The Cloud Canvas
Design Basics Course

Learn the foundations of design like never before with the Cloud Canvas Principles of Design Course

Learn from Adobe certified instructors, as they take you  through the essentials of the world of design, bringing you  one step closer to mastering the visual arts.

Why Design though?  Click the video to find out. 

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The Design Basics Course Outline

Chapter 1: contrast & balance

Episodes:

  • Meet your teachers - ( 0:44 )
  • Emphasis & contrast I - ( 1:14 )
  • Emphasis & contrast II - ( 4:06 )
  • Visual balance I - ( 1:13 )
  • Visual balance II - ( 3:22 )

Your practical learnings

Wield emphasis to allow your viewer to find the focus point of a design. Learn how simultaneous contrast is used to help establish a visual hierarchy, and draw the viewer's eye to what's important in your work.

Mastering visual balance helps to build pleasing symmetrical and asymmetrical elements. This principle can influence how your audience absorbs the information you are presenting leading the piece to look complete.

Chapter 2: proportion and proximity

Episodes:

  • Proportion I - ( 1:21 )
  • Proportion II - ( 4:09 )
  • Alignment - ( 1:05 )
  • Proximity- ( 3:48 )

Your practical learnings

Master proportion, that is, the relationship between your design elements to create a visual equilibrium. 

Once your designs are proportional, learn to manipulate elements like scale and color to change how a viewer perceives your work and create a positive user experience.

Effectively deploy alignment and proximity to create designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. 

Chapter 3: color and design conventions

Episodes:

  • Color I - ( 1:17 )
  • Color II - ( 4:02 )
  • The Rule of Thirds I - ( 1:10 )
  • The Rule of Thirds II- ( 3:27 )

Your practical learnings

Color is a powerful tool for conveying meaning and feeling in your work. Mastering color theory means being able to determine how the relationship between different colors allows you to make the most appealing design pieces.

The rule of thirds is related to the composition of a design. Mastering the rule of thirds allows you to strategically place important elements at the natural focal points within an image - easily drawing the viewer's attention to them.

Chapter 4: REPITITION & CONSISTENCY

Episodes:

  • Repetition I - ( 1:09 )
  • Repetition II - ( 3:27 )
  • Consistency in Design I - ( 1:18 )
  • Consistency in Design II- ( 3:46 )

Your practical learnings

Using repeated motifs and patterns helps to create a sense of cohesion throughout your design. Repetition is also used to establish themes in your work, and to build visual associations for your viewer that keeps them oriented. 

Creating consistency is a deliberate process that puts the user experience at the heart of your design. By creating a consistent design, you help to build trust between your user and your product to create intuitive designs.