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Online Course:
Graphic Design I

DIGITAL ARTS in the print and digital era

Jae Chang, New York
"For this Phashion Magazine Cover and Spread, I chose the Chanel Collection. The images were optimized for the Web, but the pictures were great enough to have this assignment done."

Explore graphic design and get an excellent basis from which to begin to create your own design work. Students will complete a wide variety of design projects from ideation, sketches to final presentation. Case studies and essays about important cornerstones in graphic design such as proportion, positive and negative space, and grids adds logic to the lessons.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, commercial arts such as graphic design are among the fastest growing sectors in the US. This course gives you the edge you need to measure up in a growing and competitive field.

Tuition: $ US

MORE INFO: faculty | prerequisites | objectives | outline

Faculty:

Instructors:
Laura Schwamb is the co-founder of Steam Design Group and the founder of Sign Off ... get bio
Claire Boger is an interactive designer and founder of ImaginationAlley.com ... get bio

Course Developer:
Morten Sohlberg is a veteran designer and art director ... get bio

Prerequisites:

To take this course, you'll need:
•	Computer with Internet connection (56 Kbps modem or faster).
•	Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
•	QuarkXPress optional.
•	Basic experience in graphic design and the software packages needed for this course*
* If needed, the following courses can help you meet the above requirements:
	Photoshop Basics Illustrator by Example Color Theory Design and Composition

Objectives:

Students can expect to learn how to:

•	Develop graphic design work and concepts based on a series of professional creative approaches and techniques.
•	Apply traditional and digital design techniques to create polished graphic design pieces.
•	Select and set typography to communicate a specific message in logo designs and page layouts.
•	Use knowledge of the anatomy and spacing of type to create cohesive and expressive logo designs.
•	Use a layout grid and professional layout rules to design engaging magazine covers, magazine article spreads, book covers, and book chapter pages.
•	Create magazine and book layout designs with a clear visual hierarchy of information.
•	Select appropriate papers and printing treatments for print designs, and emboss paper by hand.
•	Create a basic three-dimensional product packaging design working from a client brief.
•	Incorporate existing brand rules into product packaging designs and other graphic design projects.
•	Develop an understanding of how to manage the graphic designer/client/vendor relationship, including promotion and billing.
•	Develop a self-promotional design piece that effectively targets and engages potential clients.
•	Organize work for use in physical and online design portfolios and produce a final portfolio piece that involves printing, labeling, package design, and photography.

Outline:

LESSON 1 The Process of Design The process of graphic design has been a hot topic of discussion since humans' first signs of creativity. There is really no "right" approach to design, but the study and exploration of professional designers' techniques will help you develop your own style of visual communication. In this lesson, you'll learn the steps a designer takes to complete a project, and a variety of effective conceptualization methods. The hands-on exercise helps your creativity to surface while working to communicate a client's needs.

LESSON 2 Tradition Meets Technology Designers today may depend on their trusty graphics software and high-end computers, but not long ago, graphic design was truly hands-on. You'll discover the traditional techniques used through much of the 20th century to create layouts, set typography, and retouch images. In the exercise, you'll step into the shoes of a traditional designer and do create a paste-up layout of your own, with little help from your computer.

LESSON 3 Text and Typography Most messages in today's communication and media world are made up of letters and words. We will look at the role of words in the society where typographical style, tone, and expression counts almost as much as the literal meaning of words. This look includes getting up-close-and-personal with approaches and techniques for typography in compositions and logo design. Then you'll take this knowledge into the exercise, creating a sophisticated magazine logo.

LESSON 4 The Shape of Design The concept of the grid, and how to plan space and layout, is crucial to design. To understand these subjects and how they relate to each other, we need to look at a key element in, not only design, but also in life in general: contrast. We go through the steps, from research, to sketching, to final design of magazine covers and spreads, looking at highly effective examples along the way. It's your turn in the exercise, where you create a magazine cover emphasizing the "one message rule" as well as a two-page spread.

LESSON 5 Design in Publishing The word "publishing" originally just meant that something was made public—it could be hollered on the street, painted, or sung. Today, the word is used for any form of information distribution, and we'll look at both print and digital methods. Then it's on to an exploration of book design—a challenging field involving everything you've learned about design so far. In the exercise, you'll pitch a book design by creating an eye-catching cover and chapter page for your favorite modern artist.

LESSON 6 The World of Paper Most projects start on paper, and many end on paper. It has been said that we are moving towards a paper-less society. This is not the case. Paper has been with us for a long time, and it will remain with us for a long time, well past our lifetimes. Knowing the possibilities and limitations is the difference between success and failure. The exercise section will teach you some simple, inexpensive but effective design features applied to your own or your client's stationery.

LESSON 7 Packaging & Product Design What is the secret of products that sell and why is it that some products don't survive? The truth is: pricing structure, marketing, politics and even corruption play a more important part than need and quality. But once it gets to the shelf the design is what makes it or breaks it. Exercises involve take design into three dimensions and doing some physical work: students will learn to create packaging on the computer, illustrate it, then manually assemble it.

LESSON 8 Managing the Design Business Commercial art is a fast-growing industry, and it's time to start thinking seriously about your career goals and how to get there. The many job options for a designer are explored, as well as business techniques like networking and self-promotion. You'll reflect on your own skills and goals in the exercise, detailing them in a self-promotional design piece that you can use at your next networking event.

LESSON 9 Production and Portfolios The last stage of a design project is production, and you can be a much more effective, creative designer if you're schooled in the production process. We'll walk through the terms and steps you'll encounter in print production, then move into a discussion on your portfolio—your next step once a project is produced. You'll learn what to place in your portfolio and how to present it, then try for a portfolio-worthy project in the final exercise. From concept to production and presentation, you'll design a series of olive oil bottles for your client.