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Visual Design
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Overview
Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design
challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create
beautiful designs for the web.
General Assembly’s Visual Design course helps you explore
the art and science of visual communication and the process
of creating beautiful digital products. Create a production-
ready composition for a responsive webpage, conveying
your vision through typography, layout, and color. You’ll
learn to give and receive design critique and implement
feedback to improve your designs.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
• Conduct research to inform content strategy and design decisions.
• Create a digital design solution that balances client needs and user goals.
• Design digital layouts with industry-standard tools such as Figma
and Sketch.
• Implement visual design best practices in composition, typography,
imagery, and colors.
• Communicate design decisions to stakeholders and collaborators.
Visual Design: Overview
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What To Expect
Engage in hands-on, project-based learning that’s designed
to advance your career in visual design.
As a student, you’ll:
• Explore new concepts and tools through expert-led lectures
and discussions.
• Dive deeper into topics and techniques via interactive exercises
and case studies.
• Receive individualized feedback and support from your
instructional team.
• Apply what you’ve learned to create a portfolio project:
a production-ready mockup for a responsive webpage and a
presentation deck to document your process.
Visual Design: What To Expect
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Prerequisites
This is a beginner-friendly program with no prerequisites,
although many students have used software such as
Photoshop, Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD* previously and
may be familiar with basic design principles. Beginners will
have access to optional tutorials to practice using software
and boost their confidence ahead of class.
Our Admissions team can discuss your background and
learning goals to advise if this course is a good fit for you.
*The design software used in this course varies by market.
The Final Project
Throughout Visual Design, you will compile a cumulative
final project: a production-ready composition for a
responsive webpage and a process presentation deck.
Explain and defend your design decisions and demonstrate
how your page evolved from idea to rough sketches to
a polished portfolio piece, ultimately showcasing your
ability to:
• Ensure readability and establish strong hierarchical systems using
typography best practices.
Visual Design: Prerequisites & The Final Project
• Create color palettes that convey brand themes and aid in guiding
user interactions.
• Convey emotional meaning and guide content flow through strong
compositional layouts that adhere to grid systems.
• Implement iterative design throughout the creative process, from
researching the company and understanding its problem, to coming up
with solutions and final production-ready page design for desktop.
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What You’ll Learn
Introduction to • Meet instructors and classmates.
Visual Design • Get acquainted with the course and expectations.
• Discuss the discipline of visual design and the
design process.
Brand and • Explain the overall purpose of design research.
User Research • Practice asking and evaluating user
interview questions.
• Develop a persona based on brand and
user research.
From Research to • Explain common approaches to
competitive research.
Moodboards
• Conduct a comparative analysis to make a
design recommendation.
• Practice interpreting and creating moodboards
for different brands.
Content Strategy for • Describe the main components of
content strategy.
Visual Designers
• Explain why content strategy is important
and relevant to visual designers.
• Create an inventory to identify and prioritize
brand content.
Layout and • Identify the anatomy of a webpage.
Navigation • Apply navigation and visual hierarchy to a layout.
• Practice sketching low-fidelity wireframes
on paper.
Responsive Grids • Analyze the contrast, repetition, alignment, and
proximity of a web layout.
and UI Patterns
• Practice designing on a responsive grid.
• Identify UI design patterns on mobile and
desktop screens.
Visual Design: What You’ll Learn
Introduction to • Discuss the importance of typography in
visual design.
Typography
• Define key terms related to typography.
• Practice selecting and pairing typefaces for a
design project.
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Typography • Analyze key characteristics of effective typefaces.
Decisions • Apply best practices for arranging and styling text.
• Create high-fidelity wireframes.
Introduction to • Describe the impact of imagery in any design.
Imagery • Identify how to use photography, illustrations, and
icons most effectively.
Incorporating • Identify key considerations for adding imagery
to wireframes.
Imagery
• Practice sourcing and exporting images.
• Fix common image issues.
Introduction to Color • Explain color theory and its related vocabulary.
Theory • Make appropriate color choices for a brand
or product.
• Select a color palette to bring a composition
to life.
Applying Color • Apply color to a composition or user interface
using the 60-30-10 approach.
• Explain accessibility considerations for selecting
and applying colors.
• Participate in a design critique for the final project.
Flexible Sessions • Flexible sessions are designed to allow your
instructor to tailor the topic based on the needs of
your class. Possible topics include motion design,
interaction design, and design ethics.
Final Presentations • Present the decision-making process of your
design work.
• Provide and receive feedback and suggestions
for improvement.
Visual Design: What You’ll Learn
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why are visual design skills relevant today?
More than pushing pixels, design is the superpower behind the success of many companies.
According to InVision, 92% of mature design organizations can draw a straight line from the
efforts of their design team to their company’s revenue.
Design knowledge is also a boon to individual careers. Burning Glass reports that more
than a half of tech and IT jobs now require some form of digital design, as well as 815,000
roles in other industries. Whether you’re creating a digital product, an ad campaign, or a
presentation, strong visual communication is critical to convey ideas in meaningful and
compelling ways.
