FREE Beginner 🎓 Certificate Course

Graphic Design Fundamentals

A 40-lesson design program: principles, typography, color, layout and real projects in Canva and beyond.

⏱ 12.0 hours 📚 40 lessons 👨‍🎓 0 enrolled

📖 Course Overview

Design is the business skill disguised as art: every shop banner, social post, menu and CV competes on visual clarity. This program teaches the eye and the craft - principles, typography, colour and layout - through tools free on every device, Canva first.

Every lesson has a make-this exercise. Design skill lives in your hands, not your bookmarks.

The program is organised into five modules of eight focused lessons each. Every lesson teaches one topic with a practical example and carries its own exam question. Complete all 40 lessons to unlock the final exam - 20 randomised questions from the full 40-question bank, 30 minutes, 65% to pass - and earn a publicly verifiable certificate.

📖 Full Curriculum — 40 Topics

What design actually doesThe audience-message-medium triangleVisual hierarchy: controlling the eyeContrast: the designer's loudest toolAlignment and the invisible gridProximity and groupingWhitespace: the confidence of emptinessRepetition and consistencyType categories and their personalitiesPairing fonts without chaosSize, weight and type hierarchyReadability: line length, spacing, caseDevanagari and bilingual typographyType as image: expressive typographyCommon type crimes and fixesChoosing fonts legallyColor meanings and cultural contextThe 60-30-10 palette ruleHarmony schemes: building palettesContrast and accessibilityColor psychology in Nepali marketingGradients, shadows and depthDark mode and backgroundsBrand palettes: locking your coloursCanva mastery: beyond templatesSocial media sizes and safe zonesDesigning posts that stop thumbsFlyers, posters and print basicsLogos: simple, scalable, memorableCVs, presentations and documentsDesign systems for small brandsFeedback and iterating designsThe designer's eye: training dailyRecreation practice: copywork for designersBuilding a beginner portfolioFreelancing design from NepalWorking with clients and briefsAI tools in the design workflowTrends vs timeless: developing judgementYour design path and the exam

🗂 Lessons

▶️ 1. What design actually does Preview 8 min 🔒 2. The audience-message-medium triangle 8 min 🔒 3. Visual hierarchy: controlling the eye 8 min 🔒 4. Contrast: the designer's loudest tool 8 min 🔒 5. Alignment and the invisible grid 8 min 🔒 6. Proximity and grouping 8 min 🔒 7. Whitespace: the confidence of emptiness 8 min 🔒 8. Repetition and consistency 8 min 🔒 9. Type categories and their personalities 8 min 🔒 10. Pairing fonts without chaos 8 min 🔒 11. Size, weight and type hierarchy 8 min 🔒 12. Readability: line length, spacing, case 8 min 🔒 13. Devanagari and bilingual typography 8 min 🔒 14. Type as image: expressive typography 8 min 🔒 15. Common type crimes and fixes 8 min 🔒 16. Choosing fonts legally 8 min 🔒 17. Color meanings and cultural context 8 min 🔒 18. The 60-30-10 palette rule 8 min 🔒 19. Harmony schemes: building palettes 8 min 🔒 20. Contrast and accessibility 8 min 🔒 21. Color psychology in Nepali marketing 8 min 🔒 22. Gradients, shadows and depth 8 min 🔒 23. Dark mode and backgrounds 8 min 🔒 24. Brand palettes: locking your colours 8 min 🔒 25. Canva mastery: beyond templates 8 min 🔒 26. Social media sizes and safe zones 8 min 🔒 27. Designing posts that stop thumbs 8 min 🔒 28. Flyers, posters and print basics 8 min 🔒 29. Logos: simple, scalable, memorable 8 min 🔒 30. CVs, presentations and documents 8 min 🔒 31. Design systems for small brands 8 min 🔒 32. Feedback and iterating designs 8 min 🔒 33. The designer's eye: training daily 8 min 🔒 34. Recreation practice: copywork for designers 8 min 🔒 35. Building a beginner portfolio 8 min 🔒 36. Freelancing design from Nepal 8 min 🔒 37. Working with clients and briefs 8 min 🔒 38. AI tools in the design workflow 8 min 🔒 39. Trends vs timeless: developing judgement 8 min 🔒 40. Your design path and the exam 8 min

📝 Practice Quiz

Graphic Design Fundamentals - Practice Quiz — check your understanding before the final exam.

Take Practice Quiz

🎯 Final Exam (30 min)

Pass with 65%+ to earn your certificate. Unlocks after all lessons are completed.

🔒 Enroll and complete all lessons to unlock the final exam.

🎓 Certificate included

Complete all lessons and pass the final exam to receive a verified PDF certificate with QR verification.