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 course is part of the Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization
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Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation SpecializationUniversity of Colorado BoulderAbout this Course
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Course 2 of 4 in the
Beginner Level
Students should be somewhat fluent in the use of basic composition-friendly software. PowerPoint, Keynote, and InDesign are all ideal.
Approx. 27 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Skills you will gain
GraphicsTypographyPresentationGraphic 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.
Course 2 of 4 in the
Beginner Level
Students should be somewhat fluent in the use of basic composition-friendly software. PowerPoint, Keynote, and InDesign are all ideal.
Approx. 27 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Offered by
University of Colorado Boulder
CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
2 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.
2 hours to complete
12 videos (Total 32 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes
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
9 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.
9 hours to complete
12 videos (Total 34 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
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
TOP REVIEWS FROM GRAPHIC DESIGN
by RCMay 13, 2020
I think that the discussions would be more useful if students had detailed instructions on how to create the images in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint and then take a screenshot to make a jpeg image.
by DCApr 10, 2020
I loved it its not on photoshop or any application but on the practicality on how to use everything is any design related work or medium got to learn on maybe new minute things I used to ignore
by TYSep 7, 2021
I learned a lot from this course. There's structure now to all the creative ideas that I have. I'm sure I'll be able to use the lessons here throughout my professional career. Thank you so much.
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!
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.
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