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

4.8
stars
18,387 ratings

About the Course

The Fundamentals of Graphic Design course offered by CalArts on Coursera provides a comprehensive introduction to the essential building blocks of visual communication. This practice-oriented program focuses on four primary pillars: imagemaking, typography, shape and color theory, and the principles of composition. Unlike software-specific tutorials, this curriculum emphasizes the act of making and the mastery of design principles. It encourages participants to transform abstract concepts into tangible design projects. Learners will explore diverse techniques for visual representation and gain a technical understanding of how to manipulate rhythm, pattern, and contrast to organize information effectively. Please note that this course focuses on conceptual and formal principles rather than technical software instruction. While projects may be completed using tools like Adobe Creative Suite, specific tutorials for Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign are not provided. The curriculum is designed to build foundational design proficiency that is applicable across any analog or digital toolset. By the end of the program, learners will have developed a core set of graphic design skills applicable to personal creative projects or further specialized study in professional design. This course serves as a critical first step for any aspiring communicator looking to master the universal visual language that shapes global culture and media....

Top reviews

EJ

Sep 5, 2021

I had a lot of fun in this course. I learnt some extra bits of information related to graphic design and I think it's a great start for beginners as well as good practice for intermediate and experts!

EC

Feb 1, 2018

Great opportunity to practice. Encouraged to make. First time using vector design program Abode Illustrator. Was hard to listen to all Contrast Section. It would be great if there was more diversity.

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476 - 500 of 4,686 Reviews for Fundamentals of Graphic Design

By Muhammad W A

Nov 19, 2020

The specialization is great. I have learned many new things here. My experience was very good and really enjoyed this course. The teachers and trainers are very well experienced. Thanks, God. Thanks my institution, Coursera, and CalArts.

By Gerasimova E A

May 31, 2020

I liked this course. It the first one that I`ve completed on Coursera. It has interesting videos with theoretical data and it has practical part. I hope the received expirience in this are helps me grow in my career as a graphic designer

By Stephanie B

May 3, 2020

Great course! I started designing as a hobby and learned to use a few graphic design Softwares, however, this is what I was lacking: basic and theory. The course structure is so easy to follow and instructions for assignments very clear.

By Euan M

Feb 9, 2016

An exceptionally good course. Hands-on, and—as the name suggests—all about learning the fundamentals of design, rather than what to click in a piece of software. Highly recommended as an antidote to all the Photoshop tutorials out there.

By yosi t

Sep 2, 2023

Materi Pembelajarannya sangat mudah diikuti. Saya senang mendapatkan bantuan finansial untuk memperkuat & menambah ilmu, juga meningkatkan keahlian Graphic Design saya (menciptakan tujuan komunikasi yang lebih efektif).  Terima Kasih !

By Elina P

Dec 9, 2022

This course is great for those who want to understand the basics of graphic design as well as for those who seek inspiration and new ways of doing things. The course is very informative and has a lot of practical tasks. Amazing course!

By Yana B

Apr 5, 2021

I really liked the first course! The information is very accessible and well presented, the teacher is excellent! And thanks to everyone who also participated in the course and evaluated the works, it helped a lot in passing the course.

By Eva H

Nov 8, 2017

Great course. Lessons are interesting and easy to follow. The tutor gives plenty of visual examples to help you understand the topics and encourage you to get your hands on design. You definitely gain the fundamentals of Graphic Design.

By Rafael G

Jun 6, 2024

For a fundamental course it is awesome. It covers a good amount of area in graphic design and points you into the right direction. It is invaluable to have such a course. If you, reader, want to take it ... do the optional assignments.

By Monica A N

Apr 11, 2020

Great course! I recommend it for those who are searching a starting point in the graphic design. All the projects contained in this course are well designed to help you understand the work process and apply your new acquired knowledge.

By Fabian M

Nov 28, 2016

This is one of those courses that for me open a door to a whole new world, that was right there in front of me the whole time (design is all around in society) but I had been to blind to notice. The course has lifted that veil for me.

By Rohit N

Dec 30, 2015

This perfectly introduced me to the basic know-hows of graphic design, thing which you'll never learn from self practice and creating stuff on photoshop or Ai. I enjoyed learning more from this than my 4 years in engineering in school!

By Djoeke V

Jul 9, 2021

Covers and summarizes the most important aspects of design. The required assignments can be simple if you're a somewhat experienced image-maker. More experienced learners will also learn a lot from especially the optional assignments.

By Ahmed H

Jan 15, 2019

I would like to thank you for your effort, I have learned graphic design from youtube five years ago and I am with five years of experience, but I wanted to learn graphic design in an academic way and I found that here .. many thanks.

By Brianna P

Feb 21, 2016

I really enjoyed this course. The teacher made the content very approachable and doable. The goal was to just create and start designing. I loved how low pressure it felt! It actually made me want to go the extra mile and design more!

By Ira J

Aug 19, 2023

Knowledgeable and experienced instructor. Interesting and well organized content. This course opened my eyes to new ways of looking at things and inspired me to take additional steps in pursuing a career in graphic design. Thank you!

By Siddesh S

Jun 20, 2022

My overall experience is very good. The knowledge provided on fundamental graphic design includes in-depth knowledge of all aspects as well as practical demonstrations of the topics, which aid in visualising self-concepts. Thank you.

By Ekaterina K

Jul 31, 2020

Great thanks for this course! I got a lot of new skills and now I see, that graphic design is a really interesting and exiting thing! This course helped me to free myself from my prejudices and fears in creation. Much obliged to you!

By rodolfomlchr

May 13, 2020

El curso es una buena forma de adentrarte en el diseño grafico, las activdades de cada semana son buenas y la ultima actividad los es al 100 por ciento. Aun así, creo que puedes apoyarte de otros cursos para que no se te escape nada.

By Emilie N

Feb 5, 2022

The instruction was excellent. I really appreciated Michael's low key style and his insights on design. His examples of work inspired me to explore and come up with good designs. This course reignited my passion for graphic design.

By Lev

Jul 19, 2021

I highly recommend this course to those who wanted to pursue Graphic Design. The professor teaches the fundamentals or techniques that you need to know before creating a Graphic Design. Thank you for this wonderful course, Coursera.

By Kate S

Mar 11, 2020

I enjoyed the course. It touches all important basis (fundamentals) and acts as a perfect start to go deeper into the topic with following courses from this university for Graphic specialization. Good balance of video/reading/tasks.

By Kadaria O

Aug 22, 2020

As I person, who have never been into design, I find this course helpful. It gives basics for main aspects of graphic design. I have learned new things regarding typography and fornts, as the professor talked about history as well.

By Tommy W O

Jul 22, 2020

Concise, easily grasped, and rather eye-opening. It's easy to take pen to paper or mouse to a document and go to town with expression, but I feel enriched in a way that I haven't felt for a long time by simply studying the basics.

By Shantee J

Jan 11, 2024

Really enjoyed this course and the Instructor was great with explaining things and provided me with an understanding. This course made me excited about taking graphic further and learning more. Help me understand what I want to do