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Course

Design Tools and Techniques

DSGN-40001

Design Tools and Techniques: A Hands-on, Online Course
10 Weeks | No Prerequisite

Unlock the full potential of modern design with our course on Design Tools and Techniques, where you’ll gain comprehensive, hands-on experience with the essential software used by industry professionals today.

Whether you’re looking to refine your skills or learn new tools, this course covers a wide range of design platforms and techniques to equip you for real-world projects. From photo editing and vector graphics to UI/UX design and 3D modeling, you’ll learn about relevant and current design tools for digital media.

Course Details

In this project-based course, you’ll be introduced to industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Figma, Sketch, and more.

Learn the ins and outs of Adobe Photoshop for photo manipulation and compositing, create vector artwork and logos in Illustrator, and become familiar with digital layouts in InDesign. You’ll also delve into the fundamentals of UI design with Figma, where you’ll practice building interactive mockups and prototypes. By the end of the course, you’ll understand the diverse skill needed for a wide range of design applications, including web, print, and mobile media.

Beyond traditional design tools, this course introduces you to essential aspects of user experience (UX) design. You’ll gain valuable skills in user research, persona development, and wireframing, ensuring that your designs are not only aesthetically pleasing but also user-friendly and functional. As part of the curriculum, you'll explore 3D design tools like Blender and SketchUp, adding depth to your creative toolkit. Additionally, you’ll learn about foundational web design skills, including HTML, CSS, and responsive design principles, that will allow you to create designs that adapt across various devices and platforms. Each week’s exercises and projects will integrate these tools and techniques, giving you the opportunity to apply your knowledge to real-world design challenges.

This course is intended to be both comprehensive and practical, preparing you for the dynamic demands of the design industry. Whether you’re interested in graphic design, or plan to pursue specialties like web design, UI/UX, or 3D modeling, this course will expand your knowledge and make you a more versatile, market-ready designer.

What You'll Learn

  • Gain proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite for graphic design, photo editing, and layout. 
  • Explore digital imaging, enhancement, and creative design principles using Adobe Photoshop.
  • Understand vector graphics and logo design skills with Adobe Illustrator.
  • Learn digital layout techniques using Adobe InDesign.
  • Apply UX design principles and the UX life cycle including user research, persona development, and wireframing.
  • Practice UI design principles and create interactive mockups with prototyping tools like Figma.
  • Get hands-on experience with HTML, CSS, and responsive frameworks.  
  • Learn about 3D design and video editing tools such as Blender, SketchUp, and Premier.
  • Complete project-based exercises that integrate multiple design tools and real-world application skills as you build toward your design portfolio.

Course Information

Online
3.00 units
$695.00
Notes: Quarters Offered: Winter, Summer
Equipment/Software: Adobe Creative Cloud for Students. Instructor will provide information regarding software. 
Flexible Enrollment: This course is a requirement for the Digital Design and Creative Strategy Professional Certificate but is open to all students, even if you're not enrolled in the Certificate Program. 
Academic Calendar: The Academic Calendar shows the open enrollment dates and term start dates for each quarter. Courses do not necessarily start on the first day of the term. 

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This course applies to these programs

Digital Design and Creative Strategy

Course sessions

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Section ID:

191251

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 7/7/2025
  • Early enrollment advised
  • No UCSD parking permit required
  • No visitors permitted

Note:

SDMA/SCBWI/MOPA members can receive our $25 Early Enrollment discount prior to course start date. The max discount a MOPA/SCBWI/SDMA member can receive for one class is $25. It is applied upon course enrollment over the phone or in person with proof of membership. This is an online course. There are no face-to-face class sessions. You'll have access to your online course on the published start date. Login on your MyExtension account, select My Courses and click the link under LOCATION.

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
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Instructor: Donna Sandsmark, M.S.

Donna Sandsmark, M.S.

Combines a background in engineering, programming, and design to create a learning environment that covers all aspects of web design

Donna Sandsmark teaches Web Design I: Principles & Techniques,  User Experience Design II and User Experience (UX) Portfolio for the User Experience (UX) Design certificate program. In addition, Donna teaches Visual Communications: Digital Illustration, Portfolio Development for the Graphic & Web Design Program, and the Graphic & Web Design Workshop for the Graphic & Web Design certificate program, along with the Front End Web Development Portfolio for the Front End Development certificate program. 

Donna combines a background in engineering, programming and design to create a learning environment that covers all aspects of web design. A lead instructor in the Web Design and Interactive Media program at The Art Institute, Sandsmark also works as a freelance developer creating websites, content management systems and mobile apps for companies nationwide. Sansdmark received a bachelor's in engineering and management from Penn State University and a master's in computer science from University of Southern California.

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