Introduction to Graphic Design

Learn the concepts and software skills that you need to become a graphic designer. Learn about image editing, logo design, and layout in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Introduction

• Welcome
• What is graphic design?

1. The Creative Process

• Overview of the creative process
• The creative brief
• Research
• Ideation
• Digital ideation
• Production

2. Layout and Composition

• The basics of layout and composition
• The design space
• Principles of layout
• Grids
• Exercise: Layout analysis

3. Typography

• The language of type
• Type terminology
• Type anatomy
• Basic type classifications
• Ligatures
• Type measurement
• Text elements: Character
• Text elements: Paragraph
• Selecting type
• Basic typography guidelines
• Type crimes

4. Color

• Color components
• Monochrome and temperature
• Color harmonies
• RGB and CMYK
• Process and spot colors
• Color associations
• Color blindness

5. Photoshop

• Photoshop quick start tour
• Saving a PSD file from Photoshop
• Making basic selections in Photoshop
• Placing and transforming other assets
• Making and refining color selections
• Selecting and refining hair strands
• Selectively changing colors
• Using content-aware scale
• Cropping an image
• Making a black-and-white adjustment

6. Illustrator

• Illustrator quick start
• Importing a rough sketch
• Drawing the logo
• Creating a color theme
• Creating point type in Illustrator
• Using the Touch Type tool
• Creative Cloud libraries

7. InDesign

• InDesign quick start tour
• Creating a new document
• Working with master pages
• Importing graphics into InDesign
• Roundtrip editing with Photoshop
• Adjusting the fit of graphics
• Importing text into InDesign
• Creating text styles in InDesign
• Creating object styles in InDesign
• Creating tables in InDesign
• Finalizing the design
• Using InDesign Publish Online

Conclusion

• Recommended courses
• Connecting with the author