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Graphic Design Fundamentals

Explore the fundamentals of design: form and image, color, type, and layout.
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Rated 5 out of 5 by from I❤️ART I bought this recently and I am enjoying it. Never mind what people say about the Uhs, I really needed this refresher and you should too.
Date published: 2020-06-26
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Excellent, but definitely not for everyone!! This I realize this is not for everyone, and it's not like other Great Courses courses. I have those, too. Actually, it's not even like Creative Live courses or a Lynda.com course. This course is almost all theory and somehow it's a very advanced overview that's so advanced that unless you know all this, he's so brilliant he may talk over you, and he does talk fast, but every word, except the filler words, is well chosen. Timothy Samara is a lecturer and professor; he's not your average skills-level teacher who go step-by-step. This is I like it because I've read so many books look for specific graphic design theory and it's all here. This is how to think about graphic design once you're working and you have the programs down.
Date published: 2020-04-06
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Could have been good - but isn't Not much to add other than to agree with all of the negative reviews. Poor speaker, disjointed lectures. A rich subject made boring and frustrating to listen to. This course should be pulled - it is not up to standards.
Date published: 2020-04-04
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Sorry I bought this Instructor uses "AH" every other word, impossible to concentrate on his presentation. I expect a refund.
Date published: 2020-04-01
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Horrible This was a big mistake. I read the reviews and was not going to get this one, but I accidentally bought it along with other courses. The problem is that this course stinks... big time. I am asking for an exchange on this. TGC has been the BEST about making sure the customer is satisfied. I have been a customer for over 10 yrs now. This course needs to be removed from the shelves... Reasons: A. This should not even be available from your store. You all usually have a lot better quality. The instructor says UHHHH about twenty times a sentence! B. The glass of water sitting on his pedestal makes the course feel B-side at best. C. We do not need (or want) to see other "students" taking notes. It is distracting for starters. Also, the girl in the striped shirt on her laptop looks bored to death!!! D. When removing the time it takes for the guy to say "UMMMM", the content average is more like 5 min instead of the 18 min.
Date published: 2019-11-02
Rated 1 out of 5 by from WARNING This was a big mistake. I read the reviews and was not going to get this one, but I accidentally bought it along with other courses. The problem is that this course stinks... big time. I am asking for an exchange on this. TGC has been the BEST about making sure the customer is satisfied. I have been a customer for over 10 yrs now. This course needs to be removed from the shelves... Reasons: A. This should not even be available from your store. You all usually have a lot better quality. The instructor says UHHHH about twenty times a sentence! B. The glass of water sitting on his pedestal makes the course feel B-side at best. C. We do not need (or want) to see other "students" taking notes. It is distracting for starters. Also, the girl in the striped shirt on her laptop looks bored to death!!! D. When removing the time it takes for the guy to say "UMMMM", the content average is more like 5 min instead of the 18 min.
Date published: 2019-11-02
Rated 2 out of 5 by from Boring presentation; bad graphics; terrible stage I had trouble staying awake waiting to see/hear something I could use in my business. The washed out with ever graphics might work in a classroom, but not on my video screen. I have purchased and enjoyed overf twenty Great Courses, and this one is the only one where EVERYTHING is wrong. I hope this review saves a few people from wasting their money.
Date published: 2019-09-16
Rated 3 out of 5 by from Not what I expected. Although Mr. Samara knows his topic -- that is, Graphic Design -- this course is not quite what I expected. I was hoping that the course had some techniques of using a computer program (it doesn't matter what software program) to demonstrate the use of that software, which could then be used with any other Graphic Design software. Instead, this was all theory. I did pick up some information that will be valuable in creating graphics, but, much of it I already knew from experience... such as typography design. Lastly, Mr. Samara tended to be humorous at times, which I enjoyed. However, his pauses (ugh, etc.) as he spoke, was a little annoying. If he could have kept that to a minimum, his presentation would have been much better. That said, if you are looking for the theory of Graphic Design, this course is for you.
Date published: 2019-07-28
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Graphic Design Fundamentals

