Graphic Design Fundamentals
Good design is not luck; it rests on principles anyone can learn.
About this course
Good design is not luck; it rests on principles anyone can learn. This five-day course introduces the foundations of graphic design: composition, colour, typography, layout and visual hierarchy, and shows how they work together to make a message clear and attractive.
Through short exercises and a final project you will learn to plan a layout, choose colours and type with intent, and prepare files properly for print and screen. You leave with a small portfolio piece and an Alalamia certificate.
What you'll learn
- Apply the core principles of design, including balance, contrast, alignment and repetition
- Build clear visual hierarchy so the most important message is seen first
- Choose and combine colours with purpose using basic colour theory
- Select and pair typefaces and set readable, well-spaced text
- Plan layouts using grids, margins and white space
- Prepare images and artwork correctly for print and screen
- Give and receive constructive feedback on design work
Curriculum
- Design as visual communication
- Understanding the brief and the audience
- The design process from idea to delivery
- Sketching and thumbnails
- Balance and symmetry
- Contrast and emphasis
- Alignment and proximity
- Repetition and rhythm
- Guiding the eye
- Scale, weight and position
- Focal points
- Reading patterns
- The colour wheel and colour relationships
- Building a palette
- Colour meaning and context
- Colour for print and for screen
- Anatomy of type
- Typeface classifications
- Pairing typefaces
- Spacing, leading and readability
- Working with Arabic and Latin type together
- Grid systems
- Margins and white space
- Arranging text and images
- Designing for different formats
- Choosing and cropping images
- Raster and vector artwork
- Resolution and file formats
- Respecting copyright and licences
- Print basics: CMYK, bleed and trim
- Screen basics: RGB and sizes
- Exporting and packaging files
- Designing a flyer or social media set
- Presenting your work
- Constructive critique
- Revising based on feedback
Who it's for
For beginners, marketing and communications staff, and anyone who creates visual material and wants to do it with confidence.
Before you start
No formal prerequisites. Bring curiosity and a willingness to practise.
Prepares for
Part of these Alalamia diplomas
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