Design Fundamentals: 2D Foundations
Discipline(s): Visual Communication Design
Skill Level: Beginner
Instructor: Samantha Coughlin
Duration: 8 weeks
Course Description:
This course introduces the fundamental building blocks of design: color, form, composition, and typography. It explores how designers can leverage these tools to communicate and shape ideas. We will cover the basic vocabulary expected of design professionals, and introduce processes for framing problems and developing solutions that students will continue to evolve and refine in later courses. The program will be taught virtually and projects will be completed in Illustrator or a comparable vector based program.
Learning Objectives:
Explore how visuals translate semantic meaning
Understand how spatial relationships work and acquire skills to build and design strong layouts and hierarchies
Understand color and develop skills for applying color theory to projects
Develop a strong foundation in typography: including understanding the letterform, type classification systems, and best practices for text formatting
Uncover methods for design exploration with sketching
Course requirements/expectations:
We will start the course with manual sketching and later move into vector based software programs. The course will be taught using Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, though many of the theories and techniques can be adapted for use in similar programs. No initial software proficiency is required.
Students will be expected to complete regular homework assignments and submit projects at the end of the course
Text book: Thinking with Type, Ellen Lupton
