Graphic Design

If you enjoy creativity in drawing, designing logos and packaging, and are fascinated by the world of advertising and promotion, then this is the career for you.

The Graphic Design Program includes experimenting with a variety of typographic treatments, designing company logos, business cards, brands and corporate identities, brochures, posters, CD-covers, packaging, promotional literature for advertisements, magazines and newspapers and much more.

You will learn about the marketing of goods, services and information and the influencing of public opinion. You will also learn about the printing and reprographics industry. Design isn't only 2-dimensional. Promotional packaging is an important part of graphic design, as are point-of-sale displays.

This is a foundation program in Graphic Design and will empower you to understand and apply the basic elements and principles of design and to speak the language of design. To master these invaluable skills, computer training will not be offered during the first six months of the program.

Program Objectives

• to teach you how to generate creative ideas and apply them graphically

• to teach you how to manage projects and time

 to empower you to convey a specific message effectively by means of an appropriate visual medium and how to communicate concepts to colleagues and clients

• to give you a wide range of Graphic Design skills which will make you employable in industry and productive from day one. The course will be updated constantly to meet the ever-changing needs of the Graphic Design business.

Each session will comprise of a theoretical as well as a practical component.

Our students work on realistic projects throughout the year, specifically aimed at developing creative and technical skills and preparing them for the real world of the design profession.

Your program in Graphic Design is divided up and structured into nine separate study units, each covering a specific area of design. The program presents these study units in a study guide covering the following topics:

• Introduction to Graphic Design

• Thinking about visual thinking

• Media and techniques

• Elements of art and principles of design

• Typographic treatment

• Branding and identity

• Layout design

• Package design

• Poster design

• Printing and reprographics industry:

visit to practicing design professionals

Testing Methods

Continuous evaluation will be done. This could include class tests.

Practical exercises and projects will assist you in developing the basic skills needed to create visual products using typography (lettering) and graphic media.

The assignment projects will help you to put a portfolio together that you can use for further study or employment purposes.

Assignments

Assignment 1: Introduction to Graphic Design

Basic design:

Composition with shapes, letters and colour

Assignment 2: Media and techniques

Exploration of media and techniques:

A3 full colour advertisement - pattern, contrast, repetition, space

Assignment 3: Elements of art and principles of design

Colour in theory and practice:

Comic book frame - composition, mood, atmosphere,

contrast, perspective, focal point

Assignment 4: Typographic treatment

Cropped character

X-word / X-ercise

Double page spread - Image & Type

Assignment 5: Branding and identity

3 Logo designs

Introduction to Corporate Identity

Introduction to client and market research

Logo design

Letterhead and business card

Assignment 6: Layout design

Brochure / Book cover

Assignment 7: Package design

Make-over of an existing design

Assignment 8: Poster design

Aids awareness campaign

Assignment 9: Printing and reprographics industry

Visit practicing design professionals

Back to subjects