Month 1 | Design Fundamentals, Base Month
Week 1 | Understand what design is, get to know the principles
Lesson 1. What is design
History and emergence of design
Design/art difference
Design principles: balance, contrast, hierarchy, etc.
Teaching to notice the design principles used by example
Homework: Find two designs that they like, understand what principles were used, write 2-3 sentences about them.
Lesson 2. Visual elements and composition
Design elements: line, image, color, shape, size, space, texture
Composition: types. How to assemble the right composition
Practical work: Assemble an abstract composition with colored papers, choosing one emotion as a theme
Homework: Assemble a composition with lines and images, taking a favorite song as a basis.
Week 2 | Color and Photoshop
Lesson 3. Color Theory
Color theory, color models (RYB, RGB, CMYK, HSV)
Basic color attributes (hue, saturation, brightness), color wheel, harmony, contrast
Color psychology: what effect does color have on mood
Practical work: creating color schemes with an online tool
Homework: Find 4-5 photos, identify the color scheme and write one sentence about each, what emotion the colors evoke and what effect they had on them.
Lesson 4. Adobe Photoshop
Program introduction: Interface, layers, basic tools
Simple photo processing
Practical work: Assembling a collage using images, photos, colors
Homework: Assembling a small collage using images, photos, and colors in Photoshop.
Week 2 | Color and Photoshop
Lesson 5. Moodboards, Visual Taste
Moodboards
Assembling moodboards in Photoshop, studying the necessary tools
How to develop visual taste, from what sources to get inspiration,
How to separate inspiration from plagiarism
How to understand the good/badness of a design
Homework: Assemble a moodboard in Photoshop for a poster design project
Lesson 6. Adobe Illustrator
Introduction to the program, what it is for, how it works
Interface, basic tools: pen tool, pathfinder, align
Present how we can notice lines and images in real life, show examples
Creating simple shapes and assembling a composition
Homework: Select one photo and assemble it with simple shapes. Develop pen tool skills through an online game.
Week 4 | Calligraphy Basics
Lesson 7. Typography
What is typography: definition, brief history, importance
Type anatomy: serif, sans-serif, tracking, kerning
Design principles in typography (hierarchy, balance, contrast, equality)
Fonts and Typefaces: their differences
Homework: Collect a moodboard with 8-10 typography examples (posters, book covers, packaging design, etc.) and explain in 1-2 sentences what they like, how the letters tell about emotions, meaning and the significance of design.
Lesson 8. Development of software skills
Working with text in Photoshop and Illustrator
Create a Type Poster with a phrase and a frame from a favorite movie.
Basic photo editing tools
Identify a main theme for each student's poster design project
Homework: Work on a poster design project
Month 2 | Skills development, stickerpack design and branding project launch Month
Week 5 | Stickerpack design
Lesson 9. Stickerpack Design
What are stickers and stickerpacks, storytelling, visuals?
How to assemble stickers: Working with Illustrator and Photoshop
Deciding on stickerpack themes, creating a moodboard and making sketches.
Homework: Assembling stickers.
Lesson 10. Stickerpack Design
Feedback Session: Stickerpack Design
Working with print files: Colors, file format, communication with printers
Preparing a print file: Practical example
Homework: Working on a stickerpack.
Week 6 | Sticker Packer, Social Media Design
Lesson 11. Work on stickers
Homework: Finalizing the sticker pack
Lesson 12. Designing social networks as part of the brand identity
History of advertising
Marketing-design connection
Social network design: types of publications, trends, target audience
SMM specialist-graphic designer relations, communication and feedback
Creating a publication design in Photoshop, studying the main necessary tools
Homework: Create 3 publication designs in Photoshop.
