Introduction

This initial phase of the Professional Diploma in Graphic Design aims to provide a foundational understanding of visual communication and design principles. It involves a blend of lectures, practical exercises, and discussions covering essential concepts, software tools, and frameworks relevant to modern graphic design. This training equips participants with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and industry best practices necessary to succeed in the creative field, focusing on building a strong base for digital and print design.

Trainee Qualification Requirements and Prerequisites

• Basic computer and related literacy: Trainees should be conversant in the fundamental use of a computer, navigating operating systems, and basic file management.
• Interest in design and visual arts: An inclination towards visual creativity, aesthetics, and problem-solving through design is highly beneficial.
• Familiarity with visual fundamentals (recommended, not mandatory): A basic understanding of art principles or visual composition is beneficial for optimal learning.
• Good handle of the English language: Good written and spoken English skills are a basic requirement for understanding course materials and participating in discussions.
• Educational qualification: Trainees must have completed at least the 10th-grade level of education to be eligible for this certification.

Overall Learning Outcomes for the Beginner Course

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Understand and apply the core elements and principles of design.
• Differentiate between art and design in practical and theoretical contexts.
• Analyze visual communication in both local (Ethiopian) and global frameworks.
• Create simple compositions applying foundational design concepts and cultural symbols.
• Navigate beginner tools across key design platforms (Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, Figma).
• Design a basic logo and visual identity sheet for a brand.
• Design visual content tailored for different social media platforms.
• Begin developing a personal design portfolio using curated early-stage projects.

Training Delivery

The training will be delivered using a blended class format, combining:

• A lead instructor introduces key concepts and best practices through lectures and demonstrations.
• Practical exercises to apply learnings utilizing industry-standard tools and resources.
• Case studies to analyze real-world design scenarios and decision-making processes/approaches, with a focus on local and global examples.
• Guest lectures offering insights on the industry's current trends, creative processes, and professional prospects.
• Collaborative group projects to foster teamwork and applied learning.

The total duration for the Beginner Course is approximately 14 weeks (equivalent to 84 contact hours), providing a solid foundation in graphic design fundamentals.

Trainees will utilize various tools and resources, including:

• Design Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Canva, Figma.
• Conceptual Tools: Pen & Paper, Sketchbook, Found Materials.
• Color Tools: Adobe Color.
• Collaboration Tools: (Implicit in practical exercises and group work).

Training Subject Areas

Module 01 - Foundations of Graphic Design (GD-101)

This foundational Module introduces learners to the core elements and principles of design, enabling them to understand and analyze visual communication within both global and Ethiopian contexts, and to create simple compositions applying these concepts.

• Understanding Fundamental Elements and Principles: This section covers the basic building blocks and rules that govern effective visual communication, enabling learners to identify and apply fundamental visual Modules such as line, shape, color, texture, space, form, and value, as well as principles like balance, contrast, emphasis, rhythm, unity, and proportion, to create harmonious and impactful compositions.
• Differentiating Art and Design: Learners will gain clarity on the distinct purposes and contexts of art versus design by understanding the graphic design field, its history, applications, and recognizing the different objectives and processes of a designer versus an artist.
• Analyzing Visual Communication: This area focuses on interpreting visuals within diverse cultural frameworks, including reading and interpreting images and visual cues to understand their messages and cultural implications, and analyzing and incorporating local symbolism and motifs from Ethiopian art and culture into design.
• Creating Simple Compositions: Trainees will apply foundational design concepts to practical exercises, producing simple layout compositions using fundamental design concepts and cultural symbols, and engaging in critiques and feedback sessions.

Module 02 - Design Thinking & Creative Problem Solving (GD-102)

This Module equips learners with the human-centered design thinking process to address real local problems, fostering empathy and ideation through user research and prototyping with resourceful, low-fidelity methods.

