. You will sketch each letter and then scan the sketch and trace with Adobe Illustrator, add color and final touches before turning in.

Hand Lettering Assignment:

Use all the skills you have learned regarding color theory, typography and the principals and elements of design to create your own illustrated hand-lettering.

• Start by examining how your name looks in different fonts. Use Illustrator to make a few versions and think of an original way to modify or design your own letters
• Start sketching with pencil and paper, start with some small versions then try sketching each letter almost as big as the piece of paper
• Sketch out each letter and scan/photograph them, copy the images to your computer and use the File Menu>Place function to bring them into Adobe Illustrator
• Trace the letters with the pen or pencil tools. Remember to close your paths to fill with color correctly
• Assemble your final letters in order to spell out your name
• Apply color and backgrounds
• Post to your blog when complete
• For inspiration check out Letter Cult or this tutorial site about developing illustrative lettering skills 

Student Showcase: Hand Lettering

Digital Illustration Project: Using 1, 2 and 3 Point Perspective

Hello Students,

Your new assignment is to create a series of illustrations using perspective. You will create this artwork in Adobe Illustrator. Your drawing must be rich with detail and in full color. Poor effort on this assignment will result in a poor grade.

Digital Illustration with Perspective Assignment:

• Create a single-point perspective cube
• Create a two-point perspective cube
• Create a three-point perspective cube
• Choose a perspective and create an illustration, it could be the inside of your room or home, a building from the outside or several buildings in a city scape, or it could be a surreal illustration that used perspective. Must be in full color and well rendered.

About Perspective:

Of the many types of perspective drawings, 1,2 and 3 point perspectives are most common. The numbers refer to the amount of vanishing points in your perspective drawing. If you look along a straight road, the parallel sides of the road appear meet at a point in the distance. This point is called the vanishing point and has been used to add realism to art since the 1400's in Florence, Italy.

One-Point Perspective:

One single vanishing point is typically used for drawing roads, railroad tracks, hallways or buildings when viewed from the front. Any objects that are made up of lines that are directly parallel with the viewers line of sight or directly perpendicular can be represented with 1 point perspective.

Two-Point Perspective:

Two-point perspective can be used to draw the same objects as 1 point, but rotated. If you look at a house from the corner, instead of straight on as in 1 point perspective, one wall would recede towards one vanishing point and the other would recede towards the opposite vanishing point.

Three-Point Perspective:

This technique is usually used for drawing buildings as seen from above or below. In addition to the 2 vanishing points (one for each wall) there is a 3rd that shows how the walls recede into the ground. This 3rd vanishing point will be below the ground, if we were looking up at a building than that 3rd vanishing point would be up in the air.

OK, sound fun? No? Sounds hard? Well don't sweat it!! Illustrator has some awesome tools for drawing in perspective. Adobe Illustrator has Perspective Grids. Just navigate to to VIEWMENU / PERSPECTIVE GRID and then choose your one, two or three point perspective, click on the angle you want and create a shape, it will be aligned with the left, right or bottom side of your perspective grid.

Previous Student Work Examples:

Introduction to the Principals and Elements of Design

"People ignore design that ignores people." — Frank Chimero

Design elements are the basic units or building blocks of a visual image. The principles of design govern the relationships of the elements used and also organize the composition of a visual image as a whole. All imagery, art, design and photography alike, are comprised of elements that can be broken down and analyzed. 

Look over these posters, the first addresses the principals, the second addresses the elements and provide visual representation or examples of these concepts. Continue scrolling down for written explanations in more detail, there is an exercise at the bottom of this post as well to work on. Download or right-click on the images and choose "open in new window" to zoom in:

The Elements of Design

Space: Space refers to the distances or areas around, between or withing components of an image. It can exist in two or three dimensions. Space can refer to positive space(a shape, such as an apple) or negative space (the absence of an apple shape). It can also refer to elements in the foreground, mid or background of an image.

Line: Line is the basic element and refers to the continuous movement of a point along a surface, such as a pencil or brush. Line can also be created by the edges of other shapes. Lines can vary in length, thickness and direction.

Balance: Balance can either be symmetrical or asymmetrical. The balance of an image can affect the focal point of an image. The location of objects, their sizes and colors, textures and shapes all affect the perception of balance in an image.

Color: Color and particularly, contrasting color is used to draw the eyes attention to certain areas. It can invoke mood and emotion. Color is created in many different ways... but in all color spectrums, there are primary colors, which all other colors are derived from, and secondary and tertiary colors. Certain formula’s exist for choosing colors that are pleasing to the eye, one way is using Complimentary Colors, which appear opposite each other on a color wheel. Colors can be perceived as “Warm” such as reds, yellows and oranges, other colors are “Cool” such as purples, greens and blues.

Shape: Shapes are what give objects their definition. Think of the silhuoette. Shapes can be organic (curved, soft, random) or geometric (angular, sharp, organized, complex).

Texture: Texture is perceived surface quality. In art two types of texture exist, tactile and implied. Tactile texture is the way a surface actually feels, such as sandpaper or tree bark. Implied texture is the way the surface of an object “looks” like it feels. This is created with different pencil and brush techniques. In the modern digital realm, texture is a strong ally in design.

Value: Value is an element that refers to the relationship between light and dark. It can also be referred to as tone or shading. The value of an object helps give it form and depth. 

The Principles of Design

Unity: Unity refers to a sense that everything in a piece of work belongs. It can be referred to in the literal sense of course, or just by the way balance, repetition and other elements acheive a design harmony.

