California Institute of the Arts
Graphic Design Specialization
California Institute of the Arts

Graphic Design Specialization

Make Compelling Design. Learn and apply the principles of graphic design towards a comprehensive branding project.

Anther Kiley
Michael Worthington
Gail Swanlund

Instructors: Anther Kiley +4 more

414,697 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject
4.7

(17,264 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
2 months
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Get in-depth knowledge of a subject
4.7

(17,264 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
2 months
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Gain the fundamental skills needed to be a graphic designer

  • Communicate through image-making and typography

  • Complete a capstone project to add to your professional portfolio

  • Learn everything you need to know to work in interface design, motion graphics, and editorial design

Skills you'll gain

  • Category: Design Software
  • Category: Logo Design
  • Category: Design Elements And Principles
  • Category: Creative Design
  • Category: Typography
  • Category: Style Guides
  • Category: Design
  • Category: Visual Design
  • Category: Peer Review
  • Category: Design Strategies
  • Category: Art History
  • Category: Photography

Details to know

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Taught in English
Recently updated!

May 2025

Advance your subject-matter expertise

  • Learn in-demand skills from university and industry experts
  • Master a subject or tool with hands-on projects
  • Develop a deep understanding of key concepts
  • Earn a career certificate from California Institute of the Arts

Specialization - 5 course series

What you'll learn

  • Implement the fundamentals of color: visual, rhythm, and pattern in design

  • Use scale, weight, direction, texture, and space in a composition

  • Typeset text and experiment with letter forms

  • Create your own series of images using different image making techniques

Skills you'll gain

Category: Style Guides
Category: Typography
Category: Adobe InDesign
Category: Storytelling
Category: Design Elements And Principles
Category: Graphic and Visual Design
Category: Adobe Photoshop
Category: Branding
Category: Design Research
Category: Logo Design
Category: Creativity
Category: Brainstorming
Category: Color Theory
Introduction to Typography

Introduction to Typography

Course 28 hours

What you'll learn

  • Review the terminology and measuring system used to describe type

  • Explore how typefaces tell stories and understand the historic evolution

  • Conduct a peer-reviewed typesetting exercise

  • Design of a full-scale typographic poster

Skills you'll gain

Category: Adobe InDesign
Category: Typography
Category: Visual Design
Category: Design Elements And Principles
Category: Art History
Category: Peer Review
Category: Adobe Illustrator
Category: Design
Category: Graphic Design
Category: Creativity
Category: Creative Design
Introduction to Imagemaking

Introduction to Imagemaking

Course 313 hours

What you'll learn

  • Make informed design choices using image-based research

  • Create ranges of representation using images

  • Compose spreads for your own book

  • Design a book with your own images

Skills you'll gain

Category: Typography
Category: Design Strategies
Category: Art History
Category: Graphic and Visual Design
Category: Branding
Category: Design
Category: Graphic Design
Category: Advertising
Category: Creativity
Category: Aesthetics

What you'll learn

  • Learn about the history of graphic design

  • Understand the emergence of design as a recognized practice

  • Learn about graphic design radicalism in late 1950s to early 1970s

  • Make informed design choices

Skills you'll gain

Category: Storytelling
Category: Photo Editing
Category: Design Elements And Principles
Category: Peer Review
Category: Graphic and Visual Design
Category: Design
Category: Design Research
Category: Graphic Design
Category: Creativity
Category: Photography
Brand New Brand

Brand New Brand

Course 524 hours

What you'll learn

  • Synthesize typography, imagemaking, composition and systematic thinking skills through ideation, invention, and conceptualization

  • Demonstrate visual research and development skills through the creation of a Brand Development Guide

  • Expand a brand identity's palette through the inclusion of graphic marks or icons, color, secondary typefaces, and/or images

Skills you'll gain

Category: Typography
Category: Adobe Creative Cloud
Category: Photo Editing
Category: Visual Design
Category: Design Elements And Principles
Category: Graphic Design
Category: Digital Design
Category: Design Software
Category: Logo Design
Category: Creativity
Category: Color Theory

Earn a career certificate

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Instructors

Anther Kiley
Anther Kiley
1 Course181,457 learners
Michael Worthington
Michael Worthington
8 Courses1,134,046 learners

Offered by

California Institute of the Arts

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