This course is part of the Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization

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David Underwood

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Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

About this Course

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Welcome to Graphic Design, the second course in the Effective Communications Specialization. Over 70 different companies have provided this specialization to their employees as a resource for internal professional development. Why? Because employers know that effective visual communication is the key to attracting an audience, building a relationship, and closing the sale.
This practical course gives you the tools to create professional looking PowerPoints, reports, resumes, and presentations. Using a set of best practices refined through years of experience, you’ll: 

• make your work look fresh and inspired.
• apply simple design “tricks” to begin any project with confidence and professionalism.
• receive and respond to criticism and revise your project from good to great.

"This course is fantastic. It teaches a great amount of starter graphic design information but it is broken down into easily understood videos and quizzes. The quality was top notch and the interaction was as good as you would get in a brick and mortar school. I did not feel like I was missing anything by taking it online." - a recent Graphic Design student

All of the course assignments can be completed with basic presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Apple Keynote. You’ll also have opportunities to explore and apply more sophisticated tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The MS-DS is an interdisciplinary degree that brings together faculty from CU Boulder’s departments of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Science, and others. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the MS-DS is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience in computer science, information science, mathematics, and statistics. Learn more about the MS-DS program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/master-of-science-data-science-boulder.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 2 of 4 in the

Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization

Beginner Level

Students should be somewhat fluent in the use of basic composition-friendly software. PowerPoint, Keynote, and InDesign are all ideal.

Approx. 29 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Apply inspired design ideas to your own work.

Skills you will gain

Graphics
Typography
Presentation
Graphic Design

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 2 of 4 in the

Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization

Beginner Level

Students should be somewhat fluent in the use of basic composition-friendly software. PowerPoint, Keynote, and InDesign are all ideal.

Approx. 29 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.82/5 (754 Ratings)

David Underwood

Media Teaching Consultant

University of Colorado Boulder

143,692 Learners

5 Courses

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(13,610 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Getting Started

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.

4 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 32 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes

12 videos

(Optional) Introduction to the Specialization (For New Learners)3m(Optional) What's So Great About The Capstone? (For New Learners)3mFrom Writing to Design; the Handoff2mThe Importance of Designing Well1mCourse Overview2mCourse Prerequisites2mGlossary of Design Terms5mProfessionalism in Design2mDesigning with a Critical Eye1mDeveloping a Design Vocabulary1mThe Importance of Inspiration1mUnexpected Places Yield Unexpected Results4m

5 readings

Welcome and Where to Find Help 10mAbout the For-Credit Version of this course 10mA Few Important Points About This Course10mA Glossary of Design Terms15mDeveloping a Design Vocabulary10m

1 practice exercise

Glossary20m

Week2

Week 2

8 hours to complete

The Blank Canvas

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.

8 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 65 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes

15 videos

The Necessity of Structure2mIntroducing the Grid4mThe Grid and Audience Perception4mThe Power of Negative Space2mIntroducing the Palette1mType Is the Message6mType Anatomy5mType Families7mType Formatting9mCreating with Type3mColor and Its Meaning3mColor and the Natural World3mImage Treatment2mCreative Cropping4mGraphic Elements2m

5 readings

Practicing Building Grids1h 30mPracticing Negative Space1h 30mWhy Designers Use Templates10mPracticing Templates10mPracticing Cropping10m

2 practice exercises

Typeface20mSeeing Design 'Tricks' in Action30m

Week3

Week 3

10 hours to complete

Tricks of the Trade

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.

10 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 34 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

12 videos

Design "Tricks"41sDesigning with a Closed Set of Elements: The Clarity Guitars Ad45sContrast4mWhite Space3mRepetition in writing, design, and presentation1mRhythm or Repetition2mSublimation2mInterlocking Elements2mIntroduction to Tension5mTension and Movement4mTargets and Portals3mEstablishing Priorities2m

4 readings

Using the Closed Set10mPracticing Contrast 21hPracticing Tension45mPracticing Logos45m

Week4

Week 4

7 hours to complete

Revision and Distance

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.

7 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 14 min)

Reviews

4.8

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TOP REVIEWS FROM GRAPHIC DESIGN

by CYJul 11, 2021

Highly engaging and stimulating course. I enjoyed putting the practices taught in the lessons in the assignments. The design principles are simple to grasp, practical and effective. Thank you!

by COJan 15, 2018

There were a lot of design elements thought were irrelevant, now i know better. This course made graphic design limitless. It also show me how to do more and appreciate everything visible

by LAMay 10, 2020

I am amazed to learn not only the basics but also the clear speech Inthe video with an expression which is attractive. I am requesting you to expand the weeks for the course. Thank you.

by NLFeb 25, 2023

I am truly grateful and appreciative of the faculty members at the University of Colorado Boulder, as well as Coursera, for giving me the opportunity to study and hone my skills.

Thank you so much!

View all reviews

About the Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization

Over seventy companies and tens of thousands of students worldwide have used Effective Communication to deliver ideas powerfully in the workplace. By taking Business Writing, Graphic Design, and Successful Presentation, you’ll hone your written, visual, and verbal business presentation skills. You'll learn to write well-organized, clear business documents; to design elegant presentation slides, reports, and posters; and to present and speak with confidence and power. In the final Capstone Project, you'll develop a portfolio of work—including a memo, a slide deck, and a presentation—to showcase your communication skills and represent your personal brand. The Effective Communication Specialization takes you on a journey of self realization. You’ll learn that excellence in communication involves the ability to express who you are—your best self—in everything you do.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
What kind of software will I need to complete this course?
Learners need some familiarity and access to presentation software like Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Apple Keynote. Although it is not required, design students may also use programs like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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