GD
FORE SCHOOL OF DESIGN2026 — 27 EDITION
Diploma Programme

Graphic
Design

A 6-month industry-ready programme that builds visual craft, brand intelligence, and creative communication skills, from foundational design theory to AI-powered production workflows.

6
Months
220+
Live Hours
4+
Portfolio Projects
12
Software Tools
Who this programme is for02

Six routes into
visual practice

Graphic design is the foundation of all visual communication. This programme starts from first principles, how the human eye perceives, how colour creates emotion, how typography carries meaning, and builds upward through brand identity, editorial, illustration, packaging, advertising, and AI-powered workflows.

01

Freshers & Graduates

Arts, media, architecture or humanities grads wanting to build a professional design practice from the ground up.

02

Career Switchers

Professionals from non-design backgrounds making a structured transition into brand, agency, or content studio roles.

03

UI/UX Designers

Digital designers who want to strengthen their visual foundation, craft, typography, colour, and brand identity thinking.

04

Marketing Professionals

Brand managers and content creators who want design literacy to brief better, review sharper, and produce independently.

05

Startup Founders

Builders who need to design early-stage brand identities, marketing collateral, and visual communications without a full team.

06

Illustrators & Artists

Creatives with drawing skills who want to channel their visual sensibility into professional brand and commercial design work.

Term 1 · Month 01Weeks 01 – 04

Foundations of
Visual Communication

Train the eye and the mind before touching software. Understand why design works, and why it doesn’t.

Week 01

History of Communication Design

Assignment
  • Evolution of visual communication
  • Indian design traditions: folk art, poster, architecture
  • Semiotics: signs, symbols, icons and indexes
  • Timeline poster of communication history (InDesign)
  • Printing revolution, Bauhaus, Swiss Style
  • Design movements and their cultural context
  • Design ethics: representation and appropriation
Week 02

Visual Perception & Gestalt Principles

Assignment
  • Psychology of visual perception
  • Figure-ground relationships
  • Symmetry vs asymmetry in layouts and logos
  • 3 posters depicting different communication principles (Illustrator)
  • Gestalt laws: proximity, similarity, continuity, closure
  • Visual weight: size, colour, contrast, texture
  • Applying Gestalt to information hierarchy
Weeks 03 – 04

Colour Theory & Composition

Assignment
  • Colour models: RGB, CMYK, HSL
  • Colour psychology and emotional response
  • Accessible colour: WCAG contrast basics
  • White space as intentional design element
  • Colour harmonies: complementary, analogous, triadic
  • Cultural colour meanings, India and globally
  • Rule of thirds, golden ratio, visual triangles
  • Digital poster / website banner / social media post
Term 1 · Month 02Weeks 05 – 08

Typography, Grids
& Layout

Master the two foundational tools of all graphic design. Type and grid aren’t constraints, they’re the architecture of communication.

Week 05

Typography Fundamentals

Assignment
  • Type anatomy: baseline, x-height, ascender, descender, bowl
  • Historical context: Garamond, Helvetica, Futura, Gill Sans
  • Type scale systems: Major Third, Perfect Fourth, Golden Ratio
  • Variable fonts and responsive digital design
  • Typeface classification: serif, sans-serif, script, display, mono
  • Font pairing logic: contrast, superfamily, mood alignment
  • Micro-typography: kerning, tracking, leading
  • Type as brand personality
Week 06

Typography as Hierarchy & Editorial Systems

Assignment
  • Macro-typography: column width, line length, paragraph spacing
  • Long-form reading design: books, reports, magazines
  • Typography specimen poster celebrating one typeface
  • Hierarchy without colour, size, weight, spacing
  • Display vs text fonts and creating hierarchy
  • Event poster using type only (Photoshop / Illustrator)
Weeks 07 – 08

Grid Systems & Layout Design

Project
  • Swiss grid origins: Josef Müller-Brockmann
  • Grid construction in InDesign: margins, columns, gutters
  • Balance and rhythm in layouts
  • 4-page magazine editorial layout (InDesign)
  • Types: manuscript, column, modular, hierarchical, baseline
  • Breaking the grid intentionally for expressive effect
  • Grid systems in digital products: 8pt and 12-column
Term 1 · Month 03Weeks 09 – 12

Brand Identity &
Data Visualisation

Shift from one-off design to systems thinking at scale. Build complete brand identities and learn to make data tell stories visually.

