Graphic Designing Course

Discover the exciting world of design

Our comprehensive Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design course provides you with the necessary skills and a solid understanding of the key areas of Graphic Design. You will develop your level of expertise and confidence in the many components of visual communication. With an in-depth knowledge of the Principles of Design, you will learn to create professional designs in both print and digital formats as well as gaining valuable insights into the areas of logo creation, image creation, designing for the web, typography and branding. You will further develop your skills in Adobes industry standard applications, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign – the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Graphic Design.

Duration: 3 Months | Project: 1 Months

Module I – Introduction

Lesson 1 - Introduction to Graphic Design expand

We begin with the “What Is” of Graphic Design and how Graphic Design is all about visually communicating an idea, thought, message or meaning by combining symbols, images and/or words. We also give an overview of the “Holy Trinity” of Graphic Design applications - Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator & InDesign and how designers best use these tools.

Lesson 2 - Elements & Principles of Design expand

In this lesson, you will learn to develop a “Designer’s Eye”, by understanding the building blocks of Graphic Design. You will understand how to use Line, Shape, Colour, Texture, Mass and Space to communicate your message and use Principles to bring order and structure to your designs.

Lesson 3 - Photoshop Introduction expand

Adobe Photoshop was introduced in 1990 to great acclaim from the creative community. Designers & Photographers were now able to perform professional editing tasks without the need for special equipment or great cost. It has seen all the competition to become the industry standard. It is a huge application, but in this lesson we will provide a solid foundation to build on as you progress your design education.

Lesson 4 - Photoshop for Designers expand

Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard application for digital image manipulation. In this lesson, you will learn how to use some of Photoshop’s most advanced tools to bring your creative ideas to life and boost your productivity at the same time, by learning simple tips and tricks.

Lesson 5 - Introduction to Typography & Adobe Illustrator Overview expand

Typography plays a critical role in strengthening your brand, creating interest in your product, and highlighting your central message. Here you will gain a solid understanding of the basics and learn how it’s an essential area of skill and knowledge for all graphic designers.

Lesson 6 - Logo Creation with Adobe Illustrator expand

Logo design is all around us. They serve as instant reminders and points of recognition of products or brands. Here, we examine best practices associated with creating logos and the challenge of incorporating a client’s ideologies into a single graphic, all while utilizing the power of Adobe Illustrator for logo creation.

Lesson 7 - Designing for the Webexpand

Understanding how users interact with websites and basic patterns of user behavior is a crucial skill when implementing web page design. In this lesson you will gain that understanding and how to apply correct principles to your design, and produce effective, professional layouts.

Lesson 8 - Print & Pre-Press Basics and InDesign Introduction expand

One of the most fundamental areas of design is print work, and a solid understanding of how to correctly set your files up for printing is vital. Here you will learn the correct terminology, how to apply it, and create and setup a document for print in Adobe InDesign.

Module II – Advanced Theory Module

Lesson 1: Photoshop Essential

Photoshop is one part of the 'Holy Trinity' of design, the others being Illustrator and InDesign. During this lesson you will discover the shear amount of power Photoshop contains. This tour of Photoshop will touch on the many tools of Photoshop and the sub-categories within each tool choice.

Lesson 2: Photoshop Filters & Blend Modes

Filters are a great tool for any graphic designer. Photoshop has a large range of filters to fit every genre and to help create amazing pieces of work. During this lesson we will delve in these filters, to fully grasp the creative power they have.

Lesson 3: Logo Design Principles

During this lesson you will discover the best principles of logo design, and the “what not to do”, to make sure you avoid those easily made mistakes. This Lesson will then discuss what makes a logo work before moving on to the principals contained in Gestalt theory.

Module III – Professional Creation Module

Lesson 1: Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of data and information. They are intended to help convey information faster, as the mind processes images faster than words. We will be discussing the best practices when designing infographics before approaching our own infographic creation in Adobe Illustrator.

Lesson 2: Grid Theory

Whether you work in digital or print, you need to understand grid theory. Grids are like the invisible glue that holds a design together. So whatever area of design you are interested in, we'll help you gain a solid understanding of the terminology, practice and purpose of the grid.

Lesson 3: Portfolio Creation

During this lesson, we will discuss tips for portfolio creation that will help guide you towards that next step in your career. During our hands on practical webinar, we will try a variety of different layout types so you, as a creative individual, can tweak them to your own standards, inviting your own creative portfolio.

Lesson 4: Creative Resume

A creative CV/Résumé will help you stand out, get you the interview and secure the job, along with the portfolio of course. We will look at the best practices for creative résumés and will touch on some of the best creative techniques used during the design.

Module IV – Career Module

Lesson 1: Branding & Packaging

Branding and packaging is an important tool to any business. This lesson will teach all the knowledge you need to get ahead in the branding and packaging side of graphic design. Using the Adobe packages, we will create some stunning artwork to be used for a variety of different branding and packaging.

Lesson 2: Advanced Typography

Typography is an art form of its own. Understanding typography and its power is a great asset to any designer. Creating your own custom fonts is an advantage every graphic designer should possess. We will look at custom fonts and how to edit already existing fonts to help your designs pop.

Lesson 3: Idea Generation & Development

This lesson will solely focus on the process of idea generation and how to go from a simple brief to a masterpiece of work. We will go through all the steps of idea generation in depth, allowing for creativity even in the non-creative parts of graphic design.

Lesson 4: Print Production

A step-by-step guide to managing successful print jobs to manage a print job effectively, you must understand how printers work, how to communicate with them, and how to identify the best solution for your budget. You can learn the technical fundamentals of producing professional-looking print publications. You will learn what you need to know at every step of the process, from choosing file formats and fonts, to specifying or separating colors, to managing the different phases of final production.

Lesson 5: Advertising Design

In this project, you will learn the principles of the advertising design from both a creative and a business perspective. Case studies from Print, Web, and TV showcase advertising concepts at work: persuasion, color psychology and composition, copywriting and typography, and brand communication. Class projects include ads for newspapers, magazines, subways, and transit/outdoor applications, and a final project in which you create an entire ad campaign.

Lesson 6: Career Advice

These lessons will be based on career advice to help you ease the possibility of designing for either a client or for yourself. We will discuss on a step by step basis what you need to know and what you need to do to become a freelance graphic designer.