Basics of Graphic Design
Course Guide
Introduction
Whether it is obvious or discreet, it is safe to say that graphic design is everywhere -- a tarpaulin
banner for a birthday party; to an online ad about a concert; announcements about events, etc.,
Someone has put in time and effort designing and producing those, mostly according to the
guides of aesthetics. However, do take note that graphic design isn’t just about posters and
banners, it can be applied to other visual materials, i.e., slide presentations, a report, even
photographs, and more.
Graphic design is important because it helps put your message across, convinces people to pay
attention to your ideas, and helps build your image (YZDesigns, 2021). With graphic design, you
can turn your PowerPoint presentation into a masterpiece, your website into an inviting portfolio,
and your textual materials into a professional-looking output.
This massive open online course (MOOC) aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills to
create graphics materials.
Course Objectives
At the end of the course, you shall be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Discuss what graphic design is;
Distinguish the different graphic design principles;
Determine the process of graphic design; and
Apply design principles to create a visual product
Course Outline
I.
II.
What is Graphic Design?
Graphic design principles
a. Color
b. Layout and Composition
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III.
IV.
c. Typography
The Graphic Design Process
a. Creative Brief
b. Research
c. Creation and Revision
d. Final Output
Technical Considerations for The Final Output
a. Suggested software
b. Vector vs. Raster
c. Image Quality
Course Materials
The following materials will be used in this course:
1. Course guide
2. Study guides
3. Learning objects
All of these materials are uploaded in the course site.
Required Equipment and Software
To be able to complete your course requirements, you will need the following:
● Laptop/Desktop computer with RAM no less than 4 gigabytes (GB)
● Stable internet connection with the minimum speed of 5mbps
● Internet browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera,
etc.)
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Study Schedule
Week
Date
Module
13 - 28 February
1-2
What is Graphic
Design?
Activity
●
●
●
●
3-5
1-27 March
The Process of
Graphic Design
●
●
●
Do self-introduction
Study module 1 study guide
Do the activities presented in
Module 1
Take Quiz #1
Study Module 2 Study Guide
Do the activities presented
in Module 2
Take Quiz #2
27 March 2023–Last day of Classes
Course Requirements
As a massive open online course, Basics of Graphic Design can be taken by anyone. Your
learning will greatly depend on how much effort you put into the course.
To be able to get a Certificate of Completion for this course, you must pass all the given quizzes
and finish all the required activities.
The passing grade for this course is 75%.
You may contact your Course Coordinator via email if you have any questions about the course
requirement. The information about your Course Coordinator is provided at the end of this
course guide.
Learning Activities
The learning activities for this course are the following:
1. Self-introduction
2. Read study guides
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3.
4.
5.
6.
Conduct of learning activities
Watch videos
Participate in Discussion Forum
Take quizzes
Assessment
1. Activities on each Study Guide
Each study guide contains activities that will help you achieve the learning
objectives. You are highly encouraged to do these sets of activities to maximize
your learning in this course.
2. Quizzes
This assessment is a series of quizzes aimed to gauge your understanding of the
topics covered in each course section.
House Rules
●
●
●
●
Please uphold academic integrity and intellectual honesty at all times, whether it be
through your submissions in the discussion forums or your assignments and final output.
Make sure to cite all your references in your outputs to avoid plagiarism.
Take note of the Study Schedule. Submit your requirements on time. The Study
Schedule is provided during the start of the course for you to be able to manage your
time wisely.
Make sure to follow the specific instructions and formats required for your assignments
and the final project.
Practice netiquette. Use proper language. Be polite and respectful. The following actions
will not be tolerated:
○ Spreading personal information about yourself and others
○ Bullying
○ Aggressive behavior (e. g. provoking someone into an argument, flaming, typing
in all caps to shout, sending hurtful messages, etc.)
○ Profanity
○ Sharing of dangerous websites/pages.
○ Spamming messages and/or advertisements.
Contact Information
Mr. Lexter J Mangubat
Multimedia Designer/Developer and
Information Systems Researcher II
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UP Open University Multimedia Center
Ms. Ann Kristine O. Medina
Multimedia Designer/Developer and
Administrative Assistant I
UP Open University Multimedia Center
Ms. Luisa A. Gelisan
University Researcher and
Director
UP Open University Multimedia Center
mc@upou.edu.ph
Reference
Yzdesigns. (2021, June 29). Why is graphic design important? YZ DESIGNS. Retrieved January
11, 2023, from https://www.yzdesigns.co.uk/graphic-design/why-is-graphic-design-important
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