A concept resource, not a syllabus.

A Human-Centered Process

1. Define
2. Empathize
3. Ideate
4. Prototype
5. Test
6. The Design Thinking Process

How Things Are Organized

1. Backup
2. File Naming Conventions
3. Folder Structure
4. Version Control as Creative Practice

1. Color Models and Profiles
2. Raster Image Fundamentals
3. Resampling
4. Resolution: Native vs. Effective
5. Vector Image Fundamentals

Building with Paths

1. Anchor Points
2. Artboard
3. Bezier Curves and Handles
4. EPS and Other Handoff Formats
5. Fill and Stroke
6. Outlining Text
7. Path
8. Pen Tool

How Things Look and Communicate

1. Color — Applied
2. Columns
3. Composition
4. Cropping
5. Figure-Ground
6. Grid
7. Gutter
8. Hierarchy
9. Layout
10. Light Logic
11. Line, Shape, and Mark
12. Margins
13. Mass and Visual Weight
14. Padding
15. Page
16. Texture and Surface
17. Value

The Fundamentals of Setting Type

1. Alignment
2. Ascenders and Descenders
3. Baseline
4. Cap Height
5. Font
6. Kerning
7. Leading (Line Spacing)
8. Measure (Line Length)
9. Tracking (Letter Spacing)
10. Type Classification
11. Type Size
12. Type Weight
13. Typeface
14. Word Spacing
15. X-Height

Pushing the Concept

1. Constraint
2. Curation — Selecting What Represents Your Work
3. Documentation of Change
4. Iteration
5. Permutation
6. Variation

1. Adjustment Layers
2. Blending Modes
3. Color Grading
4. Compositing
5. Layer Masks
6. Layers
7. Selection

1. Attribution
2. Copyright — The Default
3. Creative Commons Licenses
4. Cultural and Social Implications of Found Imagery
5. Fair Use
6. Public Domain
7. Sourcing Log

1. Auto Layout
2. Components and Instances
3. Depth Cues and Parallax
4. Discursive Design
5. Easing
6. Frame
7. Frames Per Second (FPS)
8. Interface States
9. Keyframes and Duration
10. Microinteraction
11. Prototype Connections and Triggers
12. Sequence and Loop
13. Spatial Continuity and Z-Order
14. Timing and Pacing

1. Design Systems
2. Links Inventory
3. Multi-Tool Workflow
4. Packaging
5. Placing vs. Embedding

How Things Leave Your Computer

1. Bleed and Slug
2. Color Profile Conversion (RGB to CMYK)
3. Compression Trade-Offs
4. Crop Marks
5. Export for Different Audiences and Uses
6. PDF Export Presets
7. Preflight
8. Registration Marks
9. Screen Recording
10. Trim Size

1. Critique
2. Giving Feedback
3. Pitch Presentation
4. Presenting Work
5. Receiving Feedback