WeVectors can learn a lot by reverse engineering graphics–trying to figure out how to recreate a style we like. It’s not good practice to exactly copy or reproduce the work of someone else for our own use, but we’re going to do it this week as a learning exercise. This exercise is designed to give you experience seeing and understanding how shapes that appear complex are really made up of many simple shapes. Utilizing Blending Modes on layers, manipulating paths of objects using the Path palette, and applying gradients and transparencies to layers will help you in this homework assignment.

  1. Your assignment is to  recreate one set of the 2 icon styles on this page, as accurately as you can. Attach your finished file to the 04: Vector Images assignment in Blackboard (DO NOT to export or optimize this file this time – I want to see the individual layers of your work).
  2. Please submit the native file format containing your work. In Adobe your file will be .AI if you used Illustrator, Fireworks .PNG format if you used Fireworks, or whatever the native file format is for the editor you used to complete this assignment.
  3. Share a website layout you find attractive with the rest of us on the class website and explain what it is about the site that you think works well. Pay particular attention to web sites with attractive and effective navigation elements (menus, buttons, sidebars, icons). If you’re not sure where to find interesting sites, you can always browse Behance or Pinterest and search for web design or UI/UX.

Note: you only have to recreate one set – either the black and while set (above) or the color set (below). You get to pick which one.

 

Alternate buttons for assignment 4