GRAPHICS DESIGN
Course Overview
Graphic design is all around us, in a myriad of forms, both on-screen and in print, yet it is always made up of images and words to create a communication goal. 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: image-making, typography, composition, working with color and shape... foundational skills that are common in all areas of graphic design practice.
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.
At the end of the course, 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.
We train and expose you to graphic design software such as Corel Draw and three Adobe Creative Suite programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. The course is completed by a capstone project that applies the skills of each software or program and peer feedback in a finished branding project suitable for a professional portfolio
Course Objective
- Understand and learn the essential tools and capabilities of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Corel Draw.
- Have a deep understanding of shapes, typography, color theory, photos, layout, and other design theories and skills.
- Master the pen tool, shape builder tool, and other essential vector design tools in Adobe Illustrator and Corel draw
- Learn photo editing and manipulation in Adobe Photoshop
- How to create editorial spreads and magazine layouts using Adobe InDesign
- Understand solid logo design and ad design principles to create compelling campaigns and logos
- Create logos and branding packages for potential clients
- Work through an event flyer design to understand strong type hierarchy, balance, and overall design layout
- Learn the history of fonts and typefaces and how to pair fonts
