Project Summary

Welcome to the wild world of color — the thing that can make your design sing or make it look like a bad PowerPoint from 1997. This project takes us into Chapter 7 of The Non-Designer’s Design Book, which dives into the principles of color theory. You’ll be exploring how color combinations affect mood, legibility, and impact. You can only use shapes, colors and typography for this project, no images or pre-made vectors!

Your job: create a 10-slide Google Slides presentation that teaches the basics of color theory, showing off concepts like color relationships, monochromatic systems, warm versus cool colors, and even the technical stuff like RGB and CMYK. The twist is the same as before: you can’t rely on stock images or random pictures. Everything must be created using shapes, colors, typography, and layout in Google Slides. In other words, you need to prove that color alone can carry your message.

Creative Focus

Color theory is one of the most powerful tools in a designer’s toolbox. This presentation forces you to think critically about how color communicates ideas and emotions, without leaning on images. You’ll demonstrate the relationships between hues, tints, tones, and shades by actually building examples that prove your point. Want to show complementary colors? Put them side by side in a way that pops. Want to explain warm versus cool? Build a slide that feels warm or cool through nothing but your palette. These are the same skills used by graphic designers, UI/UX specialists, and brand designers every day. Think about how Coca-Cola uses red for energy and excitement, or how Facebook relies on blue for calm trust (which you shouldn’t do). This project gets you thinking like a professional about how colors talk — even when you don’t say a word.

Student Showcase

Student Showcase Example: Helen Sarimento

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Project Requirements

• Final Deliverable:
  • A 10-slide Google Slides presentation.
  • Each slide contains exactly one sentence of text (short, clear, and intentional).
  • All visuals built with shapes, typography, and colors. No outside images allowed.
• Slide Structure:
  • 1 Title Slide
  • 8 Concept Slides covering color theory topics such as:
    • Color relationships (complementary, analogous, triadic, etc.)
    • Shades, tints, and tones
    • Monochromatic systems
    • Warm vs. cool palettes
    • RGB vs. CMYK color modes
    • Additional key points from Chapter 7 of The Non-Designer’s Design Book
  • 1 Closing Slide
• WordPress Portfolio Requirements:
  • Embed the finished Google Slides presentation in your portfolio post.
  • Include at least 1 Project Type.
  • Add 5–10 Tags (examples: color theory, CRAP principles, typography, RGB, CMYK, design presentation, shapes and color, contrast, portfolio project).
  • A unique Featured Image
  • Write a project explanation (250–350 words) that covers:
    • How you approached showing color theory visually.
    • Which principles (color relationships, tints, tones, etc.) you found most interesting.
    • Why understanding color is crucial for a designer.

Project Grading Rubric

This project is a test of understanding both the principles of design, but your knowledge of common online presentation software. You will be awarded points for your project based on the following criteria as listed below.

Criteria	Description	Points
Slide Content	10 slides total, each with one clear, intentional sentence.	20 pts
Visual Design	Shapes, typography, and colors are used creatively to demonstrate concepts.	20 pts
Design Principles	Evidence of CRAP principles and strong use of color relationships.	20 pts
Portfolio Integration	Properly embedded in WordPress with tags, featured image, and written explanation.	10 pts
Professionalism	Cohesive look, balanced slides, clean formatting.	20 pts
Presentation Skills	Ability to explain and visually show complex color theory concepts clearly.	10 pts
Total		100 pts

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OCP & Standard Alignments

02.01 – Apply knowledge of design elements and principles. …because color is one of the core design elements explored here.
02.04 – Demonstrate knowledge of composition. …because slide layout, spacing, and balance must reinforce the message.
04.01 – Use multimedia terminology and concepts to create presentations. …because you’ll be applying key color theory vocabulary correctly.
05.01 – Demonstrate proficiency in advanced design. …because working with color systems and palettes requires intentional, professional-level choices.
05.04 – Demonstrate proficiency in using fonts for advanced design. …because typography must pair with colors for readability and impact.
04.03 – Create a digital portfolio to showcase multimedia projects. …because this project demonstrates your ability to build and publish polished design work.