Laptop & PC Graphic Design Academy

Graphic Design Fundamentals for PC

Learn the principles of professional design - colour, typography, layout, branding and file formats - with free PC software.

Beginner 1 students 0 rating English

Taught by
Abena Boateng

About this course

Graphic design is a skill anyone can learn - and this course teaches the professional principles behind every great design, using free software on your laptop or PC.

You will master the fundamentals that make designs work: contrast, hierarchy and balance, the colour wheel and colour harmony, typography and text hierarchy, grids, layout and composition. Then you apply them to real projects - logos, brand kits, posters, flyers and menus - and learn the file formats and export skills you need to deliver work for print, screen and clients.

Every lesson includes a practical exercise and a downloadable PDF guide. No expensive software needed - Canva, GIMP and Photopea are more than enough to start.

What you'll learn

Understand what graphic design is and how designers think

- Apply contrast, hierarchy and balance to every design

- Build colour palettes with the colour wheel, hex codes and HSL

- Master typography, text hierarchy, grids and composition

- Design logos, brand kits, posters, flyers and menus

- Understand file formats, resolution and print readiness

- Choose the right free design tool for each job

- Download a PDF guide with every lesson

Course curriculum

4 modules · 16 lessons · around 187 min of video

Design Principles & Colour 4 lessons

What Is Graphic Design? Preview 9 min
The Core Principles: Contrast, Hierarchy, Balance 12 min
The Colour Wheel and Colour Harmony 13 min
Colour in Practice: HSL, Hex and Palettes 11 min

Typography & Layout 4 lessons

Typography Basics: Serif, Sans and Script Preview 12 min
Text Hierarchy and Readability 11 min
Layout, Grids and Margins 12 min
Composition: Rule of Thirds and Focal Points 11 min

Branding & Real-World Projects 4 lessons

Logo Design Principles Preview 12 min
Building a Brand Kit 12 min
Designing a Poster: Complete Walkthrough 13 min
Designing a Flyer and a Menu 12 min

File Formats, Exporting & Design Tools 4 lessons

File Formats Explained: PNG, JPG, PDF and SVG Preview 12 min
Resolution, DPI and Print-Ready Files 12 min
Exporting for Screen, Print and Clients 11 min
Choosing Your Tools and Building a Portfolio 12 min

Requirements

A laptop or PC with a free design tool (Canva in the browser, or GIMP and Photopea)
- No design experience required - this course starts from zero
- Optional: a printer for the print-export lessons

Instructor

Abena Boateng

Instructor