What are the professional backgrounds of visual design
students?
Visual design skills are a powerful extension to a variety of professional backgrounds.
You’ll find a diverse range of students in the classroom, including:
• Product designers and UX practitioners who are striving for higher-fidelity mockups to
more clearly communicate design solutions. InVision reports that 66% of UX designer job
postings require UI skills.
• Digital marketers who are aiming to independently create assets for digital marketing
campaigns on for email, social media, and the web.
• Web developers who are looking to pair visual design experience with programming
skills to build products that are both functional and beautiful.
• Graphic or print designers who want to switch to digital.
Ultimately, this program attracts a community of eager learners who are interested in
gaining a foundation in digital design and kicking off their portfolios.
What does my tuition cover?
Here are just some of the benefits you can expect as a GA student:
• A practical visual design skill set that can be applied to solve design challenges
in a variety of professional contexts.
• 32 hours of expert instruction from a professional designer.
• Optional pre-course tutorials for beginners to gain basic familiarity with
Visual Design: Frequently Asked Questions
design software.*
• Access to our robust coursework, including expert-vetted lesson decks, project
toolkits, and more. Refresh and refine your knowledge throughout your professional
journey as needed.
• A real-world project where you’ll apply the visual design techniques to create a
production-ready mockup for a responsive webpage and a presentation deck to
demonstrate how your work evolved from an idea, to a rough sketch, to a final
polished design.
• Individual feedback and guidance from instructors and TAs during office hours. Stay
motivated and make the most of your experience with the help of GA’s dedicated team.
• Exclusive access to alumni discounts, networking events, and career workshops.
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• A GA course certificate to showcase your new skill set on LinkedIn.
• Connections with a professional network of instructors and peers that lasts well beyond
the course. The global GA community can help you navigate and succeed in the field.
*Note: While students may use Photoshop, Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD, the primary
focus of this course is on learning design principles rather than becoming proficient in
design software.
Will I earn a certificate?
Yes! Upon passing this course, you will receive a signed certificate of completion.
Thousands of GA alumni use their course certificate to demonstrate skills to employers
and their LinkedIn networks. GA’s Visual Design course is well-regarded by many top
employers, who contribute to our curriculum and use our design programs to train their
own teams.
Who teaches this course?
Our instructors represent the best and brightest visual design professionals who have
designed for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Nike, and Redbull. They combine in-depth
knowledge as practitioners with a passion for nurturing the next generation of talent.
We work with a large pool of experienced instructors around the world. Please speak with
our Admissions team to find out who is teaching the upcoming course in your location.
Can I work full-time while enrolled in this course?
Yes! All of our part-time courses are designed for busy professionals with full-time work
commitments. Depending on your location, classes meet twice per week in the evenings,
or all day on Saturday. If you’re able to dedicate a full week to learning, we also have a full-
time, accelerated 1-week option. You may opt to take this course in-person at one of our
20+ campuses or online via our Remote classroom setup.
You will be expected to spend time working on homework and projects outside of class
hours each week, but the workload is designed to be manageable with a full-time job.
If you need to miss a session or two, we offer resources to help you catch up. We
recommend you discuss any planned absences with your instructor.
Which format should I take this course in — on campus or online?
It’s up to you! Our Remote courses offer a learning experience that mirrors GA’s on-campus
offerings but allow you to learn from the comfort of home. If you don’t live near a GA
Visual Design: Frequently Asked Questions
campus, have a busy travel schedule, or just want to save yourself the commute, a Remote
course could be a good option for you, if available in your market. You’ll still get access to
the expert instruction, learning resources, and support network that GA is known for.
If you prefer to learn alongside your peers and can make it to campus, our in-person
courses allow you to take advantage of our beautiful classrooms and workspaces.
Our Admissions team can advise you on the best format for your personal circumstances
and learning style.
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What are my financing options?
We offer a variety of different financing options, including installment plans, so you can
focus on what counts — your education. Plus, more than 45% of our part-time students
receive full or partial tuition reimbursement from their employers. Speak with our
Admissions team to learn more and find the best fit for you and your finances.
What projects will I work on during the course?
Throughout the course, you’ll complete a number of smaller projects designed to reinforce
what you’ve learned in each unit, all of which culminate in a final portfolio piece you can
show off to stakeholders and future employers. Apply the concepts and tools you’ve learned
to create a high-fidelity mockup for a responsive webpage. You’ll also build a process
presentation deck to accompany your design that demonstrates how your work evolved
from idea, to rough sketch, to polished piece.
We encourage you to tackle a design challenge that’s related to your work or a passion
project you’ve been meaning to carve out time for.
Take The Next Step
Have questions about our Visual Design course? Our
Admissions team is here to help you determine if this
program is right for you and your goals. You can also:
• Attend an info session online or at your local campus.
Visual Design: Frequently Asked Questions & Take The Next Step
• Explore your financing options.
• Apply to enroll in the course.