Fundamentals of Graphic Design

California Institute of the Arts via Coursera

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Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Free Online Course (Audit)
Languages

English
Certificate

Paid Certificate Available
Duration & workload

15 hours 23 minutes
Sessions

On-Demand
Level

Beginner
Subtitles

Arabic, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Russian, English, Spanish, Thai, Indonesian, Kazakh, Hindi, Swedish, Korean, Greek, Chinese, Ukrainian, Japanese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, Hungarian, Bengali, Pashto, Urdu, Azerbaijani, Farsi

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Part of

Graphic Design

Overview

Class Central Tips

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.

Syllabus

Course Overview

Welcome! In this first module I will summarize the assignments and expectations of this course.

Week 1: Fundamentals of Imagemaking

This week we are going to look at how images function in terms of conveying denotative and connotative messages, I'll show you a range of analog and digital imagemaking techniques and discuss how they work. In the first peer review assignment you'll create your own series of images, experimenting with formal techniques. Later, you'll have the opportunity to rework those images to enhance their ability to communicate an idea through connotation in an optional assignment: give it a try, it'll help you develop your communication skills as well as your formal skills!

Week 2: Fundamentals of Typography

This week we are going to look at typographic terminology and the basic rules for creating typography. I'll show you a range of tips and techniques for working with type, in both a functional and expressive manner, and you'll find out about the process involved in making and controlling typography. This week you'll complete a quiz to make sure you understand the language of typography–this is required. I also highly recommend you complete the two optional peer review assignments. In the first assignment you'll create your own typographic monogram, and you'll use that as a central element in designing a typographic business card in the second assignment. Give them a try, they are the place where you can demonstrate and apply your formal skills, and the place where you get to play with type!

Week 3: Fundamentals of Shape and Color

This week we are going to look at how designers work with shape and color as their fundamental building blocks. You'll learn about visual contrast, color, rhythm and pattern in design. I'll be showing you the process involved in making an abstract design from shapes, and how to use that element to create a repeating pattern design. You'll be completing a quiz (required!) to make sure you understand how visual contrast and color work, and I also highly recommend you complete the two optional peer review assignments. In the first assignment you'll create your own simple and complex design motifs, and you'll use them as the central elements in designing a repeating pattern in the second assignment. The assignments are optional, but they are the place where you get to demonstrate and apply your formal skills, so well worth taking the extra time to complete!

Week 4: Fundamentals of Composition

This week we are going to look at how designers work with visual contrasts, cropping, hierarchy and direction in single images and complex compositions. You'll find out how to control and use scale, weight, direction, texture, and space in a composition, and how to compose work that ranges from the complex to the minimal. In the first peer review assignment you'll create your own abstract compositions that demonstrate your knowledge and control of visual contrast. In the final optional assignment, you can use all your skills from the entire course to create experimental compositions in the form of a poster for a mythical band. This last project is optional, but I strongly suggest you try it out, it'll let you grow and apply your design knowledge and really enjoy and express yourself in your design work!

Continuing your graphic design studies

In this section we've provided some useful resources for students wishing to further their studies in graphic design. The information was authored by Calvin Rye, MFA alumnus of the Graphic Design program at CalArts in consultation with CalArts' Graphic Design faculty and our Office of Admissions. In addition to some advice about selecting the right program of study, we've also included some tips for creating and presenting a strong, organized portfolio and writing your artist statement. These are essential components of any application to a graphic design program, as well as a freelance graphic designer's toolkit. Regardless if you are applying to schools or looking for work in the field, we hope you find these tips and resources useful to your goals.

Taught by

Michael Worthington

Reviews

4.0 rating, based on 22 Class Central reviews

4.8 rating at Coursera based on 17701 ratings

Start your review of Fundamentals of Graphic Design

Liana

Even though the course gave me some food for thought, I would call it overall a disappointment. I really loved the first week's assignment and the first week's content in general. CalArts team provided us with some interesting design techniques and…

Even though the course gave me some food for thought, I would call it overall a disappointment. I really loved the first week's assignment and the first week's content in general. CalArts team provided us with some interesting design techniques and some design theory. I expected the course to continue to be as thorough and demanding, but instead, the following three weeks were bland, banal and really shallow, not what you'd expect on an introductory course from such an institution.

The first week's assignment was really about creativity, but the fourth week's task was extremely boring and useless. The middle weeks' assignments were just tests! I don't exactly understand how you can qualify for a certificate in "Foundations of Graphic design by clicking on answers and not designing stuff.

Anyway, I expected the final task of the course to be something that would've combined all the previously learnt knowledge. Alas, it required 10 minute tops to complete and almost no creativity at all.

The last thing that I want to talk about is Peer Review. I realize that these courses are done purely for commercial purposes to promote an institution and to have more actual students enrolling. However, given that some people actually pay for the course, it is a shame that they don't have access to a professional review from the instructors. In my first peer-review assignment things went smoothly, however in the last assignment a person who clearly didn't understand the task gave me a low point, not providing any explanation for this mark. So I resubmitted the exactly same assignment and different people reviewed it and I passed.

I don't think it is a fair system to review design students, given that the course doesn't really give enough fundamentals. We only saw examples of good design during the first week and later only the theory.

I'd like to see the content of the rest of specialization, but I don't have high hopes for it.
Lucas Medina

I was looking for a graphic design course and I was undecided between this one and "Graphic Design" from Colorado Boulder... so I took both! I hope this review helps you pick one of them or maybe take both as well. "Graphic Design" is a lot more pr…

I was looking for a graphic design course and I was undecided between this one and "Graphic Design" from Colorado Boulder... so I took both! I hope this review helps you pick one of them or maybe take both as well.

"Graphic Design" is a lot more pragmatic and to the point. It provides a lot of rules of thumb, practical advice and practical exercises.

While there is some overlap, this course is a bit drier and more theoretical. It also provides unique value specially in the final week when you start analyzing a picture and decomposing elements.

I would say "Graphic Design" brings all of its concepts together a bit better, but anyone taking either course is gonna cover the basics well enough that they could start designing some nice things!

Overall, if I had to recommend a single one, that'd be the course from Colorado Boulder, but if you can take both I'd say that's even better.
Oliver Tacke

I basically really liked the course. It has a hands-on approach -- you get to produce lots of content instead of just answering questions for quizzes. There were some, but they were way too simple and just good for replicating facts from the videos.

I really disliked that there were some issues that needed information from a teaching assistent (unclear assignments), but all the participants were left alone in the discussion forums.
Ramesh Chakraborty @RamChakraborty

i have taken this course and understand the basic of graphic design and also help me understand the things in systematically
Krishan Goel

I am glad i take this course. It provides all knowledge about graphic design in a very productive manner. THEY ALSO PROVIDE INFO ABOUT FREE SOFTWARES AND TUTORIAL OF THOSE (USED IN THIS COURSE
Arthur

It is really great for beginners! this course focus on four parts of graphic design,i.e. image, type, shape&color,and composition. I am just finished two week, it is really easy and interesting! I very like it!
RHUAN MARCO MAGALHAES GONCALVES

Realmente um curso essencial para iniciantes, e para quem deseja reafirmar sua sabedoria dentro do Designer Gráfico@
Anonymous

Not up to par with what I expect from a school like CalArts. The class seems unorganized and not well thought out.
Supraja Prasad
Anonymous

Well...I think this course a bit strange...strange images like example....not so nice...I would not recommend this course
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