You updated your password.

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

Sign In

Forgot Email or Password

Remember me

Reset Password

Enter the email address you used to create your account. We will email you instructions on how to reset your password.

Forgot Your Email Address? Contact Us

Reset Your Password

SHOW

Rated 5 out of 5 by Sundance 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 Gary H 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 DC area 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 Learner3 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 WenOfZen2 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 WenOfZen 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 BillCu 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 DHooch 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

Overview

In Graphic Design Fundamentals, The Great Courses has partnered with CreativeLive to explore the fundamentals of design: form and image, color, type, and layout. You’ll see the creative process in action as your experienced instructor Timothy Samara takes you through five projects step by step, from initial client meeting to final project delivery. Don’t worry if you’ve never learned to distinguish one type style from another—and no special design software is needed. Just open your eyes and enjoy the thrill of the creative process!

About

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.

ALMA MATER

The University of the Arts in Philadelphia

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.