COMD 1200: Graphic Design Principles II

In-Class Activity: Present Your Digital Zine Process Book

Today is the last day of class and the final due date for your Digital Zine Process Book. You will be presenting your eBook to the class using your live Google Drive link.

Today You Will:

• Present your PDF through Google drive link. ISSUU site will not let you upload more than 10 pages. Sorry for the late notice
• Walk us through your eBook — cover page, all four projects, color palette, and resume
• Share what you learned throughout the semester and how your work has grown

How to Submit on OpenLab:

1. Create a new post under the category Process Book (Digital Zine eBook) — DUE 05/26/2026
2. Upload your PDF Spreads file directly to the post
3. Paste your Google Drive link in the post body
4. Hit Publish — make sure your post is public before class ends

MAKE SURE ALL OTHER ASSIGNMENTS ARE UPLOADED ON OPENLAB FOR THE FINAL GRADE. IF YOU ARE MISSING AN ASSIGNMENT, IT WILL IMPACT YOUR FINAL GRADE.

Session: Tuesday, May 12th, 2026

In-Class Activity: Poster Project — Mockup Presentation

Today’s focus is your Poster Project Mockup. You will be presenting your poster placed into a real-world environment. This is your chance to show how your design lives outside of the page and communicates in context.

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What is a Mockup?

A mockup places your poster design into a real-world setting — such as a bus shelter, storefront window, gallery wall, or city street — so the viewer can see how it looks in an actual environment.

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Today’s Goals:

• Find a high-quality PSD or digital mockup that fits the concept and tone of your poster
• Place your finalized poster into the mockup using Photoshop Smart Objects
• Export your mockup as a JPG or PNG — do not print the mockup, digital only
• Write 2–3 sentences explaining why you chose this mockup and how it connects to your poster concept

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Mockup Resources:

• Freepik — search “poster mockup PSD”
• Mockup World
• Pixeden
• Unsplash — for real-world background photos

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Submitting Your Mockup on OpenLab:

• Upload your mockup image (JPG or PNG) to your OpenLab post under the category Project 4 — Poster Project
• Include your 2–3 sentence explanation in the post body
• Make sure your final printed poster, with the mockup image, is also attached or linked in the same post

Session: Thursday, May 14th, 2026

In-Class Activity: Digital Zine Process Book — Implement Feedback & Final Work Session

Today, we will be using class time to implement all feedback received from your Draft 2 submission. This is your last in-class opportunity to refine your eBook before the final due date.

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Today’s Goals:

• Open your InDesign file and apply all the feedback from Draft 2
• Do a final page-by-page review of your entire eBook
• Focus on correcting any remaining typography and alignment issues
• Begin preparing your ISSUU publication if you have not already

Session: Tuesday, May 5th, 2026

In-Class Activity: Demonstration of how to glue the poster to the mounting board.

Materials Needed TODAY:

• Black Mounting Board: Crescent Mounting Board 16 × 20 (Black) — Dick Blick
• Glue: Elmer’s Rubber Cement Adhesive — Target

Steps for Today:

1. Find mockups online and download PSD files. Place your poster into the chosen mockup location.
2. Write a brief explanation of why you chose this mockup to showcase your poster.
3. Print your finalized poster in class (11″ × 17″) to check color, bleed, and layout before the due date.
   • If your design has elements that bleed off the edges, notify the printer and confirm your bleed settings in InDesign before exporting to PDF.
   • Use Method 3 from the mounting video for best results.

Watch: How to Mount Your Poster (YouTube)

Session: Thursday, May 7th, 2026

In-Class Activity: Digital Zine Process Book (eBook) — Work Session & Individual Feedback
Today we are dedicating the full class session to your Digital Zine Process Book. Bring your laptop and have your InDesign file open and ready.

• eBook Checklist — Your eBook Must Include All of the Following:
• All four projects documented with step-by-step process visuals
• A color palette page
• Strong hierarchy of design elements throughout
• Visual consistency — layout, typography, and color should feel cohesive from page to page
• Resume as the last page

After reviewing some of the eBook PDF submissions, I noticed a few recurring issues that need to be addressed before your final submission on Tuesday, May 26th, 2026. Please go through this checklist carefully and make corrections in InDesign before your final export.

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Typography Errors to Fix:

• Check for typos and spelling errors throughout — read every word, including your captions and resume
• Make sure your font sizes are consistent — body text, captions, and headings should each have one size used throughout
• Avoid widows and orphans — a single word or short line should not be left alone at the top or bottom of a text block
• Do not use more than 2–3 fonts in the entire eBook — mixing too many typefaces looks unpolished
• Make sure all text is fully visible — no words cut off by image frames, page edges, or other elements
• Check leading (line spacing) — lines of text should not feel too cramped or too spread apart
• All text should be properly aligned — avoid mixing centered, left, and right alignment randomly on the same page

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Image & Layout Alignment to Fix:

• Images and text blocks should be aligned to the same grid or margin — use InDesign’s alignment tools and guides to check
• Avoid placing text too close to or overlapping images — give everything breathing room
• Make sure all images are properly cropped and scaled — no stretching, distortion, or accidental white edges around photos
• Check that captions sit directly next to or below the image they describe — they should not float disconnected on the page
• All images across the same section should feel consistent in size and spacing
• Make sure your margins are even — content should not be creeping too close to the edge of the page

Email your updated eBook as a PDF to anmol.dhamrait23@citytech.cuny.edu by Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 for final feedback.

Make sure your file is named clearly: LastName_FirstName_eBook_Draft2.pdf

Subject line: COMD 1200 — eBook Draft 2 — [Your Name]

File format: PDF Single Pages

YouTube: What makes good poster design?

Let’s watch why the research poster is important.

Session April 28th, 2026 – LAB TIME FOR POSTER

EXAMPLES:

Session April 30th, 2026:

Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LxSXz-EWIGt2hyr2pr58XzMppawSMAGx1TroB0W0wW4/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p

Print the poster in black and white in class using the printer and give feedback to each other.

HOMEWORK:

Submit your Draft 1 of Poster & Ebook Draft (Work in Progress PDFs) to the Openlab by Tuesday, May 5th, 2026.

Oral Presentation (Tuesday, April 21st)

Project 4 Part 1: Oral Presentation — Due Tuesday, April 21st, 2026

Your 5-minute Oral Presentation on your chosen designer is due this Tuesday, April 21st, 2026, in class.

Your presentation should include:

• 20 images of your designer’s work
• A brief overview of their career — where they worked, their most important pieces, and their contribution to the field
• Your slides are designed using the grid system (Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote, ISSUU, or PDF)
• Remember: no Wikipedia as a source — cite all images and text

To submit your post: upload your presentation PDF or share your link in a new OpenLab post under the category Project 4 PART 1: ORAL PRESENTATION.

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Process eBook early submission (due this week for feedback)

A reminder that your Digital Zine Process Book is due on the last day of class, Tuesday, May 26th, 2026 — but please submit your eBook and Resume as a PDF via email this week for feedback: anmol.dhamrait23@citytech.cuny.edu

Your eBook should be built in InDesign (8.5 × 11 in) and include all four projects, a color palette page, and your resume as the final page.

For example, visit issuu.com and search COMD1200.

This course explores creative visual thinking and its importance to communication design. You’ll experiment with image-making techniques and learn to use graphic elements to communicate concepts and ideas. The course emphasizes the integration of communication concepts, type and graphics and its relationship to multiple disciplines such as advertising, graphic design, web design, illustration, broadcast design production, and others. You’ll develop projects from thumbnails through final presentations.

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