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Chrystelle Schlebusch Photography Website

Erica — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:28:42 +0000

I recently completed my first commissioned website designed completely with WordPress. Thank you so much Crystelle for giving me this fantastic opportunity to design your website! Crystelle Schlebusch Photography is based in Newcastle, KwaZulu Natal and you can view the website by visiting www.crystellephoto.co.za so please have a look and let me know what you think!

Study Graphic Design: Admission Requirements

Erica — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:21:35 +0000

On my previous blog posts, Where to study graphic design in South Africa and Study Graphic Design: Universities vs Independent Design Schools, I have had several queries regarding admission requirements for the Graphic Design Programme. If you want an accredited National Diploma in Graphic Design or a BA Design Degree you need to make sure that you have a National Senior Certificate (NSC) as certified by Umalusi (or equivalent). But what does this mean? Below are some guidelines for you to follow, but please note that different institutions may have specific levels of subject achievement, ie they may only require a 2 for Mathematics on the APS scale of achievement or a 4 for Mathematical Literacy. Some may even have Visual Arts as a compulsory subject. Note also that Life Orientation only has a credit value of 10 and may be divided by 2 in the calculation of the final APS rating. For the National Diploma Programme The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a minimum of 30% in the language of teaching, coupled with an achievement rating of 3 (Moderate Achievement, 40-49%) or better in four recognised NSC 20-credit subjects (see recognised NSC 20-credit subjects [...]

Free Social Media Icons

Erica — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:04:38 +0000

All designers love free icon sets – I love free icons!! Fortunately, there are many sets available on the internet which you can easily download and use for your latest projects. I decided it was time I gave something back and therefore designed these Social Media Icons which you can use on your blog or client websites. All I ask is that you spread the word by using my share buttons above and please don’t forget to leave a comment!

My Top 10 Free WordPress Themes of 2011

Erica — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:17:08 +0000

WordPress is a popular content management system or CMS which I, and many others, use to create beautiful and functional websites and blogs. It is a free and open source blogging tool as well as publishing platform, which is powered by PHP and MySQL. WordPress users can install and switch between their favourite themes at any time, without altering any informational content. Here is a list of some of my favourite Free WordPress themes of 2011: 1/ Amphion Lite A blogging design that comes with 2 theme skins, 2 custom widgets, 2 short codes and 2 WordPress menus. Featured articles are displayed prominently on the home page in an image slider. Info & Download | Demo 2/Aurelius Info & Download | Demo 3/Balita An eCommerce theme designed for Smashing Magazine that was created to help sell children’s toys and related products. It was designed using HTML5 and CSS3 and features a beautiful home page slider, custom shopping cart and Facebook integration. Info & Download | Demo 4/Blissful Blog A simple yet elegant WordPress theme that was created specifically for wedding related websites. Info & Download | Demo 5/David Airey Theme David Airey has released his [...]

Calendar 2012 Photos

Erica — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:56:06 +0000

Here are a few photos I took for next years personalised calendars. Let me know what you think!

Aspects of Graphic Design: Book and Magazine Design

Erica — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:19:21 +0000

Book and magazine design, which is often referred to as “page layout” or even “desktop publishing”, involves the arrangement and styling of words and images on a printed page by using a system of rows and columns which provide structure and order. It is only those who can manage to master design and production successfully who are able to succeed in this technical aspect of graphic design. It’s about grids, gutters, columns, binding margins and running headers; rules that are often pushed and only effectively broken by the masters. Thanks to the digital revolution, book and magazine page layout can easily be standardised and maintained using on-screen page layout grids, reducing the need for repetitive manual object alignment which helps to speed up workflow. These grids can then also be adjusted individually for each page if and when needed. The type of book or magazine being published will determine the style used and amount of design flexibility. The final stage of book and magazine design involves pre-press proof creation, which is a printout showing precisely what the final publication will look like and gives the final opportunity for any corrections and alterations to be made. Once the design has been [...]

Replace your “Mystery Man”

Erica — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:18:08 +0000

As can be seen many times in the comment section of my blog, the default avatar, the “mystery man” is inserted as a side image when you make a comment. Have you ever wondered how to insert your own picture instead of the “mystery man”? It’s quite simple actually! By using a free service called Gravatar – an abbreviation for globally recognised avatar, you can ensure that every time you comment on any blog using your linked email address your globally unique avatar will appear. On Gravatar users can register an account based on their email address, and upload an avatar to be associated with the account. Every time you make a comment, ensure that you use your registered email address, and your profile picture or logo will automatically appear next to your comment. Here’s what you need to do: Go to the Gravatar website by clicking here At the top click on “Log in / Sign Up” Add your email address which you use when commenting and press “Singup” You will receive a confirmation email including a link that will activate your account Once activated you can set your password and upload your image Leave a comment on my [...]

Aspects of Graphic Design: Packaging

Erica — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:20:12 +0000

Combine illustration, advertising and typography and you have packaging design: the art and technique of enclosing and protecting products in a creative way whilst imaginatively conveying important information about the product. With hundreds and thousands of various products on the market, it is the designer’s challenge to create a durable and protective packaging for the product which stands out from the rest, informs the buyer about the product and ultimately boosts the selling of the product. The designer has to be aware of the many rules and guidelines involved with packaging design and must often conduct months of market research and market testing before even starting with the design. In today’s environmentally conscious world, and to keep to international standards, the packaging has to be sustainable, meaning that it should be made from renewable virgin materials which are reusable and recyclable. Of the vast areas in which the designer must master, label design is probably the most important. The label must contain the product name/logo and details, the producers name and particulars and any warnings or notices about the product. It must also have an attention drawing power and must give its product an impression of quality. The designer should [...]

Aspects of Graphic Design: Typography

Erica — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:11:04 +0000

Of all the aspects of graphic design, typography is possibly the hardest to master and the easiest to fail at. In traditional typography, text is arranged in such a way that it creates a logical and visually satisfying whole and by using simple curves and lines can express feelings, emotions and thoughts. With the advancement of new technology, which has revolutionised type composition, more people have been able to venture into typography, but even so, it has remained very much a niche discipline. I prefer to classify typography as the art and technique of arranging moveable type by spacing legible words using a variety of fonts, point sizes, leading and kerning. Typography could also be considered as type design, which is the art of designing new typefaces. It is important to note that most typographers do not design typefaces and many type designers do not necessarily consider themselves as typographers. Specialised typographers focus on the design and layout of words, which can be seen in books, newspapers, magazines, posters and even on stamps. Typographers will consider negative space, boldness and colour and will sometimes even add images to their designs. The ultimate purpose of typography is to clearly communicate written [...]

Graphic Design Bursaries 2012

Erica — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:03:10 +0000

Since posting my article, “Where to Study Graphic Design in South Africa”, I have had a few queries regarding financial aid for prospective graphic design students. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find much information, the reason being that most educational institutions will provide financial aid only once you have been accepting into the school. Below is a list of three bursary links which I found, but you had better act soon – only a few bursaries are available and most have a closing date. Please contact me if you know any other bursaries available, and don’t forget to leave a comment! Inscape Design College Open Window School of Visual Communication Style Design College