LESSON 1 Introduction to Graphic Design
WEEK 1
INTRODUCTION
Almost everything that is printed on a page or displayed on a screen is an application of
graphic design. This ranges from books, magazines, brochures, catalogs, flyers, business cards,
posters, banners, billboards, to user interfaces for websites and mobile apps, social media posts,
digital signages, and more. Thus, this module will help you learn the basic tools of graphic
design and visualize its application.
LESSON PROPER
BRIEF HISTORY OF GRAPHIC DESIGN
Graphic design is simply the art of producing visuals on a surface through the use of graphics. This can
be done on canvas, stone, pottery, or even a computer screen, which is perhaps the most well-known
today. Graphic design's artistic method covers visuals ranging from drawings and symbols to graphs
and charts, unique logo design, book cover design, and more, thanks to the wide range of media
available.
GRAPHIC DESIGN ROOTS: 15,000 – 3,600 BC
Graphic design can be traced back to 15,000 BC
when the first known visual communications
arose. These pictographs and symbols are
present in the Lascaux caves in southern France.
Fast-forward several thousand years, and you’ll
discover the Blau Monument. It’s the first
known artifact to use both words and pictures
on it.
Of course, these pieces aren't what we think of
graphic design today; however, they sparked
the idea of putting images on surfaces, paving
the way for things like drawings, posters, and
banners.
PAPER AND PRINTING: 105 AD – 1530 AD
The invention of paper in 105 AD by a Chinese man named Ts'ai Lun led
to the concept of printing. Nearly a millennium later (in 1045 AD), a
moveable type was invented, which allowed characters to be placed
individually for printing.
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: 1760 – 1800
The Industrial Revolution hit in the 1760s and ushered in a new age for
graphic design. Innovative technologies began popping up at an
unprecedented rate; including the method of lithography, which was a
printing technique that helped reduce costs. The Industrial Revolution
also welcomed the printing press in 1800, a machine that’s not only
reduced labor by 90% but also doubled the size of paper that could be printed.
GROWTH OF GRAPHIC DESIGN: 1900S
Since the time of the Industrial Revolution, graphic design had been easing its way into business
practices, and in the 1900s, its use exploded. In 1901, Frank Lloyd Wright released “The Art and Craft
of the Machine,” which included basic principles still referenced in modern design. With the growth of
the advertising industry and color printing, businesses began creating logos to help brand their
company. With a custom logo design, your company’s brand became more than just a name — it
became a striking and memorable piece of art, with color, shape, and composition all working towards
making an impression on consumers.
GRAPHIC DESIGN TODAY
Today, graphic design refers mainly to designing visuals for magazines,
books, advertisements, and digital posters. This intensive branch of
design involves the art form of communicating ideas through visuals
and text. Graphic designers still use drawings and paintings in some
cases, but much of graphic design today is completed using digital
technologies. These modern graphic design skills can be applied to
custom logo design, book cover design, magazine layouts, billboard
advertisements, clothing design, online banner ads, and much more.
Graphic design is all around us nowadays, and unless you're looking for it, you might not realize how
often it appears in your daily life
TOOLS AND SKILLS OF GRAPHIC DESIGNER.
A. HARDWARE TOOLS
1. Pen and Paper - This is the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to transfer design ideas from your mind
to the real world. Using pen and paper allows you to readily draw the design concepts in your mind
and quickly discover problems and solutions as you sketch.
2. Computer - For digital creatives, this is the ultimate tool that performs all the heavy lifting in the
graphic design industry.
3. Stylus and Graphic Tablet - This is a digital equivalent of pen and paper. If you want a hybrid tool
that allows you to continue making hand drawings like a classic artist, you can invest in this tool.
4. Smartphone - This gadget helps us connect with peers. It also hosts applications that have on-the-go
drawing and photo editing tools you can use if you don’t have a computer or graphic tablet.
B. SOFTWARE TOOLS
1. Graphic Design Applications - This is arguably the most important part of a digital artist tool stack.
This application enables graphic designers to create, edit, store and manage their creative output
(photo, videos, presentations, brochures, and other visual formats).
The Adobe Creative Cloud sets the standard for this tool type, providing a full suite of
applications for computer
o Photoshop -for crafting and manipulating graphics
o Lightroom – for photo editing
o Illustrator – for vectoring images
o After Effects and Prime Pro – for video editing
o InDesign - for different desktop publishing formats (poster, magazine, brochure, and e-
books)
These digital tools are important, but not necessary to learn the fundamentals of traditional graphic
design and visual communication. Computers and software are important tools necessary to succeed as
a professional, yet they are just that—tools.
A graphic designer can appropriately manipulate shapes and images, curate a selection of colors,
choose typography that resonates with the target market, format and organize bodies of text, and
arrange all of these elements into various configurations using more useful methods and different
graphic design tools
LESSON 2 Elements in Graphic Design
WEEK 2
INTRODUCTION
Elements of Design, might not seem like much on their own, but together they’re part of almost
everything we see and create. You don’t need to use every element in a single design, but you should
be familiar with what each does and what each communicates. Thus, this module will help you learn
how elements of design are used in your work.
LESSON PROPER
ELEMENTS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN
1. TYPOGRAPHY
Typography or Typeface is one of the most commonly used
elements in graphic design. A single letter in a typeface is a
combination of geometric and organic shapes which
combined to create a large shape for example the letter “R” as
shown below. This unique letter shape is an entity and part of
a complete typeface made of other letter shapes.
Letter R made of
shapes
CSTC CSTC CSTC
2. Line
The line is one of the most basic elements of design. Simple as
lines are, they can be quite versatile and be used as crucial
elements of design. Lines can be straight, curved, thick, thin,
solid, or dashed. Lines can also be used to emphasize and put
stress on a word, a phrase, or a paragraph. Lines can be
straight, curved, thick, thin, solid, and dashed.
3. SHAPE
All objects are composed of shapes and all visual elements are
shaped in some way. In design, shapes have two dimensions
and are measured by their height and width. Shapes are
defined by boundaries such as lines or color and can also be
created with negative space. There are two types of shapes,
Geometric Shape and Organic Shape. Geometric are shapes
that can be drawn using a ruler or compass. Organic are
shapes that can be drawn freehand or shapes found in nature
4. FORM
Form is the 3D equivalent of shapes and as such is measured
by their height, width, and depth. The form can be illustrated
or constructed and can be defined by the presence of shadows
on surfaces or the face of an object and can be enhanced by
tone, texture, and color. Form adds visual dimension and can
be stimulating and engaging to the eye because it adds
realism and depth that draws you in. Same as the Shape, the
Form also has two types the Geometric Form and the Organic
Form.
5. COLOR
Color plays one of the biggest roles in graphic design, it can
give emphasis, it can be used as a mechanism of the
organization. It would be easy if you have a piece of good
knowledge of color theory.
A color wheel is an abstract illustrative organization of color
hues.
6. TEXTURE
The texture is the surface feels or is perceived to feel. It is
used to create a visual tone and can influence the look and
feel of a piece of graphic work.
7. SPACE
Space creates the visual essence and dynamic of a
composition. In design, there are two types of space Positive
and Negative space. Positive Space refers to the shapes of the
object. Negative Space is the blank space or the empty space.
