Course Catalogue

Any kind of visual creation, ultimately, is an act of communication. This communication always happens at many levels, using multiple sign systems at the same time. Factual information is conveyed to us mainly by what objects we can recognize in an image. However, it is how these objects are presented visually that is crucial in carrying emotional information and building attitude, often determining our understanding of what we see.

Although perceived by most people only subconsciously, the impact of abstract visual features of an image is, in fact, objective, and very precisely defined. We provide systematic practical and theoretical insight into how visual signs work: size, shape, weight, position, space, distance, direction, distribution, color, texture, etc.

Mastering these signs will change the student’s approach to visual expression and make their work more professional, efficient, powerful, and exact.

Typography is a fundamental component of visual communication. While many perceive text merely as an instrument for encoding spoken language and conveying factual information, typography is, in reality, a powerful tool capable of evoking emotion and shaping attitudes. At this level, typography works independently of the text's content. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of this. Quite frequently, the emotional information conveyed by the visual characteristics of type directly contradicts the factual information contained in the text. Inadequate typography is ruinous for any work of visual design. 

This course explores all aspects of typography: how to ensure good legibility, how to create design that supports the understanding of logical and hierarchic relations between different parts of text and image, how to establish a correct and comfortable reading order, but also how to utilize the expressive and stylistic features of type to convey the desired emotions, and how to make typographic composition work to enhance your messages and make them more impactful.