Week 7 | SMM, Branding
Lesson 13. Meeting with the marketing team and guest specialist
Lesson 14. Branding
What is branding, main components (logo, colors, fonts)
Design thinking in branding and not only
Go over the important components of brand identity using the example of a famous brand
Homework: Determine the theme and name of the branding project. Collect a moodboard (design approaches, colors, fonts)
Week 8 | Logo Design, Storytelling
Lesson 15. Logo Design
Logo design principles: shapes, letters and symbolism
Creating a logo with Illustrator, studying the main necessary tools
Brainstorming Session: Developing branding projects, determining a design concept, sketching logos
Homework: Starting to work on a logo concept.
Lesson 16. Feedback Session,
Feedback Session: Logo design
Working on logos
What is storytelling, how does it increase the impact of design
How to create a story through design
Homework: Working on a logo.
Week 9 | Conceptual Skills, Branding
Урок 17: Концептуальные навыки
Рассказывание историй
Навыки исследования
Общение с клиентами, получение и предоставление отзывов
Домашнее задание. Работа над логотипами.
Урок 18. Буквы в брендинге
Как выбрать правильные шрифты для вашего бренда
Изучение основных инструментов, необходимых для работы с текстом в Illustrator
Редактирование шрифтов, дизайн букв
Работа над логотипом. выберите подходящие шрифты
Домашнее задание. Работа над логотипом, создание элементов бренда.
Month 3 | Packaging design, working on projects Month
Week 10 | Brand Element Development, Networks
Lesson 19: Working on Branding
Feedback Session: Logo Design
Working on Logos
Working on Brand Elements
Homework: Finalize logos based on feedback provided.
Lesson 20: Getting to Know Networks
What is a Network? The Basic Role of Networks in Any Design
Network Systems and Layouts, Types of Networks
Creating a Network in Illustrator: Exploring the Basic Tools
Practical Work: Drawing a Network System on Paper and Assembling Letters/Words into Modules
Homework: Working on Branding.
Week 11 | Branding, packaging
Lesson 21: Branding
Finalizing Brand Elements
Mockups: Working with mockups in Photoshop
Homework: Working on branding and mockups.
Lesson 22: Packaging Design Basics
Introduction to packaging design: purpose, types, structure, and use in branding
How to create packaging design that aligns with branding
A detailed study of famous packaging designs
Homework: Assemble a packaging design moodboard and start working on the design.
Week 12 | Packaging Design, Portfolio
Lesson 23. Packaging Design
Mockups, Printing Knives
Creating a Packaging Design File in Illustrator
Practical Work: Printing Mockups with Simple Packaging Design Examples and Assembling a Box/Bag
Homework: Working on Packaging Design
Lesson 24. Feedback, Portfolio
Feedback Session: Packaging Design
Techniques for Presenting Your Work in a Portfolio
How to Create Good Case Studies for a Portfolio
Presentation Design, Illustrator/Photoshop Teamwork
Homework: Working on Packaging.
Month 4 | Behance Case Collection, Project Finalization Month
Week 13-16
Lesson 25. Working on Branding
Working on Packaging Design
Working on Brand Elements,
Branding Behance Case
Homework: Working on Branding.
Lesson 26. Packaging Design, Brandbook
Assembling a Brandbook
Finalizing the Packaging Design
Branding Behance Case
Homework: Finalizing the Packaging Design and Brandbook.
Lesson 27. Stickerpack Behance Case
Working with Mockups
Image Processing
Storytelling
Presentation Design
Homework: Finalizing the Sticker Portfolio Case.
Lesson 28. Poster Design Behance Case
Working with Mockups
Image Processing
Storytelling
Presentation Design
Homework: Finalizing the Poster Portfolio Case.
Lesson 29. Branding Behance Case
Working with Mockups
Image Development
Storytelling: Logo, Typography, Colors, Packaging Design
Presentation Design
Homework: Finalize the Branding Portfolio Case.
Lesson 30. Feedback Session
Discussion of Works
Providing Feedback
Final Touches
Homework: Finalizing Projects Based on Feedback.
Lesson 31. Future Plans
On Entering the Job Market
Rules for Preparing for Professional Interviews
Techniques for Presenting Yourself and Your Work, Personal Branding
Providing a Small Roadmap: What and How to Do After the Course
Lesson 32. Summary
