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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Fundamentals of Graphic Design by California Institute of the Arts

4.8
stars
17,084 ratings

About the Course

Graphic Design is all around us! Words and pictures—the building blocks of graphic design—are the elements that carry the majority of the content in both the digital world and the printed world. As graphic design becomes more visible and prevalent in our lives, graphic design as a practice becomes more important in our culture. Through visual examples, this course will teach you the fundamental principles of graphic design: imagemaking, typography, composition, working with color and shape... foundational skills that are common in all areas of graphic design practice. I don't just want you to watch a video of someone talking about design, I want you to MAKE design! If you want to be a designer you have to be a maker and a communicator, so this course will offer you lots of opportunities to get your hands dirty with exercises and with more practical projects. At the end of this course you will have learned how to explore and investigate visual representation through a range of image-making techniques; understand basic principles of working with shape, color and pattern; been exposed to the language and skills of typography; and understand and have applied the principles of composition and visual contrast. If you complete the course, along with its optional (but highly recommended) briefs, you will have a core set of graphic design skills that you can apply to your own projects, or to more deeply investigate a specialized area of graphic design. To succeed in this course you will need access to a computer. You can complete this course without one but it will be tougher. Access to, and a beginner's level knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite programs, such as Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign will help you, especially if you want to complete the optional briefs....

Top reviews

CS

May 9, 2018

An ok course for beginners. A bit too basic for someone who has already had experience in design, but is great anyway cause it breaks things back down to the simplest parts to help you remember roots.

AR

Apr 17, 2016

very good introductory course. i enjoyed the assignments, they are not overwhelming, easy to start, and the optional ones offer great opportunity to dig little deeper into graphic design fundamentals.

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1376 - 1400 of 4,411 Reviews for Fundamentals of Graphic Design

By Tina N

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Sep 6, 2021

I really enjoyed this course. The instructions were very clear and the assignments enjoyable. I learned a lot!

By Andrii P

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Mar 27, 2021

It is really the fundamentals of Graphic Design. The course is informative and has interesting practical tasks.

By Armunwadee M

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May 9, 2020

I can learn all of basic about graphic design. I suggest this course , perhaps you maybe get the new knowledge.

By Claudia L V C

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Apr 22, 2020

Excelente. Impulsó mis ganas de seguir estudiando diseño, una hermosa carrera que dejé de lado. Muchas gracias.

By Hanna D

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Mar 19, 2020

Fantastic professor and great exercises to help create graphic design portfolio. Really good foundation course.

By Canelle C

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Oct 23, 2019

I really enjoyed taking this class ! The videos were very clear and well made ! Thank you Coursera & CalArts :)

By George S

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Mar 18, 2016

Excellent. Really gave me a perfect immersion in the world of Graphic Design. I sure am more knowledgeable now.

By Thomas

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Dec 7, 2015

Excellent course. Interesting, simple (in a very good way) and very engaging. Loved it. If only it continued...

By Sawsan H

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Apr 14, 2023

For beginner level, it's really a great, fun and easy course to get to know the basic tools of graphic design.

By Kevin H

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Sep 30, 2021

Very beneficial class for my career. One suggestion, please invest in a pop filter for all future voice overs.

By Nghĩa T

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Mar 21, 2021

I love the course. It helps me a part in my self-discovery process. I am so grateful and thanks for everything

By Michela O

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Aug 16, 2020

Great introduction to Graphic design. This course gives students basic but important tools to start creating.

By MADRI V M V

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Jun 23, 2020

This great course to improve my knowledge of graphic design which is simply not just knowing colors. Thank you

By Jasmyn J

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Apr 30, 2020

Absolutely amazing course. Speaker was very knowledgeable and thorough. Assignment were relevant and engaging.

By Mahmoud M

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Apr 20, 2020

A strong course that helps develop your skills in the world of graphic design based on scientific foundations.

By Yudi Y S

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Mar 28, 2020

I love the material! I learned a lot from this course about the basic skill of design. Learn by taking action!

By Omar A

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Aug 25, 2019

this was very educational yet i was not bored. i like the hands on parts most. overall it was astoundingly fun

By Murtadha A K

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Jul 11, 2019

Very well-made class I enjoyed the videos and found the instruction enlightening and guiding at the same time.

By Naomi M H

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Apr 16, 2019

Loved it! Short, clear and relevant. Great for introduction into Graphic design and its principles. Thank you!

By Cathy G

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Feb 19, 2016

Seems as though all the essentials are here in a very efficient manner. The assignments and fun and inspiring.

By CATALINA P O

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Oct 9, 2023

Es un curso introductorio bastante útil. Me gustó mucho que hubiese obligación de realizar trabajos prácticos

By Eldina Z

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May 17, 2023

I really enjoyed this course. At the end I was able to design a poster. I feel so proud of myself! Thank you!

By Zuri I

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May 10, 2023

Best course to learn real graphic design, not only the usual how to use the software made for graphic design.

By Beth F

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Aug 29, 2022

The content of this course was excellent and was an effective lead-in course to the basic concepts of design.

By Melissa R

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Jan 30, 2022

I was very surprised by this course. It demonstrastes that even the simplest task required a lot of thinking.