University of Colorado Boulder

Graphic Design

David Underwood

Instructor: David Underwood

150,526 already enrolled

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8

(3,238 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
Approx. 29 hours
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8

(3,238 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
Approx. 29 hours
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

  • Apply inspired design ideas to your own work.

Details to know

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Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization
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There are 4 modules in this course

This week introduces you to the importance of recognizing good design as the starting place for creating professional, attractive work of your own. We will look to the ubiquitous world of graphic design to establish a vocabulary of successful design and to find inspiration for our own projects. We will also discuss course prerequisites and review a basic digital design glossary that will help you navigate your chosen application.

What's included

12 videos6 readings1 assignment1 peer review

This week will look at the blank canvas – the untouched rectangle that will become our design project. We’ll discuss the importance of working with a grid, understanding negative space, and using appropriate margins. This week will also explore the palette of elements which, when chosen and used wisely, ensure that the finished design project is successful. We’ll cover type, color, images, and graphic elements such as borders, bars, and backgrounds.

What's included

15 videos5 readings2 assignments3 discussion prompts

It's time to start designing! In this week, we'll discuss the process of composition. We'll use the palette items covered in week 2, and deploy common visual design “tricks” such as contrast, repetition, sublimation, tension, and more. To help see both the effect and the universality of these design approaches, we'll look at design examples from art history, film, and current media. We’ll also cover the strategy of composition. We'll see that providing an obvious target, maintaining a natural visual flow, and prioritizing information are all critical to clear visual communication.

What's included

12 videos4 readings1 peer review6 discussion prompts

As we've said before, designers don't work in a vacuum. Our work will be judged by others, and, as good designers, we will learn to take that judgement constructively and in stride. In this week we’ll talk about what it means to be confident, yet open to criticism. We’ll explore the importance of revision as an ongoing component of design, as well as the need to enlist feedback and maintain distance in assessing our own work.

What's included

4 videos2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.8 (855 ratings)
David Underwood
University of Colorado Boulder
5 Courses172,203 learners

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