CourseraGraphic DesignFree courseCertificate

Introduction to Imagemaking

Graphic design is all around us, in a myriad of forms, both on screen and in print, yet it is always made up of images and words to create a communication goal. This four-course sequence exposes students to the fundamental skills required to make sophisticated graphic design: process, historical context, and communication through image-making and typography. The sequence is completed by a capstone project that applies the skills of each course and peer feedback in a finished branding project suitable for a professional portfolio.The goal of this specialization is to equip learners with a set o

4.4

Course Description

This course for serious makers, and for students new to imagemaking. Imagemaking is a fluid and exciting area of graphic design that comes out of practice and process: experimenting fearlessly, showing and sharing ideas, and giving and receiving knowledgeable and constructive input.For the sake of this online platform, we have applied some structure to our investigations, but for the most part imagemaking is loose and unstructured. If we must adopt a rule in this course it is only this: you will not become a graphic designer by watching videos alone. Or, don't just make stuff just in your head. So here, the focus here is on making, and you are expected to devote serious time and intellectual energy to that activity in this course. Specifically, you will:- experiment with a range of materials and techniques to make images for graphic design- expand your visual vocabulary both in terms of making and talking about work, in order to discuss your work and work of others- learn how to make, manipulate and arrange images to create compositions, eventually culminating in the design and production of an-image-based book.The first half of the course is an opportunity to experiment and explore imagemaking in order to expand your visual vocabulary. You will create pieces that are expressive, meditative, or 'design-y' to instigate, evoke, experiment, record, explain, or try out a media.In the second two weeks, we'll invite the images to deliberately and intentionally carry meaning and communication through relational moves like juxtaposition, composition, and context. We'll look at developing and expanding the range of approaches for putting things together by composing page spreads with your images. Since nothing exists without context, we look at how to intentionally drive the image's connotations, meanings, and associations generated through elements of composition and "visual contrasts." Ultimately, we will take the images that you create and make a book from them.The results of your assignments (and experiments) may generate something completely unknowable now or in the future-and that's the goal.

Time: 12h

Instructor Details

Gail Swanlund

4.4 Rating
287 Reviews

Gail Swanlund is a graphic designer and writer.

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Reviews

4.4

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By Turo U on 12-Nov-19

Great course, but it takes a little bit more time that estimated. Teacher is a very good and inspiring. However the peer feedback is really poor. It would be nice if the teacher could also give some feedback (for example just in one exercise).

By John M on 11-Nov-19

This was one of the most enjoyable classes I've taken so far. Gail encouraged me to have fun with the image making process. Learning the different styles of composition was also extremely helpful. I realize peer reviews are an important part of learning, but I would also like to have actual staff/teachers provide feedback and assessments.

By Mary A V on 7-Nov-19

To be honest, the professor had a lot of extraneous meandering monologues that seemed poorly written (or possibly off the cuff), and I sometimes felt that criteria for performance evaluation was very subjective or ambiguously written for a course where we are subject to peer evaluation.

By Penny L on 26-Oct-19

Good assignments. Really learned something from this course. However, I found the requirement of some assignments might be a bit misleading and I often see other students work not following requirements.

By David M on 15-Oct-19

Fond of the book exercise, great way to explore creativity if taken seriously.

By Yuliya S on 14-Oct-19

It's a very abstract course. Peer review is absolutely useless here. I made some images but I didn't learn something new or interesting. Teacher's information is very unclear and sketchy. Very strong contrast with the previous two courses from the specification in a bad way for this course.

By Naomi M H on 13-Oct-19

Great methods for development.

By Laurensia L S on 24-Sep-19

The assignments are really fun and put the videos into practice very efficiently! The only thing that troubles me is sometimes the "design language" is too unfamiliar for beginners.

By Salem F A on 22-Sep-19