• Applying the Design Thinking Process: Learners will understand and apply the stages of human-centered design, including an introduction to the iterative process of empathy, define, ideate, prototype, and test in design, emphasizing user-centered design.
• Conducting User Research and Empathy Mapping: This section focuses on gathering insights from target users, particularly within local contexts, by conducting interviews, observations, identifying pain points and needs specific to Ethiopian communities, and visualizing user journeys.
• Developing Ideation Techniques: Trainees will explore various methods for generating creative solutions, utilizing brainstorming, mind mapping, and sketching solutions to generate a wide range of design ideas, drawing inspiration from Ethiopian cultural narratives.
• Prototyping: This area emphasizes creating low-fidelity prototypes to communicate ideas visually, by developing simple prototypes using paper, recyclables, and other found objects to quickly test and refine concepts, and practicing presenting these ideas.

Module 03 - Typography & Layout Basics (GD-103)

This Module enables learners to understand the anatomy of type and establish visual hierarchy, apply fundamental layout and grid techniques in design, and effectively use both Amharic and Latin scripts in typographic compositions.

• Understanding Typography Fundamentals: This section covers the foundational aspects of type, including identifying parts of a letterform and understanding type classification (serif, sans serif, script), along with principles of legibility and hierarchy.
• Applying Visual Hierarchy in Typography: Trainees will learn to guide the reader's eye through text effectively, using variations in font size, weight, and style to create visual interest and emphasize key information, and exploring effective font pairings.
• Mastering Layout Grids & Composition: This area focuses on organizing visual elements within a design, by understanding and applying grid systems to create structured and aligned layouts, utilizing proper alignment and whitespace.
• Exploring Amharic Typography: This section delves into the unique characteristics of Amharic script in design, including understanding the specific features and challenges of working with Ge'ez and Amharic scripts in modern design, and learning best practices for bilingual type pairing.

Module 04 - Color Theory & Composition (GD-104)

This Module enables learners to understand the psychology of color and how to apply color harmonies effectively, create cohesive and purposeful color palettes for design projects, and apply color theory principles to branding and storytelling with cultural relevance.

• Understanding Color Theory & Harmonies: This section covers the foundational principles of color, including exploring primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, understanding warm versus cool colors, and learning about various color schemes for balanced swatches.
• Creating Color Palettes: Trainees will learn to develop effective color combinations for various design applications, utilizing tools like Adobe Color to create cohesive and purposeful color palettes, considering mood setting and accessibility.
• Applying Cultural Color Narratives (Ethiopia): This area focuses on the cultural significance of color in Ethiopia, including exploring the symbolism of colors in Ethiopian religious art, traditional textiles, the national flag, and festivals, and creating culturally reflective mood boards.
• Composition with Color: This section focuses on integrating color effectively into design compositions, understanding the psychological and emotional impact of color in marketing and branding, and applying principles to branding and storytelling with cultural relevance.

Module 05 - Introduction to Design Software (GD-105)

This Module enables learners to navigate beginner tools across key design platforms (Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, Figma), create simple digital assets suitable for print and screen, and understand and apply best practices in file formats, resolutions, and exports.

• Adobe Photoshop Basics: This section introduces the fundamental tools and interface of Adobe Photoshop for image manipulation, familiarizing with the Photoshop interface, layers, basic selection tools, and brush tools, along with learning basic photo correction and simple compositions.
• Adobe Illustrator Basics: Trainees will learn the foundational tools and concepts of vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator, working with basic shapes, understanding the Pen Tool for creating custom paths, and manipulating strokes and fills for scalable designs.
• Canva & Figma Introduction: This section introduces user-friendly, collaborative design platforms, including utilizing Canva for templates, drag-and-drop design, and creating social media graphics, and understanding Figma frames, shapes, text, Modules, and collaborative editing for UI/UX design.
• File Formats & Resolution: Trainees will learn about different digital file types and their appropriate uses, differentiating between common file formats like JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF, and their applications for web and print, including understanding resolution and color modes.
• Cross-Platform Design Challenge: This practical exercise integrates skills learned across all four tools, by creating one unified visual concept using features from Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, and Figma, and practicing correct file export and naming.

Module 06 - Branding & Identity Design Fundamentals (GD-106)

This Module enables learners to understand the core Modules of branding, including logos, color systems, and typography, design a basic logo and visual identity sheet for a brand, and analyze and critique real-world Ethiopian business branding for effectiveness and alignment.

