Given the opportunity to create a fictional company, Graphic Design I students designed icons for mobile applications.

“The purpose of the project is to have students create an image for an app or a fictional company,” Graphic Design teacher Jeffrey Ball said. “This is an extension off of their previous assignment, which was creating logos. The idea is to create very simple images, and to make them recognizable.”

From gaming to skincare advice, students were required to develop a purpose for the application and describe what it does. Afterwards, they individually started creating icons.

“A major difficulty is trying to get students to create simple designs at these very small sizes,” Ball said. “Students like to add a lot of neat details but at a small scale, these details become a distraction.”

The icons were graded on the principles of design, balance and flow. To create them, students used Adobe Illustrator.

“My original design had words inside of the icon, so I had to restart because it had too many details,” sophomore Noreal Smith. “Now I am trying to make the design more readable to others.”

Students presented a 45-60 second elevator pitch of their idea to the class. Presentations were a chance to persuade others to be interested in their application and to receive feedback. 

“The students still have a lot to work on,” Ball said. “Watching their presentations, they’ve learned and had a better understanding on what an elevator pitch is and what to do when the opportunity is presented to them.”