Apply for Graphic Design Diploma

FORE School of Design · 2026–27 edition

Graphic Design Diploma

A 6-month industry-ready program that builds visual craft, brand intelligence, and creative communication skills — from foundational design theory to AI-powered production workflows. Graduate with a professional portfolio and the skills to work in brand, agency, publishing, and digital content roles.

Duration

6 months

Format

Offline

Live sessions

220+ hours

Projects

4+ portfolio pieces

Support

Placement guidance

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

Every month produces a portfolio deliverable. By graduation, students have 4+ industry-grade projects spanning the full breadth of graphic design practice.

Curriculum

Six months. One complete practice.

Foundations & Core Skills

3 months · 130+ hours

Month 01

Foundations of Visual Communication

Train the eye and the mind before touching software

WK 01

History of Communication Design

Evolution of visual communication
Printing revolution, Bauhaus, Swiss Style
Indian design traditions: folk art, poster, architecture
Design movements and their cultural context
Semiotics: signs, symbols, icons and indexes
Design ethics: representation and appropriation

Assignment

Timeline poster of communication history (InDesign)

WK 02

Visual Perception & Gestalt Principles

Psychology of visual perception
Gestalt laws: proximity, similarity, continuity, closure
Figure-ground relationships
Visual weight: size, colour, contrast, texture
Symmetry vs asymmetry in layouts and logos
Applying Gestalt to information hierarchy

Assignment

3 posters depicting different communication principles (Illustrator)

WK 03–04

Colour Theory & Composition

Colour models: RGB, CMYK, HSL
Colour harmonies: complementary, analogous, triadic
Colour psychology and emotional response
Cultural colour meanings — India and globally
Accessible colour: WCAG contrast basics
Rule of thirds, golden ratio, visual triangles
White space as intentional design element

Assignment

Digital poster / website banner / social media post

Month 02

Typography, Grids & Layout

Master the two foundational tools of all graphic design

WK 05

Typography Fundamentals

Type anatomy: baseline, x-height, ascender, descender, bowl
Typeface classification: serif, sans-serif, script, display, mono
Historical context: Garamond, Helvetica, Futura, Gill Sans
Font pairing logic: contrast, superfamily, mood alignment
Variable fonts and responsive digital design
Type as brand personality

Assignment

Typography specimen poster celebrating one typeface

WK 06

Typography as Hierarchy & Editorial Systems

Type scale systems: Major Third, Perfect Fourth, Golden Ratio
Micro-typography: kerning, tracking, leading
Macro-typography: column width, line length, paragraph spacing
Hierarchy without colour — size, weight, spacing
Long-form reading design: books, reports, magazines
Display vs text fonts and creating hierarchy

Assignment

Event poster using type only (Photoshop / Illustrator)

WK 07–08

Grid Systems & Layout Design

Swiss grid origins: Josef Müller-Brockmann
Types: manuscript, column, modular, hierarchical, baseline
Grid construction in InDesign: margins, columns, gutters
Breaking the grid intentionally for expressive effect
Grid systems in digital products: 8pt and 12-column
Balance and rhythm in layouts

Assignment

4-page magazine editorial layout (InDesign)

Month 03

Brand Identity & Data Visualisation

Shift from one-off design to systems thinking at scale

WK 09

Brand Strategy & Identity Fundamentals

Brand vs logo vs identity: the full ecosystem
Brand strategy: purpose, vision, mission, values, personality
Brand positioning and competitive differentiation
Brand architecture: monolithic, endorsed, freestanding
Indian brand case studies: Tata, Amul, Fabindia, Meesho
Global case studies: Apple, Nike, Airbnb, Spotify

Assignment

Brand strategy board for a fictional brand

WK 10–11

Logo Design & Visual Identity Systems

Logo types: wordmark, lettermark, symbol, combination, emblem
Logo design process: brief → research → sketch → refine → system
Logo geometry: golden ratio, grid-based construction
Versatility testing: black, white, 16px, merchandise, animation
Brand colour systems: primary, secondary, tertiary palettes
Typography, pattern, iconography and photography style
Brand guidelines document structure

Project

Full visual identity system: logo + colour + type + guidelines (Illustrator)

WK 12

Data Visualisation & Infographic Design

Principles of data visualisation: Tufte's data-ink ratio
Chart selection: bar, line, scatter, pie, heat map, treemap
Visual encoding: position, length, angle, area, colour, shape
Storytelling with data for general audiences
Dashboard layouts and dynamic infographics
AI tools: Flourish, Datawrapper, Adobe Express

Assignment

Redesign a bad infographic + social-issue data visualisation poster (Figma)

Application & Industry

3 months · 90+ hours

Month 04

Illustration, Packaging & Advertising

Expand creative range and conceptual depth

WK 13–14

Illustration Fundamentals & Styles

Illustration styles: flat, isometric, line art, textured, editorial
Vector illustration: pen tool, shape builder, pathfinder, gradients
Character design: proportion, expression, personality, consistency
Conceptual illustration: abstract ideas via visual metaphor
Storyboarding: visual narrative for motion and advertising
Illustration system design for brands
AI-assisted illustration: Midjourney, Firefly, Generative Fill

