3.8 Explore, Practice and Apply
Overview: Explore, Practice and Apply
Activities found on this page are designed to provide opportunities to explore, practice, and apply concepts presented in chapter 3.
Explore
Explore Activity 1
Colour palette generators. Here are some online tools that can help you to create your own unique colour palettes for creative projects. Try them!
Explore Activity 2
Locate examples of multimedia content (e.g., websites, advertisements, or presentations). Analyze how images and graphics are used effectively or ineffectively, focusing on resolution, file format, and alignment with branding.
Explore Activity 3
This is a collaborative group based activity. Working in small groups select one of the three colour schemes as listed below:
1. Complementary Color Scheme
- Description: Uses colours that are opposite each other on the color wheel.
- Example: Blue and orange.
- Effect: High contrast and vibrant look, great for drawing attention.
2. Monochromatic
- Description: Uses varying shades, tints, and tones of a single color.
- Example: Different shades of blue (light blue, medium blue, dark blue).
- Effect: Creates a cohesive and harmonious look, but may lack contrast.
3. Triadic Color Scheme
- Description: Uses three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel.
- Example: Red, yellow, and blue.
- Effect: Balanced and vibrant, offers strong visual contrast while retaining harmony
Each group locates 2-3 examples of their assigned color scheme used in various types of media (e.g., advertisements, websites, presentations). Assess the effectiveness of the colour design in the media examples located. Prepare to share your findings in your class.
Practice
Practice Activity 1
Choose an assignment that you have created in this class or another class that does not currently have a chart or graph. Find some data that could benefit from being presented as a chart or graph. Create a chart or graph that illustrates the data, making sure to choose the correct relationship. For example, you might find a sentence in an essay you wrote that says that 10% of Millennial’s don’t own a smart phone. You could show this visually using a pie chart.
Practice Activity 2
Find an infographic online. Then, evaluate it according to what you have just learned. Write a short paragraph that answers the following questions: How does it present data? Is it easy to understand? Is it ethical? Can you understand where the data came from?
Practice Activity 3
Image File Format Comparison. Create a chart comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different image file formats (JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF) for specific use cases (e.g., web design, professional printing).
Apply
Apply Activity 1
Find a poster in your campus or workplace, or out in the community. Take a photo of it, then evaluate it according to Gestalt Theory. Can you identify all of the principles?
Apply Activity 2
Choose a website that you like to visit, then use what you learned about accessibility to evaluate how accessible the website’s visuals are. Write a short email (you do not have to send it) to the website’s owner suggesting three changes they could make to improve the accessibility of their visuals.
Apply Activity 3
Create your own personal logo or brand graphic
- Consider you brand and brainstorm: Think about words that describe your personality, values, and what you want your logo to represent.
- Research: Look at logos you admire and note what elements you like.
- Sketch ideas. Draw rough sketches: Start with simple sketches on paper. Don’t worry about perfection; focus on getting your ideas down.
- Experiment with shapes and symbols: Consider how different shapes and symbols can convey your brand’s message.
- Fonts: Select fonts that match your brand’s personality. For example, a bold font can convey strength, while a script font can be more elegant.
- Colors: Pick colors that resonate with your brand. Use color psychology to choose colors that evoke the right emotions.
- Feedback. Share your design with peers and get their feedback
Attribution & References
Except where otherwise noted, this page has been adapted from Chapter 14: Review and Exercises In Advanced Professional Communication by by Melissa Ashman; Arley Cruthers; eCampusOntario; Ontario Business Faculty; and University of Minnesota, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Explore activity 1 from Colour Trends and Palettes In Colour Theory: Understanding and Working with Colour by Lisa Cianci, CC BY-NC 4.0
- Practice & Apply activities are from Chapter 14: Review and Exercises In Advanced Professional Communication, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
