Minds On
Let’s get started!
What is an app?
Brainstorm
Personalizing your apps
What is an app and why do people use apps?
Using any method of your choice, identify an app you know of and provide a brief explanation of what it is. What is the icon is used to identify the app?
Think about the colour, words, font, and image that is used to create it!
Press ‘App’ to access a definition of this learning concept.
App is the abbreviation for “application,” which is the same thing as a software program. While an app may refer to a program for any hardware platform, it is most often used to describe programs for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
For example: Instagram
Explore the following carousel to examine a variety of app icons. Do you recognize and/or use any of them?
You will be creating your own plan for a smartphone, tablet or computer app. Are there any apps that you might use as a source of inspiration?
a tablet held by two hands with icons that depict: heart, ghost, fire, video player, emoticon, musical key, bird, thumbs up, letter b, chicken, cloud and sun, paper plane.
Action
Get ready, get set…
Personalizing your apps
Something to consider as you are examining apps is colour. Choosing the colour for an app is just as important as the graphic or icon used.
Colour is the aspect of things that is caused by differing qualities of light being reflected or emitted by them. To observe colour, you need light.
Colour theory is the art and science of colour. It is a guide to colour mixing and the visual effects of colour combinations. It is used to determine what colours go well together: this is colour harmony. The colour wheel is used to determine different colour combinations. There are five different colour combinations: complementary, monochromatic, analogous, triadic, and tetradic.
Harmony
Harmony is a principle of design. The combination of elements that are similar. Harmony creates a unified composition, where the elements of design fit together and feel balanced. Harmony can be created by using similar shapes, colours, or themes.
We will focus on complementary, monochromatic, and analogous. Examine the following colour wheels.
Complementary colours are two colours on the opposite side of the colour wheel
Monochromatic colours are three shades of one colour.
Analogous colours are three colours that are side by side on the colour wheel
Image 1: This is the colour wheel.
It features turquoise, light blue, violet, purple, pink, red-violet, red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, light green, green and green-blue. The highlighted colours are the red and the light blue , which are on the opposite side of the wheel.
Image 2: This is the colour wheel.
It features turquoise, light blue, violet, purple, pink, red-violet, red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, light green, green and green-blue. The highlighted colours are the three shades of orange which are at the top of the wheel.
Image 3: This is the colour wheel.
It features turquoise, light blue, violet, purple, pink, red-violet, red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, light green, green and green-blue. The highlighted colours are the shades of blue , which are on the bottom side of the wheel.
The attributes that define colour are:
- value (light or dark)
- chroma (dull or intense)
- hue (the common name of the colour, e.g. red or green)
When creating art digitally, there are two models of colour mixing:
- RGB – this refers to the colours: red, green, blue. This is a colour model that creates new colours by mixing red, green, and blue. The purpose of the RGB colour model is for capturing, storing, and displaying images in digital electronic devices, such as computers.
- CMYK – this is a colour model used in printing. CMYK refers to cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (which means black). The purpose of CMYK is for colour printing.
Explore the following video to learn about colour theory.
Using specific colour combinations can really enhance the effect of a design.
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
How might analogous, complementary, or monochromatic colours be incorporated when designing an app? Record your ideas in writing, digitally or as an audio recording.
If possible, share your thoughts with a partner.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Go!
Brainstorm
What are app types?
Brainstorm possible app categories. (For example: music, sports, dance, family, travel, school, goals/aspirations, books, movies, entertainment, games.)
You can create your brainstorm using the fillable mind map or using a method of your choice. Include the theme then put in some ideas for the image and/or potential colours, and any text you want. Sometimes the graphic is just letters with a specific font!
Complete the Mind Map in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
Explore the following examples of app creations.
A tablet with six square app icons: the first one has math symbols (plus, minus, division, multiply), the second is an open book, the third is a play button with music notes on it, the fourth is a crossed hammer and screwdriver, the fifth is a crocodile and the last is a loudspeaker.
Portfolio
Track your progress
Think about 3-5 app categories that best reveal who you are. The apps chosen should indicate and showcase your personal interests and passions. This is an opportunity for you to express your unique personal style! You can also create apps of topics which are of interest to you.
Finalize your app categories and choices. Now, using your art journal or any method of your choice, begin to draft and organize a plan for your app. Your draft must include 3-5 square apps. Each square should be large enough to accommodate the name of the app as well as a rough draft illustration that reflects the category.
Consolidation
Putting it all together
Creating your personalized apps
It is time to create your personalized apps! You may create your apps for a smartphone, a tablet, or a computer using any method of your choice. Consider the following options below for creating your apps.
Option 1: Description
Create an audio or written description of what you would do to create your apps. Include what you would draw or create.
Option 2: Digital
Student Success
Exploring digital creation options
When you are considering digital creation options, explore the variety of digital applications available!
Create your apps using a digital application of your choice.
Note: For this task, your drawing program/app needs to allow you to layer images.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Use the Smartphone Template to complete your art.
Here are some steps you could follow:
- Copy the template image to the background of your drawing tool.
- Create 3-5 identical round corner squares and place them in a grid on the background.
- Fill each square with words, images and/or colours to represent the app of your choice.
Option 3: Materials
Safety
Before you begin, consider these safety precautions:
Materials Needed
Materials needed
Possible materials you might need for this learning activity:
- any type of paper
- markers
- pencil crayons
- watercolour paints and paint brushes varying sizes (flat, round, angled)
- fine tip permanent markers
Use Rectangle Template to complete your art.
Press the following tabs to finish the last steps of your art creation.
Next lightly draw a square with rounded corners in each section of your Smartphone/Tablet/Computer. The square should be slightly smaller, so the background (wallpaper) is visible. Refer to the following example for inspiration if needed!.
A tablet with six square app icons: the first one has math symbols (plus, minus, division, multiply), the second is an open book, the third is a play button with music notes on it, the fourth is a crossed hammer and screwdriver, the fifth is a crocodile and the last is a loudspeaker.
Pause and Reflect
Reflection
Reflect on your learning in this activity. What do you think about your final product? If you used to colour, what colour combination did you choose for each app? Explain the reason for each of the apps you created. How did you use your strengths as an artist in your creations? What part of this creative process surprised you the most? Why?
Share your beautiful art with a peer, if possible.
Portfolio
Art portfolio
If you have a portfolio, you can put your art there to track your progress over time.
Reflection
As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.
I feel...
Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.
When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.