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California Institute of the Arts

Introduction to Imagemaking

Designed for serious makers and aspiring designers, Introduction to Imagemaking is a process-driven laboratory for expanding your visual vocabulary. Moving beyond basic software tutorials, this course treats imagemaking as a fundamental pillar of graphic design—one rooted in fearless experimentation and the rigorous study of visual semiotics. Through a series of hands-on prompts, you will master the relationship between denotation and connotation, learning how to intentionally drive meaning through compositional contrast, scale, and hierarchy. You will synthesize your experimental research into a professional-grade image-based book, transforming loose investigations into a cohesive narrative. By the end of this course, you will have moved from simply 'making stuff' to orchestrating complex visual relationships that define a unique, job-ready creative voice.

Status: Creativity
Status: Design Research
BeginnerCourse18 hours

Featured reviews

LS

4.0Reviewed Sep 23, 2019

The assignments are really fun and put the videos into practice very efficiently! The only thing that troubles me is sometimes the "design language" is too unfamiliar for beginners.

TA

5.0Reviewed May 22, 2023

In fact i am very much glad for this because before taking this course, i know nothing about Indesign but i can now use it and more, Thank you for this financial aid opportunities, Blessings coursera

RJ

5.0Reviewed Aug 18, 2018

This is more challenging that it seems. It forces you to think creatively and critically with a seemingly simple subject. I recommend this course for anyone who wants to work with their hands a bit

JE

4.0Reviewed Nov 21, 2017

I really like the course, I learn a lot of thingsI think that some instructios for the assigments are not fully explainedand also I think the voice of the theacher in the videos is low monotonous

GA

5.0Reviewed Sep 5, 2020

Great course indeed, it tackles the true spirit of image-making. Personally, I have reached new heights in design thanks to this course and the clear explanation of the teacher.

LF

5.0Reviewed Mar 13, 2022

This class really helped me get familiar with the process of design, I loved especially getting to see other students work as well as researching my subject for the final project.

HL

5.0Reviewed May 21, 2019

The instructor had such a soothing voice and explained everything very well! The videos were very helpful in showcasing the concepts and providing examples, plus the assignments were super fun!

NM

5.0Reviewed Feb 23, 2017

Really enjoyed this course and it pushed me to think about the application of the design. In this case, I learned a lot about composing spreads for books which was something very new to me.

TT

5.0Reviewed Feb 27, 2018

This course is more self-driven than others I have done on Coursera, but if you are open to exploring different techniques for yourself it is a great course providing a creative stimulus.

AF

5.0Reviewed Oct 8, 2016

I really loved this course. Useful information presented in an attractive format. Hands on approach. It opened my mind regarding a lot of possible applications in different areas of life.

SW

4.0Reviewed Apr 19, 2020

Awesome course, great content! I wish there were more videos to learn about compositions and the third assignment was a bit hard to follow. Overall I learned a great deal. Thanks!

HA

5.0Reviewed Jan 15, 2020

harder than other courses of the specialization which makes it more important and valuable, I didn't know about designing images but now i'm confident I can make cool designs with images

All reviews

Showing: 20 of 665

Jeannie Nadja
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Reviewed Aug 30, 2016
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Reviewed Sep 16, 2017
Dave Lang
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Reviewed Aug 31, 2016
Christine
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Reviewed Jun 12, 2016
Mary A Vecchio
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Reviewed Nov 7, 2019
Elzbieta Zdunek
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Reviewed May 22, 2020
Holly Hilson
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Reviewed Jun 1, 2018
Aaron Martin
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Reviewed Dec 24, 2019
Dries Nollet
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Reviewed Jun 29, 2017
Georgios Andreou
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Reviewed Jun 1, 2019
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Reviewed Nov 19, 2017
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Reviewed Aug 29, 2019
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Reviewed Aug 19, 2018
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Reviewed Apr 29, 2016
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Reviewed May 17, 2020
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Sayem Wani
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Reviewed Dec 7, 2017
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Reviewed Jun 11, 2017
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5.0
Reviewed May 22, 2019
Lin Zhaowei
2.0
Reviewed Sep 11, 2017