This article is written by Xuan Zhu and Ruoqian Li to document how we practice and improve graphic design skills. Follow us on LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest edition.
Backstory: Why I take a graphic design specialization as a professional product designer
Growing up, I was always the child who couldn’t move my eyes away from beautiful pictures. I collected posters, stamps, CD covers, and everything I think is pretty. And I dreamed of making these beautiful designs myself one day.
Years later, I was able to fulfill my dream of becoming a product designer. However, I still found myself troubled in my graphic skills. To be fair, there are not enough opportunities for me to practice. For better UX consistency and efficiency, visual languages like color palettes, typography, and page layouts are often pre-defined. I became proficient in applying proper design patterns but rarely got chances to form new and exciting ones.
Above is a pyramid of graphic design levels I created to motivate myself. I consider myself a level 2 graphic design professional now. To move up my level, I decided to take some dedicated effort outside of work. So four months ago, I started revisiting graphic design foundations by taking the Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts on Coursera.
Course structure
There are four fundamental graphic design courses and one capstone project (Brand new brand) that can be completed once all the other courses are finished.
The courses includeFundamental graphic design, Image-making, Fundamentals of typography, History of image-making, Brand new brand (Capstone). If you are interested in learning more about the syllabus, check this link to Coursera.
Duration
I spent 4 months on this specialization. It was about 3 hours per week including 1 hour for classes and 2 hours for homework.
I was relatively slow as I wanted to take more time practicing what I learned each week in my daily work. I have seen others finishing the entire specialization in a month, which is probably more cost-effective.
What did I learn?
I choose Coursera as it has a recommended schedule to keep me on speed but is flexible enough to adjust based on my schedule. A few highlights of what I learned:
1. A systematic overview of all graphic design fundamentals
This specialization covers the fundamentals of image-making, typography, and basic concepts of shape, color, and composition. It helps me identify my knowledge gap. For example, I understood typography a lot better by immersing myself in the history of each type. I also got to learn essential elements of graphic design and try to practice and apply them.
Homework example 1: Connecting emotions with typography.
Homework example 2: Understanding contrast.
2. Introduction to a wide range of techniques, styles, and artists
“Graphic design isn’t about perfection, it is about enjoying the process of making.”
The course is stress-free and encourages me to diverge from perfection and focus on what sparks innovation and creativity. I picked up a set of transferable formal and conceptual tools for “making and communicating” in graphic design. I found a lot of inspiration from historical and modern designers ranging from Paul Klee, Herbert Bayer to Lester Beall, Paul Rand, etc.
Below is an overview with a few examples of what I learned from the history of graphic design.
3. Learn how to critique visual designs beyond “I like/dislike it.”
As a non-English native speaker, I found it helpful to note the lecturer’s critique structure and wording choices. And here is the new critique structure I learned:
Step 1: Describe the image you see as it is
Sometimes we need to slow down and give our eyes the time to see the essence of an image before jumping into a judgment. A few example questions to ask yourself: “Is it a person or object? What is it doing? What’s the color and shape? How is the image composed? Is it static or dynamic? Is it easy to comprehend or abstract?”
Step 2: Analyze the association and connotation of an image
Good designers know how to design with intention and control the meaning of a visual. They know how to release and amplify the emotion with the proper connection. And therefore, when critiquing an image, we can also try to decode the visual message and think of how contexts, techniques, and compositions trigger different emotions.
Illustration of Xuan and Qian discussing a poster image. (Poster by Ernst A. Heiniger, 1953)
What this specialization is not for
1. If you are interested in launching a designer career, this specialization will not help you build a design portfolio.
To build a design portfolio, you will need at least 2-3 complex and realistic projects. But the assignments in this entire specialization are comparatively simple (see example below).
So if you are serious about a graphic designer’s job, I would recommend exercising your skills with an internship or volunteer project.
Moreover, if you are interested in a product designer job, core skills like user research, product thinking, interaction design, storytelling are all not covered and will need some extra building.
2. If you are interested in receiving quality feedback, this specialization will not provide you with the right community.
Design is all about iterations, and a critical part is having quality feedback from a trusted community. I find the feedback I take on Coursera to be either random or deficient.
To maximize growth opportunities, I would suggest taking this class with classmates, friends, or co-workers so that you can give reviews and feedback to each other.Another alternative option is to create your own mood board to help guide your design instead of relying on peer feedback (see my example moldboard below).
3. If you want to advance your skills in digital design, this specialization will not teach you website or app design, not the theory nor the tool.
Although the core concepts of graphic design are evergreen, all course content and examples are about the conventional book and print design. There is some basic introduction to InDesign. As a digital product designer, I had to teach myself to finish all assignments with Figma (see my example poster design in Figma below).
Discussion
I am passionate about graphic design, and I know there is still a lot of space for me to advance in the field. To help me continue this journey and know what’s to share, I would love to hear from you.
Please share your thoughts with us.
References
If you read all the way here, here is a snapshot of posters I collected after my Graphic Design specialization and a bonus list of design styles/ designers for you to reference.
This article is written by Xuan Zhu and Ruoqian Li to document how we practice and improve graphic design skills. Follow us on LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest edition.
