Friends of Design: Become a design trendsetter

The field of design opens a whole world of possibility. With the right training, you will be able to hone your skills and become an industry leader. Whether you’re looking to head-start a new and exciting career in the field of digital design, or simply looking to update your software skills, Friends of Design offers a variety of specialised part-time digital design courses, tailor-made with the part-time student in mind.

From the latest Adobe Desktop Publishing Suite to cutting-edge HTML5/CSS3 & Responsive Design, Friends of Design boasts a Certified Adobe & Apple Training Centre which offers state-of-the-art technologies alongside expert instruction and comprehensive course notes – packaged to deliver a competitive punch.

Desktop Publishing This 12-week course will show you how to create printed visual communication that is stunning as well as professional. Create stunning visual effects using a combination of Adobe® Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator’s powerful tools. Learn concepts and techniques to create professional posters, brochures, flyers, packaging and more. Build foundational skills that allow you to explore graphic creation for fields such as fashion design and interior design too. You can also choose to do the modules separately.

Web Publishing

  Learn to build compelling, functional and beautiful websites. The web evening courses offers a comprehensive practical lesson plan aimed at cultivating all the necessary skills needed from concept to a fully functional user experience. Learn how to plan and design usable web page interfaces using the hottest trends in User Experience (UX) Design as it extends over multiple devices, and code them using the latest technologies and techniques for the mobile and user-centred world of today. Please note that all courses may be taken separately provided that each recommended skills requirement is met.

Concept Art

Concept art can be defined as a form of illustration that is used to convey an idea before it is put into final production, although the skills learned can be used to produce finished art as well as high end illustration and digital painting. It has application in film, game design, industrial design and other creative industries and can be used for anything from designing objects to developing characters, vehicles, scenes and environments. Techniques covered in this course are conceptualising, sketching, building visual libraries, working in perspective, constructing basic anatomy and digital painting.

A large portion of the course is devoted to working in Photoshop and mastering digital painting techniques, from the fundamentals such as basic form construction and texturing to more complex ideas like working with colour and light. Students will use graphic tablets to replicate class exercises driven by an experienced instructor in order to build up a solid set of fundamentals for more complex work. Students are then taught different workflows for completing concept art from start to finish including drawing based workflows and working with forms and silhouettes for speed.

This evening class is for the visually inclined. It is for anyone that would like to develop their visual awareness, imagination and upgrade their technical skills to help them visualise and render their ideas. It is for anyone that has marvelled at digital art and now wants to take steps in creating their own. Visit the website at www.friendsofdesign.net or follow them on social media for updates. Facebook: Friends of Design Academy of Digital Arts (@friendsofdesign) Instagram: @friends_of_design Twitter: @friendsofdesign