Color Theory & Social Media Icons

  • Teach the basics of color theory: primary, secondary, complementary colors

  • Explore mood, meaning, and harmony in design

  • Practice using Illustrator to design simple, colorful social media icons

  • Build visual storytelling skills through shape + color

Scripture

Matthew 5:14 (HCSB)“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.”

  • How can color be used to communicate light, joy, or truth in a design?
  • What colors do you personally connect with?

    Course Content

    Color Theory
    • Primary colors: Red, Blue, Yellow
    • Secondary colors: Orange, Green, Purple
    • Tertiary colors: Mixing primaries & secondaries
    • Color meanings (example: red = passion, blue = trust, yellow = joy)
    • Complementary vs. Analogous /əˈnaləɡəs/ color schemes

    coolors.co

    Illustrator – Icon Design

    Open Illustrator:

    • Set artboard to 600x600px square

       

    • Use the Ellipse Tool, Rounded Rectangle Tool, and Pen Tool to create 3–5 basic social media icons (Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook, etc.)

       

    • Use Fill and Stroke to experiment with color schemes

       

    • Encourage:

       

      • 1 icon in complementary colors

         

      • 1 icon in analogous colors

         

      • 1 icon in brand-inspired colors

    These skills will help them design ads, logos, and branding later.

    Students design 3–5 social media icons using what they’ve learned:

    • Each icon should be visually consistent

    • Use different color schemes to explore mood

    Keep it simple and recognizable

    Homework

     Due Next Class:

          1. Export your icon set as JPG and PNG

          2. Upload to Google Classroom or shared folder

          3. Answer the question:

            • “Which color schemes do you personally like designing with and why?”

            • Submit in Google Doc