Design for Non-Designers If you need to think more like a designer, this class help your develop your design sense and train your eye. In this class, you’ll learn about the basic elements of design: typography, images, color, and layout. You’ll examine case studies in layout and design, exploring the design process and studying designs that use such time-honored principles as consistency, proximity, and alignment. You'll develop an ability to critique design and identify what's right and wrong, and how to fix it. Initially created for professionals who work with designers, this class also provides an effective grounding for students starting out in the exciting, fast-paced field of design.
On this page: enrollment details | instructor | class projects and objectives | prerequisites
Class Title: |
Design for Non-Designers |
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Start Date: |
Classes start daily.
Enroll today and gain immediate access. |
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Class Length: |
Three months of access to class materials and instructor feedback. |
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Other details: |
Self-paced, online, 24 access to online learning environment |
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THIS CLASS IS OFFERED AT SESSIONS COLLEGE: get the details
(Check the syllabus at Sessions College for updated class information.) |
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Class Instructor Bio:
Piper Nilsson is a graphic designer and information architect. In her four-year career for a leading Web design agency, she blueprinted sites for such global clients as MetLife, Pepsi, ETS, and Citibank. Her current projects include building an e-learning prototype for children with learning disabilities and teaching technology in New York City public schools. She received a degree in graphic design from Pratt Institute.
LEFT: Image from Design for Non-Designers with Piper Nilsson Learn to evaluate and critique design with a designers eye. |
Class Projects and Objectives:
This online class is packed with projects and tips. Students can expect to:
- Learn the purpose of graphic design.
- Appreciate the difference between good and bad design.
- Grasp the critical steps in the design process.
- Identify the four elements of design.
- Understand the impact of typography.
- Compare two brochure designs.
- Evaluate each design in relation to the design brief.
- Identify some elements of typography, image, color, and layout in each design.
- Formulate a written statement representing one design to a client.
- Express an opinion about each design's effectiveness.
- Discover how designers use a grid for layout.
- Learn how to select an image.
- Investigate how to check for color balance.
- Learn the two main issues in layout and composition.
- Apply your knowledge in a design critique.
- Learn the four principles for design success.
- Apply these principles in a design critique.
- Learn what to look for in giving a project a final review.
- Understand the main similarities and differences between print and Web design.
- Visit three Web sites selected for their design merits.
- Comment briefly on how each designer handles typography, image, color, and layout.
- Comment briefly on how each designer handles contrast alignment, repetition, and proximity.
- Evaluate each site design in terms of its functionality and target audience.
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