Graphic Design 101: How to Master Visual Communication

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Graphic Design 101: How to Master Visual Communication

This course is part of Visual Communication Strategy and Design Specialization

Instructor: Madecraft

Included with Learn more

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Apply the CRAP principles and the elements of design to build a strong structural foundation for any layout.
Select and combine color schemes with intention, and apply typography fundamentals to keep a design's message clear.
Bring structure, color, and type together into one finished, cohesive graphic design layout.

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This course is part of the Visual Communication Strategy and Design Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 6 modules in this course

A logo that clashes, a flyer that buries its message, a slide deck nobody can read from the back row: weak visual design costs attention, credibility, and sales every day. A handful of principles separate a layout that connects from one that gets scrolled past, and this course breaks down exactly what they are.

You'll build a visual foundation using the four core principles of contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity, then apply the essential elements of line, shape, texture, balance, space, and hierarchy to strengthen every layout you create. You'll select and combine colors with intention using color theory, and choose and pair typefaces that make your message effortless to read. Along the way, you'll practice these skills on realistic design scenarios so they become second nature. By the end of this course, you'll be able to build a graphic design layout from scratch, grounded in proven principles, that clearly communicates its message and captures its audience.

Your boss just handed you a wall of text and told you to make it work, and where you start determines whether the message survives. In this module, you'll build the structural foundation every layout needs by applying the four core principles that keep a message clear instead of chaotic.

What's included

3 videos1 assignment

You already know the four CRAP principles by name, but now it's time to put each one to work on its own. In this module, you'll apply contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity individually to strengthen a layout's structure and eliminate visual confusion.

What's included

4 videos2 readings2 assignments

4 videosTotal 23 minutes

Make a Difference With Contrast6 minutes
Create Interest With Repetition9 minutes
Guide the Eye With Alignment4 minutes
Create White Space With Proximity5 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Making Repetition Do More Than Repeat10 minutes
Turning Random Placement Into a Guided Path10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 20 minutes

Applying the Column and Row Alignment Method5 minutes
Applying Each Principle on Its Own15 minutes

You've built a solid structural foundation, and now it's time to decorate it. In this module, you'll identify and apply lines, shapes, and textures to add visual interest and depth to a design layout.

What's included

4 videos2 readings2 assignments

4 videosTotal 15 minutes

Importance of the Elements of Design4 minutes
Connect the Dots with Lines3 minutes
Add Interest with Shapes4 minutes
Implied or Realistic Textures4 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

The Line You Don't Notice Is Doing the Most Work10 minutes
Why a Circle Feels Different From a Square10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 20 minutes

Knowing What Each Element Is For5 minutes
Decorating a Layout Without Overwhelming It15 minutes

You can apply every element correctly and still end up with a layout that feels flat or overwhelming. In this module, you'll compose balance, space, and visual hierarchy together to give a layout structure, breathing room, and a clear reading order.

What's included

3 videos1 reading2 assignments

Color isn't decoration, it's a message your audience reads before they read anything else. In this module, you'll apply color theory to select, combine, and save color schemes that support your design's message and connect emotionally with your audience.

What's included

5 videos3 readings2 assignments

5 videosTotal 28 minutes

The Role of Color5 minutes
Color Basics11 minutes
The Meaning of Color3 minutes
Establishing Emotional Connections4 minutes
Using the Color Wheel to Save a Color Scheme5 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Color Is Doing Its Job Before You Read a Single Word10 minutes
Why a Stop Sign Isn't Blue10 minutes
The Same Red Means Something Different Depending on Where You Are10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 20 minutes

Telling Hue, Saturation, and Value Apart5 minutes
Choosing and Saving a Color Scheme That Communicates15 minutes

A beautiful layout can still fail if nobody can read it. In this module, you'll apply typography fundamentals, from basic terminology to letter anatomy to font selection and formatting rules, to make your design's message clear and effective.

What's included

5 videos2 readings1 assignment

5 videosTotal 18 minutes

Typography Basics5 minutes
Exploring Letter Anatomy3 minutes
Selecting the Right Font3 minutes
Following Typography Rules4 minutes
Create a Winning Design2 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Every Letter Has a Skeleton, and It Affects How You Read10 minutes
Two Fonts Are Plenty, If You Pick the Right Two10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Turning Every Principle Into One Finished Design30 minutes

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Instructor

Madecraft

138 Courses12,094 learners

Offered by

Madecraft

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