Intermediate Graphic Design: Branding, Layout & Portfolio

Develop a clearer graphic design workflow, from understanding a brief to presenting your design decisions. This intermediate course brings together layout and composition, brand identity, marketing design, and portfolio preparation in five focused sections.

If you already understand basic color, typography, layout, and design tools, the course gives you a framework for approaching your next project with more purpose and consistency. It emphasizes design thinking, visual consistency, and an organized approach to project work.

What the course covers

• Design thinking: explore client briefs, research, mood boards, competitor analysis, and creative concepts before creating visual work.

• Layout and composition: examine grids, visual hierarchy, negative space, contrast, image placement, cropping, and multi-page design basics.

• Brand identity: connect logos, color choices, typography, style guides, and branded assets into a consistent visual system.

• Marketing design: explore how branding and layout apply to social media campaigns, thumbnails, banners, advertisements, flyers, and packaging basics.

• Workflow and portfolio: organize project files, consider export settings for web and print, plan revisions, and present your process in a portfolio case study.

How to use this course

The course includes approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes of video across five lectures, with downloadable Word resources attached to each section. Take notes, use the resources to support your practice, and revisit the concepts while developing your own layouts and brand assets. Progress depends on applying and refining what you learn.

Who should enroll

This course is for designers moving beyond the basics, freelancers refining their design process, and content creators who want more consistent visual work. Basic design knowledge is recommended; expert skills are not required.

This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.