Class Digital Image Computing

The main objective of the curricular unit is to provide students with a visual literacy through knowledge, understanding and technological expression in the field of graphic design, more specifically, in the area of editorial design.

The curricular structure introduces elements of visual language, technical aspects and methodologies in the treatment and manipulation of digital images and pagination, indispensable for an integrated and creative usage in the development of visual communication records.

Design basics: Typography: families, structure, design, legibility. Composition: support grids, information hierarchy. Colour systems. Image types and formats. Project methodology. 

Layout of a magazine and composition of advertising pages using the software taught:

• Adobe Indesign: planning documents, tools. Guides and columns. Master page and document pages. Colours for the document. Page numbering. Organization of the work in layers. Text characterisation. Character and paragraph style. Importation of images. Contour creation. Compilation of elements that compose the document.
• Adobe Photoshop: working environment, menus, new document, canvas, layers. Selection, framing and colour tools. Masks. Elements of vector shapes, layer styles. Text, colour, colour correction, image correction, filters, effects.

Public presentation.

• Learning based on practical exercises carried out in classes.
• Solidification of learning through the development of practical projects, in order to encourage students to work on projects that can be found in the real world.
• Critical analysis of existing projects to consolidate and apply the principles of graphic design, specifically of editorial design.
• Projects developed in groups (newsrooms) in order to encourage collaboration and sharing of knowledge, inter-help, development of social skills and consolidation of learning.
• Promoting creativity by following up and guiding the project through its different stages. 
• Interdisciplinarity with the Curricular Units Journalistic Genres and Photojournalism.

• Ambrose, G. & Harris, P. (2011). Layout (2nd ed.). Lausanne: AVA Publishing SA.
• Caldwell, C. & Zappaterra, Y. (2014). Design editorial. São Paulo: Editorial Gustavo Gili, SL
• Galer, M & Andrews, P. (2014). Photoshop CC: Essential Skills: A guide to creative image editing. Burlington: Focal Press.
• Gordon, B., Gordon, M. (2003). O Guia completo do design gráfico digital. Lisboa: Livros e Livros.