Fundamentals of Graphic Design
Graphic Design is all around us! Words and pictures—the building blocks of graphic design—are the elements that carry the majority of the content in both the digital world and the printed world. As graphic design becomes more visible and prevalent in our lives, graphic design as a practice becomes more important in our culture.Through visual examples, this course will teach you the fundamental principles of graphic design: imagemaking, typography, composition, working with color and shape… foundational skills that are common in all areas of graphic design practice. I don’t just want you to watch a video of someone talking about design, I want you to MAKE design! If you want to be a designer you have to be a maker and a communicator, so this course will offer you lots of opportunities to get your hands dirty with exercises and with more practical projects.
At the end of this course you will have learned how to explore and investigate visual representation through a range of image-making techniques; understand basic principles of working with shape, color and pattern; been exposed to the language and skills of typography; and understand and have applied the principles of composition and visual contrast. If you complete the course, along with its optional (but highly recommended) briefs, you will have a core set of graphic design skills that you can apply to your own projects, or to more deeply investigate a specialized area of graphic design.
To succeed in this course you will need access to a computer. You can complete this course without one but it will be tougher. Access to, and a beginner’s level knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite programs, such as Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign will help you, especially if you want to complete the optional briefs.
Implement the fundamentals of color: visual, rhythm, and pattern in design
Use scale, weight, direction, texture, and space in a composition
Typeset text and experiment with letter forms
Create your own series of images using different image making techniques
Syllabus
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Course Overview
Week 1: Fundamentals of Imagemaking
Week 2
Week 2: Fundamentals of Typography
Week 3
Week 3: Fundamentals of Shape and Color
Week 4
Week 4: Fundamentals of Composition
Continuing your graphic design studies
FAQ
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed the course and I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in learning or fine-tuning their understanding of the basics of design.
Very well structured and worth the time!
An ok course for beginners. A bit too basic for someone who has already had experience in design, but is great anyway cause it breaks things back down to the simplest parts to help you remember roots.
It's amazing how this course breaks down graphic design to fundamentals that we hardly even think of. It acquaints you with the building blocks, and creates a foundation that'll take you a long way!
this course has given me the best information about the basics of Graphic design, and i am delighted for finishing this course, looking forward to building upon the basics obtained from this course!!
