Graphic and Design Course

Lesson 1 • Elements of Visual Design

Introduces line, shape, form, texture, space, and color as the building blocks of design. Mastery here underpins every compositional decision in the chapter.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Composition

Covers balance, contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity as organizing forces. Students use these principles to structure layouts with intention.

Lesson 3 • Visual Hierarchy and Flow

Teaches how eye movement is guided through size, weight, color, and placement. Students arrange elements so viewers read content in intended order.

Lesson 4 • Color Theory Fundamentals

Examines the color wheel, color relationships, and psychological effects of hue. Students build palettes that communicate mood and meaning.

Lesson 1 • Vector Software Essentials

Covers the interface, tools, and panels of a professional vector application. Students create, edit, and organize vector artwork with precision.

Lesson 2 • Raster Software Essentials

Introduces selection tools, layers, masks, and adjustment layers in a raster editor. Students retouch and composite images for design projects.

Lesson 3 • Workspace Efficiency and File Management

Establishes naming conventions, folder structures, and keyboard shortcuts for professional output. Efficient habits reduce errors and accelerate production.

Lesson 4 • Understanding Raster vs. Vector Graphics

Clarifies pixel-based and path-based image types, their use cases, and limitations. This distinction guides every software and file-format decision in the course.

Lesson 1 • Typography for Screen and Web

Addresses web-safe fonts, variable fonts, and responsive type scaling for digital interfaces. Students adapt print typographic skills to screen constraints.

Lesson 2 • Advanced Typeface Selection

Analyzes typeface personality, historical context, and brand alignment. Students match typefaces to project tone and audience expectations.

Lesson 3 • Hierarchy in Multi-Column Layouts

Applies type scale, weight, and style variation to complex editorial grids. Students design readable multi-column pages with clear information layers.

Lesson 4 • Expressive and Display Typography

Explores lettering, type as image, and experimental typographic compositions. Students push beyond convention to create typographic impact.

Lesson 1 • Color Grading and Image Treatment

Applies color grading, duotones, and tonal adjustments to photography within layouts. Consistent image treatment reinforces brand color identity.

Lesson 2 • Building a Brand Color Palette

Guides systematic selection of primary, secondary, and accent colors for brand identity. Students document palettes with hex, RGB, and CMYK values.

Lesson 3 • Color Models and Modes

Distinguishes RGB, CMYK, HSB, and spot color systems and their production implications. Choosing the correct mode prevents costly output errors.

Lesson 4 • Color Accessibility and Contrast

Applies contrast ratio standards and color-blindness simulation to design decisions. Accessible color choices expand audience reach and meet usability standards.

Lesson 1 • Responsive and Adaptive Layouts

Translates fixed grid logic into fluid and breakpoint-based digital layouts. Students design layouts that reflow gracefully across screen sizes.

Lesson 2 • Working with White Space

Treats white space as an active design element that creates breathing room and emphasis. Students use space intentionally to elevate layout quality.

Lesson 3 • Grid Anatomy and Construction

Defines columns, gutters, margins, and baseline grids as the skeleton of layout design. Students construct grids tailored to specific format requirements.

Lesson 4 • Image and Text Integration

Covers text wrap, image cropping, and anchoring visuals within grid structures. Students create harmonious image-text relationships across layout formats.

Lesson 1 • Logo Versatility and Usage Rules

Tests logos across sizes, backgrounds, and media to ensure consistent performance. Students define clear-space, minimum-size, and misuse rules.

Lesson 2 • Brand Identity System Components

Extends the logo into a full system of color, typography, iconography, and imagery style. A unified system ensures brand recognition across touchpoints.

Lesson 3 • Brand Strategy and Research

Establishes brand positioning, audience personas, and competitive analysis as the foundation for design decisions. Strategy prevents arbitrary aesthetic choices.

Lesson 4 • Logo Design Process

Guides ideation, sketching, vectorization, and refinement of logo marks and wordmarks. Students produce versatile logos that work across all applications.

Lesson 1 • Print Production Fundamentals

Covers resolution, bleed, trim, and safe zones required for commercial printing. Understanding these specs prevents costly reprints and production errors.

Lesson 2 • Proofing and Color Management

Applies soft proofing, hard proofing, and color profiles to verify output accuracy. Proofing catches color and layout errors before press runs.

Lesson 3 • Prepress File Preparation

Guides color mode conversion, font embedding, and image linking for print-ready PDFs. Proper prepress ensures files output exactly as designed.

Lesson 4 • Specialty Print Techniques

Introduces foil stamping, embossing, die-cutting, and spot UV as premium finishing options. Students design with these techniques in mind from the start.

Lesson 1 • UI Design Fundamentals

Introduces interface components, states, and interaction patterns as design elements. Students apply visual design principles to functional screen layouts.

Lesson 2 • Prototyping and Interaction Design

Creates linked wireframes and interactive prototypes to simulate user flows. Prototyping validates design decisions before development begins.

Lesson 3 • Digital Asset Optimization

Covers image compression, SVG optimization, and export settings for web and app delivery. Optimized assets improve load speed without sacrificing visual quality.

Lesson 4 • Design Systems and Component Libraries

Builds reusable component libraries with consistent tokens for color, type, and spacing. Design systems accelerate production and enforce visual consistency.