Intermediate Visual Communication Skills for Non-Designers

This introductory course sets the baseline for understanding visual communication by introducing the concepts, vocabulary, and jobs skills relating to visual communication. We will start by covering the history of design and theories and then move on to the elements and principles of design, allowing you to develop the skills necessary to practice your understanding of the design process. We will also examine creative solutions to design problems—all of which will help you succeed in using visual communication skills in the other classes in this specialization and in your career after completing all the course. By the end of this course, you’ll have a better understanding of and be able to answer the question: What is visual communication?

In the first part of the course on color, we will focus on perception and the mechanisms used by the brain to see and make sense of color. Topics covered include the vocabulary of color, including color systems, color separation, color printing, online color, and the effects of lighting on color. By the end of this course, you will gain an appreciation for how color perception is influenced by cultural differences, how color influences design and commerce through practices of color forecasting, and how to understand the manipulation of images in visual communication.