Graphic Design for Social
Designing social graphics that stop the scroll and stay on brand: designing for the feed, layout and grids, visual hierarchy, typography, color and contrast, images and cut-outs, thumbnails and covers, carousels and data graphics, templates and design systems, motion graphics, accessible and inclusive design, and brand kits and licensing.
CRE-230 Year 2 3 credits 12 lessons · 5 h 18 min
Offered by HSM University · Content Creation
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Design social graphics for how people view feeds, choosing the primary job, platform format and safe areas
- Build layouts with margins, grids, alignment, proximity, spacing scales and white space
- Create clear visual hierarchy with size, contrast, color, weight, position, isolation and gaze
- Choose, size and set typefaces for small screens using type scales, leading, tracking and pairings
- Build brand palettes and apply color for hierarchy and meaning while meeting contrast standards
- Select, crop and prepare photos, cut-outs, icons and illustrations, and source images legally
- Design thumbnails, covers and profile assets that read at tiny sizes and fit platform crops
- Design carousels, infographics and honest data graphics with clear structure and information design
- Build templates and design systems from foundations and components, and maintain them over time
- Create simple motion graphics with purposeful timing, easing and keyframes for social and video
- Make graphics accessible and inclusive through contrast, alt text, captions, motion limits and representation
- Document a brand kit, manage tools, files and licenses, design sponsored graphics responsibly and present a visual system
Course content
12 lessons · 5 h 18 min total · final exam
- 1 Designing for the feed 25 min · quiz
- 2 Layout, grids and alignment 27 min · quiz
- 3 Visual hierarchy and composition for small screens 27 min · quiz
- 4 Typography for social graphics 26 min · quiz
- 5 Color, palettes and contrast 26 min · quiz
- 6 Images, cut-outs, icons and illustration 27 min · quiz
- 7 Thumbnails, covers and profile assets 27 min · quiz
- 8 Carousels, infographics and data graphics 27 min · quiz
- 9 Templates and design systems 27 min · quiz
- 10 Motion graphics basics 27 min · quiz
- 11 Accessible and inclusive design 27 min · quiz
- 12 Brand kits, tools, licensing and capstone 25 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Designing social graphics that stop the scroll and stay on brand: designing for the feed, layout and grids, visual hierarchy, typography, color and contrast, images and cut-outs, thumbnails and covers, carousels and data graphics, templates and design systems, motion graphics, accessible and inclusive design, and brand kits and licensing.
Part of the Film & Photography stream, typically taken in year 2.