Assignment

Illustrated character or scene + illustrations in 3 different styles

WK 15

Packaging Design

Packaging design thinking: product, shelf, hands, home
Structural considerations: primary, secondary, tertiary packaging
Dieline design: bleeds, folds, and print specifications
Surface graphics: hero image, product name, info hierarchy
Retail psychology: colour, shape, typography on shelf
Sustainable packaging design and recyclability
FMCG packaging and visual hierarchy for shelf impact

Project

Complete packaging design: dieline + 3D mockup + 2 variations (Illustrator)

WK 16

Advertising Campaigns

The Big Idea in advertising: finding and testing it
Campaign structure: hero concept + support executions
Visual-copy relationship: how headline and image interact
Print advertising: poster, magazine, newspaper ad design
Outdoor advertising: billboard constraints, 3-second rule
Social media advertising: platform-specific formats
Consumer behaviour and brand storytelling

Project

360° campaign: big idea + slogan + 3–5 deliverables (print + digital + outdoor)

Month 05

Type Design, Motion & AI-Powered Workflows

Prepare for modern, multi-platform design production

WK 17–18

Type Design

Letterform construction and observing proportions
Introduction to Glyphs / Figma as type editor
Digitising letterforms from hand-drawn to vector
Kerning and spacing basics
Creating a functional display typeface

Assignment

Design A–Z hand-drawn letter set → digitise into a functional display typeface

WK 19

Motion Design & Social Media Content

12 principles of animation applied to graphic design
After Effects: composition, timeline, keyframes, easing
Typography in motion: kinetic type, animated headlines
Logo animation: the brand stinger
Short-form motion: Reels, Stories, YouTube Shorts
Premiere Pro basics: timeline, cuts, transitions, colour grading
AI video tools: Runway ML, Pika Labs, Adobe Firefly Video

Assignment

Motion poster / brand reel (15–30 seconds) with logo animation

WK 20

AI-Powered Design Workflows

AI tools landscape: Midjourney, DALL·E 3, Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion
Prompt engineering for design-quality output
Adobe Firefly: Generative Fill in Photoshop, Generative Recolor in Illustrator
AI in InDesign: generative layout suggestions
Building an AI-augmented design pipeline
Legal and ethical considerations: commercial rights, client disclosure

Assignment

AI Brand Concept Sprint: complete brand concept in one 4-hour session using AI tools

Month 06

Print Production, Portfolio & Capstone

Convert 5 months of skill-building into a professional-grade portfolio

WK 21

Print Production & Professional Practice

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

Assignment

Print-ready packaging + brand collateral delivery package

WK 22–23

Portfolio Development

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

Deliverable

3 complete portfolio case studies + personal portfolio site live

WK 24

Final Capstone Project

Full end-to-end design project for a real or simulated client
Brand identity: logo system + colour + typography + guidelines
Packaging: dieline + 3D mockup + retail context
Advertising campaign: print + digital + outdoor
Motion graphic: logo animation + brand reel
External industry critique panel presentation
AI workflow log: tools used, prompts, editorial decisions

Final project

Present final capstone + portfolio review to industry panel

Software integration across 6 months

Adobe InDesign

Editorial design, brand guidelines, multi-page documents, print-ready export

Adobe After Effects

Logo animation, kinetic typography, brand reels, animated ads

Figma

Data visualisation, dashboard layouts, UI intro, portfolio presentation

Midjourney / Firefly / DALL·E 3

AI-assisted mood boards, concept development, campaign imagery, brand sprints

Portfolio projects — 4 deliverables at graduation

Visual Studies, Typography & Editorial Layout Portfolio

Brand Identity System

Logo, Guidelines, Mockups & Motion

Packaging Design + 360° Advertising Campaign

Final Capstone

Full Brand System with Motion & AI Workflow

What you'll be able to do

Visual & Brand Design

Design complete brand identity systems
Create professional print and editorial work
Build typographic systems for any medium
Design packaging from dieline to 3D mockup
Execute multi-platform advertising campaigns

Production & Technology

Produce AI-augmented graphic design work
Deliver print-ready files to professional standards
Create motion graphics and logo animations
Manage digital assets professionally
Operate the full Adobe Creative Suite

Career Readiness

Portfolio of 4+ curated industry-grade projects
Present work to clients and critique panels
Freelance pricing, contracts and client management
Personal portfolio website live at graduation
Placement guidance and mentor network

Career outcomes

Graphic Designer

Brand, agency, and content studio roles

₹4–10 LPA

Brand Designer

Identity and visual systems for companies and startups

₹6–12 LPA

Visual / Creative Designer

In-house design roles at product and media companies

₹5–14 LPA

Motion Designer

Advertising, social media content, and brand animation

₹6–15 LPA

Freelance / Founding Designer

Independent practice or early-stage startup design

Variable

Salary ranges are indicative and based on industry data at time of publication. We do not promise jobs. We build capability, which creates opportunity. The course curriculum is indicative and subject to change at the discretion of the academy.

Admissions

Apply for Graphic Design Diploma.

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