Basic Principles of Graphic Design
A course by Christopher PierceCreative Director, Journalist, and Entrepreneur
A course by Christopher Pierce, Creative Director, Journalist, and Entrepreneur
Discover a new way of visual expression through graphic design and explore the possibilities of Adobe Illustrator to improve your creative process
According to Christopher Pierce, creative director and cofounder of branding studio Gomma, less is more. This is the premise of his design proposals for brands and entrepreneurial endeavors. His aim is for clients to reach their full potential with more and more new ways of connecting with their audiences.
In this course, Christopher teaches you the foundations of graphic design so you can apply them to your own creative process, from the brief to the finishing touches. Familiarize yourself with the more technical aspects from scratch and analyze the basic design principles. Then put it all into practice by creating an event poster using Adobe Illustrator.
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 14 downloads
What we will do in the course
51 seconds
What is graphic design: history and evolution
11 minutes, 19 seconds
color and space
5 minutes, 50 seconds
Typography
4 minutes, 39 seconds
balance and rhythm
3 minutes, 10 seconds
Contrast and hierarchy
3 minutes, 51 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get to know your teacher, creative director Christopher Pierce, as he talks about his career and how he swapped out journalism for graphic design. As a branding specialist, he also shares his main influences as well as what the course entails.
Christopher gives a brief introduction on the history of design before moving on to the more technical side of things, covering color, space, typography, balance, rhythm, contrast, hierarchy, alignment, and grids.
Discover how to put together a brief with the basic requirements of your final project: an event poster. Next, look for inspiration and reference materials and use the basic principles already covered to do your first sketch.
Learn to decide on the composition for your poster and organize it clearly in Adobe Illustrator. See how to work with layers, a must for any designer, how to use masking layers, as well as shapes, images, and typefaces.
After exploring the various options, create the final version of your poster taking into account the format and get it ready for printing. Wrap up the course with some invaluable tips on blazing your own path through the world of design.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Work on the graphic design for a promotional event poster, practicing each step of the creative process, from the brief down to the very last details.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in graphic design who wants to learn the basic principles in order to compose their own pieces.
Requirements and materials
No previous knowledge is necessary for this course as Christopher starts at the very beginning.
For the final project you need a computer installed with Adobe Illustrator. If you don't have it already, you can easily download the trial version.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Un gran curso para aquellos que quieren empezar en el mundo del diseño gráfico por hobby, e incluso para alguien que se plantea convertirlo en un aspecto profesional en su vida. Explica conceptos cruciales, y te guía por un buen camino para ser un buen diseñador. Es un curso para principiantes, si ya tienes idea de algunos conceptos, creo que no es el curso ideal para ti.
- 2 months ago
Muy claras las explicaciones y muy interesante
- 6 months ago
Excelente, comecei um estágio de design e precisava aprender o básico que é a estrututa de tudo, e esse curso é sem dúvidas o melhor, recomendo demais.
- 6 months ago
¡Acabo de terminarlo! realmente me ha proporcionado una base sólida teórica y práctica sobre el diseño gráfico. Recomiendo el curso para aquellos que no poseen conocimientos básicos y quieren empezar a meterse en el mundo del diseño gráfico. El proyecto final fue muy divertido de realizar y te abre las puertas para saber lo básico sobre adobe lllustrator
- 7 months ago
Muito bom!
He is the creative director and cofounder of Gomma, a design studio in Lima, Peru that specializes in branding. There, they help brands to design better businesses and reach their full potential through finding new ways to connect with their audiences.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- influences
- What we will do in the course
- U2
Basic principles
- What is graphic design: history and evolution
- color and space
- Typography
- balance and rhythm
- Contrast and hierarchy
- Alignment and grids
- U3
Apply basic principles
- the brief
- Organize information and look for inspiration
- sketch
- Organize the layers
- U4
design your poster
- Format and basic forms
- Place the images 1
- Place the images 2
- Choose the font
- FP
Final project
- Basic Principles of Graphic Design
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to create visual identities, design posters, covers, and campaigns, apply principles of color, typography, and composition, and develop collaborative branding projects—from the initial brief all the way to a professional client presentation.
Yes, this course is perfect for those looking to bring communication and journalism skills into graphic design, making it easier to transition into visual and branding projects.
Basic graphic design knowledge is recommended, as this is an intermediate-level course that dives into advanced branding techniques and visual composition concepts.
You’ll need a computer with graphic design software (like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop), internet access, and basic sketching materials (paper, pencils).
Branding is the process of creating and managing a brand’s visual and communicative identity through graphic elements like logos, colors, fonts, and consistent visual styles.
Yes, the course covers designing modern logos and timeless symbols, focusing on simplicity, recognizability, and visual consistency.
Yes, there are modules on editorial design, including book covers, magazines, and the importance of structure, typography, and grids in these formats.