When students have a reference point to start a project, it makes things easier. Two weeks ago I started a digital painting in class and last week I demonstrated how to convert that artwork into a book jacket, poster and website. By no means are they polished but each provides my students with a clear example of expectations.
When you are a designer, especially if doing corporate work there is a lot of rearranging content in different ways. It isn’t unreasonable that you create a vertical that needs to be in a square frame or wide screen. Or consider a responsive web design. Desktop view, tablet and a vertical mobile design.
I also demonstrated how the color of a typeface effects how readable it is. We also discussed the differences between serif, sans serif, body type and display type. Different font families all have different purposes and applications.
And most importantly, I demonstrated why type shouldn’t be set in Photoshop. Vector programs (Illustrator and Indesign) are much better suited.