Trailer

Introduction to Graphic Design

01: Introduction to Graphic Design

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 1

12 min
Graphic Design: Areas of Specialization

02: Graphic Design: Areas of Specialization

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 2

14 min
The History of Graphic Design

03: The History of Graphic Design

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 3

40 min
The Graphic Designer’s Toolkit

04: The Graphic Designer’s Toolkit

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 4

12 min
The Graphic Designer’s Tools: Color

05: The Graphic Designer’s Tools: Color

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 5

6 min
The Graphic Designer’s Tools: Typography

06: The Graphic Designer’s Tools: Typography

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 6

2 min
The Graphic Designer’s Tools: Layout & Space

07: The Graphic Designer’s Tools: Layout & Space

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 7

7 min
Typical Work Processes

08: Typical Work Processes

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 8

9 min
Designing an Advertisement

09: Designing an Advertisement

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 9

42 min
Designing a Poster

10: Designing a Poster

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 10

29 min
Designing a Book Layout: Basic Concepts

11: Designing a Book Layout: Basic Concepts

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 11

36 min
Designing a Book Layout: The Details

12: Designing a Book Layout: The Details

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 12

21 min
Designing a Website

13: Designing a Website

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 13

27 min
Designing a Brand Identity: Preparation

14: Designing a Brand Identity: Preparation

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 14

26 min
Designing a Brand Identity: Showing the Client

15: Designing a Brand Identity: Showing the Client

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 15

18 min
Building Brand Language

16: Building Brand Language

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 16

14 min
Designing the Touchpoints

17: Designing the Touchpoints

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 17

11 min
Fundamentals Are Forever

18: Fundamentals Are Forever

Module 1—Getting Started: Lesson 18

4 min
Color Identity

19: Color Identity

Module 2—Color: Lesson 1

24 min
Color Relationships

20: Color Relationships

Module 2—Color: Lesson 2

21 min
Palettes & Systems

21: Palettes & Systems

Module 2—Color: Lesson 3

15 min
Color as Meaning

22: Color as Meaning

Module 2—Color: Lesson 4

7 min
Form & Image Toolbox

23: Form & Image Toolbox

Module 3—Form & Image: Lesson 1

15 min
Media & Stylization

24: Media & Stylization

Module 3—Form & Image: Lesson 2

31 min
Representation & Manipulation

25: Representation & Manipulation

Module 3—Form & Image: Lesson 3

19 min
Visual Narrative & Metaphor

26: Visual Narrative & Metaphor

Module 3—Form & Image: Lesson 4

25 min
Typography: The Basics

27: Typography: The Basics

Module 4—Type: Lesson 1

16 min
Style: Choosing & Mixing

28: Style: Choosing & Mixing

Module 4—Type: Lesson 2

18 min
Text-Setting Mechanics

29: Text-Setting Mechanics

Module 4—Type: Lesson 3

25 min
Styles: Visual Qualities of Text

30: Styles: Visual Qualities of Text

Module 4—Type: Lesson 4

19 min
Interactions of Forms in Space

31: Interactions of Forms in Space

Module 5—Layout: Lesson 1

6 min
Arrangement, Logic & Rhythm

32: Arrangement, Logic & Rhythm

Module 5—Layout: Lesson 2

10 min
Contrast & Hierarchy

33: Contrast & Hierarchy

Module 5—Layout: Lesson 3

3 min
Unifying Type & Imagery

34: Unifying Type & Imagery

Module 5—Layout: Lesson 4

6 min
Working with Grids (or Not)

35: Working with Grids (or Not)

Module 5—Layout: Lesson 5

10 min
Bringing It All Together

36: Bringing It All Together

Module 5—Layout: Lesson 6

3 min

Overview Course No. 9022

Each of us is presented with visual messages about 10,000 times every day. The toothpaste tube you pick up before you’re even fully awake, the menu at the coffee shop, your banking website, street signs, the ads on social media, and the handwritten “garage sale” sign posted in your neighbor’s yard, just to name a few. While you might not think the concept of “design” applies to most of these items, that’s exactly what they’re about. Each one was created with one specific purpose in mind: to influence your feelings and behaviors. And whether the designer had access to a single black marker or the latest computer software and a six-figure budget, each visual message was created using the same four elements—form and image, color, type, and layout. In Graphic Design Fundamentals, you’ll learn how to use these four basic design elements to achieve specific visual goals and to analyze the visual messages all around you.

About

Timothy Samara
Timothy Samara

Graphic design take abstract, written concepts and transfers them into a visual form by using symbols, pictures, colors, shapes, and textures arranged within a way that communicates both literal and conceptual information.

INSTITUTION

School of Art+Design at State University of New York at Purchase

Timothy Samara is a New York-based graphic designer, educator, and author whose 25-year career has focused on visual identity and branding, communication design, and typography. Mr. Samara currently serves as a part-time assistant professor in the department of graphic design at Parsons/The New School for Design, and as lecturer in the School of Art+Design at State University of New York at Purchase. He formerly lectured at The School of Visual Arts. Since 2014, he has served as principal and creative director at Timothy Samara, his own professional practice. He previously served as principal at STIM Visual Communication and as senior art director at two New York design firms.

Mr. Samara is the author of eight books on design, including his most recent two books, Letterforms: Typeface Design from Past to Future and Making and Breaking the Grid, Second Edition, Updated and Expanded: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop. His books are used by students and graphic designers around the world and have been translated into 10 languages. Mr. Samara earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design as a Trustee Scholar from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 1990.

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