Design is the process of sketching, creating a blueprint, or writing the details that show or explain how to make something or how to develop a system that can be used to achieve tasks. Some things that can be designed include art, fashion, furniture, manufacturing processes, and user experiences. The study of design encompasses many career fields, and learning about the innovative thinking behind design can help if you want to change careers or advance in your current field.
It's important to learn design because it makes products more visually appealing and useful to customers. Design also plays an important role in branding by making a product recognizable and familiar at a glance or adding enhanced functionality to a product that isn't available on similar items. If you're designing a fashion product or an artistic work, the way you apply the elements of design, such as color, shape, and texture allows you to create a product that's unique and interesting to potential customers.
Graphics design and fashion are two careers that use design. Interior designers, crafters, and floral designers use the principles of design when working. Website designers, marketing teams, and industrial designers also employ design theory. Designers may use computer-based programs, such as Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Indesign when designing. Other technology-based elements that center around a visual communications perspective become part of the job for some designers, such as user experience, or UX, and user interface design, or UI design.
The online courses offered by Coursera's partners can help you expand your ability to create art or design fresh marketing materials that support brand recognition. You can choose graphics design courses at the level that matches your current design knowledge, including learning graphic design elements for non-designers. You might discover how to manage your brand through design, understanding user experience through research and design, and apply the art and concepts of game design.