A Guided Tour of Baseline’s Curriculum

Baseline’s curriculum covers design principles, tools, and graphic design fundamentals.

In this blog post, we’ll take you through a guided tour of what you can learn in each part of the course.

Part 1: Introduction to design

In Part 1, you can get started by celebrating your existing skills, and setting some personal goals. After that, it’s time to explore the definition of design!

Selected assignments:

• Start sketching
• How to succeed with this course
• Six great designers who taught themselves
• Assess your existing skills
• Set some personal goals
• Describe your idea of design
• Identify some design problems

Part 2: Design principles

In Part 2, you’ll learn about visual, usability, and ethical principles, then complete some exercises and design briefs to help you apply them.

Selected assignments:

• Design principles basics
• Apply visual principles
• Apply usability principles
• Apply ethical principles

Part 3: Tools, workflow, and collaboration

In Part 3, you can complete an overview of design software, start learning Figma, and cover some tips for workflow, productivity, and collaboration.

Selected assignments:

• An overview of design software
• Learn the basics of Figma
• Create a flyer design in Figma
• Workflow basics
• Collaboration basics
• Ask for feedback
• Iterate on the flyer design
• Provide feedback

Part 4: Graphic design basics

In Part 4, after a bit of history and a lesson on the design process, discover how to use typography, colour, and layout effectively.

Selected assignments:

• A brief history of graphic design
• The graphic design progress
• How to choose a font
• How to combine fonts
• How to create a colour palette
• Using colour in Figma
• Layout basics
• Design a magazine using a grid

Part 5: Applied graphic design

In Part 5, discover how the basics apply to brand, editorial, and information design, and complete guided design brief for each one.

Selected assignments:

• Brand identity design basics
• How to design a logo
• Guided brief: build a brand identity
• Editorial design basics
• What makes an editorial design great
• Guided brief: design a magazine feature
• Information design basics
• Some hazards of data visualization
• Guided brief: design an infographic

Part 6: Graphic design portfolio briefs

In Part 6, bring together your learning so far to complete three realistic, independent design projects that you can include in a portfolio.

Selected assignments:

• How to approach these portfolio briefs
• Portfolio brief: brand identity design
• Portfolio brief: editorial design
• Portfolio brief: information design

Parts 7-9: Digital product design

Later in 2021, we will be launching new course materials about digital product design.

Here’s what each part will include:

• Part 7 covers product design essentials, including how to conduct user research, and create task flows, wireframes, and prototypes
• Part 8 shows you how to transform task flows and wireframes into finished landing pages, websites, and mobile app designs
• Part 9 provides three digital product design portfolio briefs

How you can get started

Simply head to the course page, and begin Part 1. Enjoy!

Want to find out more before exploring the course? Here on the blog you can also find our launch post, and some more information about our coaching service.

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