Week 09

Brand Strategy & Identity Fundamentals

Assignment
  • Brand vs logo vs identity: the full ecosystem
  • Brand positioning and competitive differentiation
  • Indian brand case studies: Tata, Amul, Fabindia, Meesho
  • Brand strategy board for a fictional brand
  • Brand strategy: purpose, vision, mission, values, personality
  • Brand architecture: monolithic, endorsed, freestanding
  • Global case studies: Apple, Nike, Airbnb, Spotify
Weeks 10 – 11

Logo Design & Visual Identity Systems

Project
  • Logo types: wordmark, lettermark, symbol, combination, emblem
  • Logo geometry: golden ratio, grid-based construction
  • Brand colour systems: primary, secondary, tertiary palettes
  • Full visual identity system: logo + colour + type + guidelines (Illustrator)
  • Logo design process: brief, research, sketch, refine, system
  • Versatility testing: black, white, 16px, merchandise, animation
  • Typography, pattern, iconography and photography style
Week 12

Data Visualisation & Infographic Design

Assignment
  • Principles of data visualisation: Tufte’s data-ink ratio
  • Visual encoding: position, length, angle, area, colour, shape
  • Dashboard layouts and dynamic infographics
  • Redesign a bad infographic + social-issue data visualisation poster (Figma)
  • Chart selection: bar, line, scatter, pie, heat map, treemap
  • Storytelling with data for general audiences
  • AI tools: Flourish, Datawrapper, Adobe Express
Term 2 · Month 04Weeks 13 – 16

Illustration, Packaging
& Advertising

Expand creative range and conceptual depth. From character design to 360° campaigns, move from screen to shelf to street.

Weeks 13 – 14

Illustration Fundamentals & Styles

Assignment
  • Illustration styles: flat, isometric, line art, textured, editorial
  • Character design: proportion, expression, personality, consistency
  • Storyboarding: visual narrative for motion and advertising
  • AI-assisted illustration: Midjourney, Firefly, Generative Fill
  • Vector illustration: pen tool, shape builder, pathfinder, gradients
  • Conceptual illustration: abstract ideas via visual metaphor
  • Illustration system design for brands
  • Illustrated character/scene + illustrations in 3 different styles
Week 15

Packaging Design

Project
  • Packaging design thinking: product, shelf, hands, home
  • Dieline design: bleeds, folds, and print specifications
  • Retail psychology: colour, shape, typography on shelf
  • Complete packaging design: dieline + 3D mockup + 2 variations (Illustrator)
  • Structural considerations: primary, secondary, tertiary packaging
  • Surface graphics: hero image, product name, info hierarchy
  • Sustainable packaging design and recyclability
Week 16

Advertising Campaigns

Project
  • The Big Idea in advertising: finding and testing it
  • Visual-copy relationship: how headline and image interact
  • Outdoor advertising: billboard constraints, 3-second rule
  • 360° campaign: big idea + slogan + 3 to 5 deliverables (print + digital + outdoor)
  • Campaign structure: hero concept + support executions
  • Print advertising: poster, magazine, newspaper ad design
  • Social media advertising: platform-specific formats
Term 2 · Month 05Weeks 17 – 20

Type Design, Motion
& AI-Powered Workflows

Prepare for modern, multi-platform design production. Design letterforms, animate brands, and build AI into your creative process.

Weeks 17 – 18

Type Design

Assignment
  • Letterform construction and observing proportions
  • Digitising letterforms from hand-drawn to vector
  • Creating a functional display typeface
  • Introduction to Glyphs / Figma as type editor
  • Kerning and spacing basics
  • Design A to Z hand-drawn letter set, digitise into a functional display typeface
Week 19

Motion Design & Social Media Content

Assignment
  • 12 principles of animation applied to graphic design
  • Typography in motion: kinetic type, animated headlines
  • Short-form motion: Reels, Stories, YouTube Shorts
  • AI video tools: Runway ML, Pika Labs, Adobe Firefly Video
  • After Effects: composition, timeline, keyframes, easing
  • Logo animation: the brand stinger
  • Premiere Pro basics: timeline, cuts, transitions, colour grading
  • Motion poster / brand reel (15 to 30 seconds) with logo animation
Week 20

AI-Powered Design Workflows

Assignment
  • AI tools landscape: Midjourney, DALL·E 3, Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion
  • Adobe Firefly: Generative Fill, Generative Recolor in Illustrator
  • Building an AI-augmented design pipeline
  • AI Brand Concept Sprint: complete brand concept in one 4-hour AI session
  • Prompt engineering for design-quality output
  • AI in InDesign: generative layout suggestions
  • Legal and ethical considerations: commercial rights, client disclosure
Term 2 · Month 06Weeks 21 – 24 · Final Capstone

Print Production, Portfolio
& Capstone

Convert 5 months of skill-building into a professional-grade portfolio. Graduate print-ready, client-ready, and industry-ready.

