Designing for an organization, while requiring technical skill, is not just about knowing how to use a pagination program such as InDesign or manipulate photos using Photoshop. A designer is a visual storyteller, a person who pairs words with images and typography to best convey information to an audience. Good design evokes emotion and presents the news of the day with clarity and the proper tone. A business card, brochure, or website that has good design provides content that is more inviting, more easily comprehensible and is faster to process. Design isn’t about “making it look pretty,” it’s also about content, layout and audience analysis.
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Basic Elements of Design: Design Principles and Software Overview
This course is part of Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers Specialization
![Lori Poole](https://d3njjcbhbojbot.cloudfront.net/api/utilities/v1/imageproxy/https://coursera-instructor-photos.s3.amazonaws.com/cb/400661ed9245a5a05e67a003a872dd/LoriPoole.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=1&w=75&h=75&fit=crop)
Instructor: Lori Poole
Sponsored by Coursera Learning Team
57,212 already enrolled
(977 reviews)
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What you'll learn
Recognize ways to work with graphic designers and other creative professionals.
Understand the history and design process of the graphic design profession.
Compare the concepts of balance, proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast and space.
Discover the use of white space to develop shape, form, and structure in graphic projects.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
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2 assignments
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There are 3 modules in this course
This module will cover the history of graphic design, uncover what graphic designers do and review the design process.
What's included
4 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt1 plugin
This module will introduce the design principles of balance, alignment, proximity, space, repetition and contrast.
What's included
5 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt1 plugin
This module will go over the expectations of projects in this specialization, how to apply the design principles to the projects, and software needed to product course projects.
What's included
2 videos2 readings1 peer review
Instructor
![Lori Poole](https://d3njjcbhbojbot.cloudfront.net/api/utilities/v1/imageproxy/https://coursera-instructor-photos.s3.amazonaws.com/cb/400661ed9245a5a05e67a003a872dd/LoriPoole.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=1&w=75&h=75&fit=crop)
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Reviewed on Nov 28, 2020
This course is great for beginners regarding design principles but if you're looking for more applications on design, you may need to check tutorials or other references.
Reviewed on Oct 12, 2022
It's a good start to knowing what graphic design is all about, this course offers good understanding of basic level on graphic design.
Reviewed on Apr 3, 2022
An informative course that gives you a better understanding on the elements needed when it comes to design. If you need to refresh your graphic design, you won't regret taking this course.
Recommended if you're interested in Arts and Humanities
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