• Branding Principles & Logo Design: This section covers the foundational concepts of brand identity, understanding the distinction between a brand, a logo, and an identity, and how brand values translate into visual elements, including exploring different logo types and sketching concepts.
• Typography & Color in Branding: Trainees will learn how type and color contribute to brand identity, understanding the emotional and symbolic meanings of colors and their application in branding mood boards, and choosing appropriate font pairings.
• Ethiopian Business Branding Analysis: This area focuses on analyzing local brand identities, by analyzing real-world Ethiopian business branding for effectiveness, cultural alignment, and market impact, and engaging in critique and redesign exercises.
• Visual Identity Sheet Creation: Trainees will learn to compile a comprehensive guide for brand usage, by creating a visual identity sheet that includes logo variations, color palettes, type systems, and usage rules, and demonstrating application across various touchpoints.

Module 07 - Visual Content for Social Media (GD-107)

This Module enables learners to design visual content tailored for different social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn), apply mobile-first design principles for optimized viewing, and leverage storytelling, trends, and local relevance to create engaging social content.

• Platform Guidelines & Templates: This section covers the specific requirements and best practices for various social media platforms, understanding optimal image and video sizes, aspect ratios, and safe zones, along with learning how content performs based on algorithms.
• Creating Social Graphics: Trainees will learn to design various types of social media visuals, including Instagram carousels, quote posts, thumbnails, and story templates, utilizing platforms like Canva and Figma.
• Visual Trends & Storytelling: This area focuses on incorporating current trends and narrative techniques into social media visuals, understanding the principles of motion graphics and how to create engaging reels versus static posts, leveraging current visual trends relevant to Ethiopia.
• Mobile-First Design Principles: Trainees will learn to optimize content for mobile viewing, applying principles for mobile-first layouts, ensuring content is legible and impactful on small screens, and designing for quick attention capture.
• Highlighting Local Content: This section emphasizes incorporating local relevance into social media visuals, by featuring local creators, businesses, and artists to create culturally relevant and relatable content, and developing platform-specific visual projects focused on local issues.

Module 08 - Portfolio Creation – Stage 1 (GD-108)

This Module enables learners to begin developing a personal design portfolio using curated early-stage projects, apply principles of visual storytelling and self-branding to present their work, and use online tools to format and share portfolio pieces professionally.

• Selecting & Organizing Work: This section focuses on choosing and structuring initial portfolio pieces, identifying the best early-stage projects to showcase skills and potential, and writing concise captions to frame projects.
• Personal Branding & Behance Basics: Trainees will learn to brand themselves as designers and use online platforms, by crafting an effective personal bio that reflects their design philosophy and aspirations, and utilizing Behance for online portfolio hosting and layout design.
• Visual Storytelling and Project Presentation: This area emphasizes presenting design work effectively, by learning to narrate the "why" behind design decisions and project outcomes, and engaging in workshops for storytelling and peer feedback.
• Developing a Starter Portfolio Draft: The module culminates in the creation of an initial portfolio, by producing a starter portfolio draft in a suitable format (e.g., Google Slides or Behance), and reflecting on peer feedback for revisions.

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessments will include a combination of methods, where trainees submit exercises for evaluation to receive feedback or qualification.

• Reading and implementation exercises.
• Quizzes: formal and informal pop-up quizzes to gauge knowledge acquisition.
• Case studies: real-world marketing scenarios with proposed solutions and strategies presented by students.
• Assignments: individual take-home or in-class practical assignments to solidify understanding and develop campaign strategies.
• Group projects: challenging students to develop digital marketing campaigns for a specific brand or product, enabling application and collaboration.
• Periodic digital assessments: through the HaHuJobs assessment module to measure trainee comprehension and qualify them for certification.
• Follow-ups and feedback will be the main aspects to help trainees improve their understanding.

A minimum of 90% attendance is required for certification. Graduation requires passing all modules with a minimum 70% average.

Reference Resources

• Industry publications: Include articles from reputable sources like Smashing Magazine, Communication Arts, and AIGA Eye on Design.
• Design software tutorials: Official tutorials and guides from Adobe, Canva, and Figma.
• Online courses (with certification):
• "Foundations of Graphic Design" by Google (Coursera)
• "Introduction to Figma" by Figma Learn
• Additionally, PDF resources such as:
• The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams
• Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming by Ellen Lupton
• Other essential resources will be provided by the trainer.