Master the basics in this graphic design course
In our 14 week graphic design course you’ll master the basics by learning about the elements and principles of design, colour theory and typography.
You’ll then gain the practical skills by using Adobe Illustrator to design a logo and corporate identity, create layouts (poster and ads) and apply your graphic design skills to create social media images. Better yet, it’s been designed by our on-campus lecturers, so you get to benefit from their years of experience, expertise and proven ability to develop award-winning talent. FREE Adobe Creative Cloud and eBook included for the duration of the course!
Course creators: Our incredible full-time lecturers
This course was created by, and benefits from, our full-time lecturers’ years of experience in the field – both in lecturing and in industry. They know how to nurture talent and bring out the best in students, resulting in many award-wins over the years. Here are some of the lecturers you’ll “meet” online:
Carmen Schaefer: is a meticulous detailer with a holistic design aesthetic and a strong focus on typography
Nini van der Walt: her years of practical experience brings a deep understanding of the strong interaction between insights and design
Connor Cullinan: specialises in colourways – knowing exactly which colour combinations will make things pop, and when to dial up the hue, or tone it down
UNIQUELY HUMAN SKILLS
The reality is that AI and robots will replace many of the jobs we know today. The likes of NASA and Google are already ahead of the game in their early recognition of the importance of ‘soft’ skills. Our courses and programmes are designed to prepare humans for this unknown world, by combining topic-specific knowledge and know-how, as well as a selection of the 10 uniquely human skills we’ve identified that will set us apart from ‘robots’:
Creative thinking, leadership, empathy, conflict resolution, critical thinking, adaptability, social intelligence, persuasion, negotiation, mindfulness
This course includes:
Creative Thinking35Critical Thinking15Empathy20Adaptability15Persuasion15
This course is perfect for:
- Traditional print-based graphic designers who want to up their digital game
- Marketers, writers or DTP operators - tired of being presented with lacklustre design, or wanting to improve their briefing/art direction skills for a better outcome
- Small business owners and start-ups who have a conceptual or creative mindset, can’t afford the ongoing services of a designer and know they could do it themselves if they had the technical skills and knowledge
- Influencers, bloggers and social media content producers who want to create astounding graphics that stand out from tired, old boring stock imagery
Outline
The course is made up of 7 practical modules:
- Module 1: Graphic Design Theory
- Module 2: Design Process and Ideation
- Module 3: Colour Theory
- Module 4: The Principles and Elements of Design
- Module 5: Type and Layout
- Module 6: Logo Design and Corporate Identity
- Module 7: Design for Social Media
Benefits
At the end of this course, you'll:
- Master the basics of graphic design principles and applications
- Learn about the elements and principles of design, colour theory, typography and how to pick the perfect font.
- Be able to put this knowledge into practice using Adobe Illustrator by designing a logo, corporate identity, poster design and other layouts.
- Be able to apply what you’ve learnt to digital design for social media
- Gain the contextual understanding of the history of graphic design, stylistic movements and the famous designers that made an impact.
PRE-COURSE REQUIREMENTS
To qualify you need to meet the following requirements:
Most competitor courses have a sole-focus on either:
-
the foundations of graphic design - assuming students are already familiar with the Adobe software, or
-
teaching the Adobe software - while disregarding critical elements (like colour, typography, layout, etc) that make for powerful design
Our course is different in that it provides a robust introduction to both essential elements and principles of design, based on our extensive experience of (and reputation for) producing incredible designers from our fulltime programmes.
So, know that you'll be learning from the best. But also that this course isn't for everyone. Here's a quick checklist of who is best suited, and what is needed to get the maximum benefit.
Who
While this is an introductory course, it's also designed to test whether you have the attributes needed for this discipline - like drive, determination, and self-motivation. You’ll need:
-
The commitment to self-study (eg. the e-book guiding you on how to use Adobe Illustrator)
-
A basic understanding of computers and ability to learn new software (we know this seems obvious, but past experience has proven otherwise), along with exposure to any programme requiring simple design elements like layout, cropping images and crafting of typography (e.g. Powerpoint, Keynote, etc)
-
To factor in weekly deadlines: two for module 7, one per week for the rest
-
To make time to attend the tutorials: Attendance is highly recommended as you’ll get personal feedback, input and advice . It works as follows:
-
Lecturers will provide video feedback on your submissions by Wednesday.
-
On Friday, you’ll have a live video tutorial session with your marker, so you can ask any questions you still have.
-
A warning to perfectionists (the mark of great designers): you may end up spending longer on assignments than expected. But you’ll love every minute and be so absorbed in crafting the best outcome, it won’t matter.
What
-
A computer: essential for taking advantage of the 14-week Adobe Illustrator license (included in the price) and accessing the eBook, which teaches you how to use the software. Check out the system requirements here.
-
A scanner (or scanner app on your smartphone).
- Sketching tools: A fineliner and some colour pencils for sketching and drawing.