Week 21

Print Production & Professional Practice

Assignment
  • Print production: DPI vs PPI, CMYK vs RGB, spot vs process colour
  • Digital asset management: file naming, folder structure, version control
  • Freelance practice: pricing, contracts, scope creep
  • Print-ready packaging + brand collateral delivery package
  • Bleeds, safe zones, crop marks and print-ready PDF export
  • Presenting design to clients: framing rationale, managing feedback
  • Studio practice: briefs, timelines, and creative reviews
Weeks 22 – 23

Portfolio Development

Deliverable
  • Portfolio structure and selecting strongest work
  • Curating work for brand, agency, and content studio roles
  • AI-assisted portfolio writing and storytelling
  • 3 complete portfolio case studies + personal portfolio site live
  • Case study writing: problem, process, outcome
  • Personal website setup: Framer, Webflow, or Behance
  • One-on-one feedback from mentors
Week 24

Final Capstone Project

Final Project
  • Full end-to-end design project for a real or simulated client
  • Packaging: dieline + 3D mockup + retail context
  • Motion graphic: logo animation + brand reel
  • Present final capstone + portfolio review to industry panel
  • Brand identity: logo system + colour + typography + guidelines
  • Advertising campaign: print + digital + outdoor
  • AI workflow log: tools used, prompts, editorial decisions
Software & Tools09

The full creative
stack

Vector Design
Adobe
Illustrator
Logos, vector illustration, packaging, type design, brand systems.
Image Editing
Adobe
Photoshop
Image editing, compositing, posters, AI campaigns, mockup presentation.
Editorial Layout
Adobe
InDesign
Editorial design, brand guidelines, multi-page documents, print-ready export.
Motion & Animation
After Effects
Logo animation, kinetic typography, brand reels, animated ads.
Video Editing
Premiere Pro
Timeline, cuts, transitions, colour grading for short-form content.
Digital & UI
Figma
Data visualisation, dashboard layouts, UI intro, portfolio presentation.
AI Image Gen
Midjourney
Mood boards, concept development, campaign imagery, brand sprints.
AI Design
Adobe Firefly
Generative Fill, Generative Recolor, AI layout suggestions in InDesign.
AI Image Gen
DALL·E 3 & Stable Diffusion
Prompt-driven concept imagery and design direction exploration.
AI Video
Runway ML
AI-generated video, motion graphics, visual effects for brand reels.
Type Design
Glyphs
Typeface creation, letterform digitisation, kerning and font export.
Data Visualisation
Flourish & Datawrapper
Interactive charts, dynamic infographics, narrative data storytelling.
Portfolio Deliverables at Graduation10
P1

Visual Studies, Typography & Editorial Layout

Gestalt posters, colour compositions, typographic specimens, and a 4-page magazine editorial layout. Demonstrates foundational visual craft and layout thinking across multiple formats and media.

P2

Brand Identity System

Logo, brand guidelines, colour and type system, mockups, and motion, a complete visual identity for a real or fictional brand. Proves you can think in systems, not just make a logo.

P3

Packaging Design + 360° Advertising Campaign

Dieline to 3D mockup, plus a full advertising campaign spanning print, digital, and outdoor. Shows range across commercial and retail design disciplines with real-world production skills.

P4

Final Capstone, Full Brand System with Motion & AI

An end-to-end brand project: identity system, packaging, advertising, motion graphic, and an AI workflow log. Presented to an external industry critique panel and portfolio-ready at graduation.

Visual & Brand Design

  • Complete brand identity systems
  • Professional print and editorial work
  • Typographic systems for any medium
  • Packaging from dieline to 3D mockup
  • Multi-platform advertising campaigns

Production & Technology

  • AI-augmented graphic design work
  • Print-ready files to professional standards
  • Motion graphics and logo animations
  • Full Adobe Creative Suite
  • Digital asset management

Career Readiness

  • 4+ curated industry-grade projects
  • Client presentation and feedback skills
  • Freelance pricing, contracts and management
  • Personal portfolio website live
  • Placement guidance and mentor network
Career Outcomes11

We build craft.
Craft creates opportunity.

Salary ranges below are indicative, based on industry data at time of publication. Graduate outcomes vary with experience, geography, and role.

Graphic Designer
₹4 – 10 LPA
Brand Designer
₹6 – 12 LPA
Visual / Creative Designer
₹5 – 14 LPA
Motion Designer
₹6 – 15 LPA
Freelance / Founding Designer
Variable