Variety: The use of dissimilar elements. Differences in shape, texture, color, line etc.

Repetition: This refers to the recurrence of elements within a piece. Color, lines, shapes and other elements can be echoed, often with some subtle variation to maintain interest. Repetition can be random or organized, or express rhythm and patterns.

Harmony: Harmony is acheived through the sensitive balance of variety and unity. Harmony in color can be acheived by using complementary or analagous colors. Harmony in design is reflected in consistency in style, similarity of components. Harmony can also extend to the use of texture, color, scale etc.

Contrast: Contrast is the occurrence of differeng elements, such as color, value, scale etc. It creates interest and helps direct the focal point. Contrast helps define depth and space as well. Objects that are closer to use appear lighter, and objects that are farther away often appear darker.

Proximity: This refers to the physical placement of objects or elements in a piece. Proximity is used to communicate ideas like relation, importance or hierarchy.

Proportion: Proportion involves the relationship between objects. It is relative to size and scale. Proper proportion is important in implying realism, and skewing proportion can force the viewers perspective to change. One classical expression of proportion is the “Golden Ratio” in mathematics and the arts. Throughout history, the ratio for length to width of rectangles of 1.6 (roughly) has been considered the most pleasing to the eye. 

Functionality: In the design world, good design is created for a purpose. This is the difference between art and design. Art is created for the aesthetic value, while design is created to communicate. Art is developed by artists often to satisfy personal motivation. Design is created by designers, for clients, to communicate a message or information. Good design must be aesthetically pleasing as well as informative.

Poster designed by Milt Glaser

Principals and Elements of Design Exercise:

Part 1 - Hand Drawing Exercise

• You will need 2 sheets of standard paper and a pen or pencil
• Draw 10 boxes of equal size on your sheets of paper
• Draw and create a representation for each task listed below all artwork must be original no tracing:

1. Texture: create a representation of texture
2. Line / Rhythm and Movement: Draw a composition of lines that express rhythm, movement or energy
3. Line / Variety and Emphasis: Draw a composition of lines that express emphasis and variety
4. Shape / Organic: Draw the outline of an organic shape, such as a tree or an apple
5. Shape / Geometric: Draw the outline of a geometric shape, such as a house or city skyline or mechanical objects
6. Shape / Pattern: Draw a pattern such as a brick wall, the grain in wood or a kitchen tile
7. Shape / Overlapping: Draw two or more shapes that overlap such as a person in front of a tree or house. this shows depth.
8. Perspective: Draw a box that shows 3 sides
9. Value / Tone: Draw a box that shows 3 sides and shade it to show a light source
10. Contrast: Draw a "composition" or image that exhibits contrast. This could be contrast in shape or color

Part 2 - Digital Drawing Exercise

• Create an 11"X17" document in Adobe Illustrator
• Layout a grid of 10 equally spaced and sized boxes
• Render your hand drawings digitally. You can scan your drawings and trace over them in Adobe Illustrator
• Use proper drawing techniques. When using the pen tool remember to close your path in order to apply a fill
• Use color, gradients, lines, path effects, brushes or any other Adobe Illustrator tool you need to complete your drawings.
• When complete, add a title to your artwork, save a jpg and post to your blog

Type "Face" Portrait

New Assignment: Create a Typeface Portrait:

In this assignment your goal is to use elements of typefaces/fonts to create an illustration. The technique for this works well with a photograph. You can create many type objects and use them to fill in the dark areas in a photo, then remove the photo and you are left with an image. You could also get creative and create an object or portrait without a photo, just use your imagination.

• Find a photo to use a reference, if you change the photo to black and white with photoshop it will be easier for your process in Illustrator
• Launch Adobe Illustrator, make a new document
• Use the File>Place function to bring in your reference photo
• Use the text tool to create different characters, use different fonts as well
• Select your text and go to Type>Create Outlines
• Ungroup your text objects to manipulate them individually, avoid distorting your characters, use alt-shift while scaling objects
• Arrange them into your drawing or use them to fill in the dark areas of your photo
• Remove the photo or hide it to see your progress
• Check out the examples below for inspiration, all those drawings were made from fonts!

Have fun!

- Mr.W

Sugar Skull Tutorial Project

Students,

Follow this Multi-Step Tutorial to create your own Sugar Skull design. This tutorial will teach you how to make geometric patterns, how to use masks, color and patterns in adobe illustrator. Use the skills you have developed to make your Skull design unique and eye catching. Read the requirements below:

Mr. Wilsons sugar skull design, 3 colors, diamond patterns...

Sugar Skull Project:

• Your design must be created in Illustrator on Letter size (8 1/2 inches wide by 11 inches tall).
• Your design must be colored using limited colors, 3 colors maximum. Black and white count, my skull below uses blue, orange and white only
• Consider using complementary/split complementary or triad color harmonies... look through the palettes that Illustrator provides

You will have 3 days of lab time to complete this tutorial. Any work turned in late will have points deducted. Failure to meet the above specifications will result in point deduction. The deadline is Thursday at end of class.

CLICK TO SEE SUGAR SKULL TUTORIAL

Below is my own sugar skull design, I followed the tutorial but made subtle changes to the shapes. Think of all the different themes we can draw shapes from. I used diamonds instead of teardrops for instance. Make your skull look unique.

Examples from previous students sugar skull designs

Have fun! - Mr. W