Whether your new to graphic design, or are looking to sharpen your skills, we recommend picking up typography. Why?

First and foremost, design is communication. And one of the things that helps design clearly share specific messages is typography. Think of typography as the language of design; it’s really the cornerstone of graphic design as a whole.

Of course, there’s much more to typography than choosing a nice-looking font. You have to understand how it works, its function, and how to choose the appropriate typeface to communicate your message.

Both typography and graphic design share the same basic principles. It’s absolutely essential that any designer, regardless of experience level, learns the fundamentals of typography.

Design's functionality depends on the form, and the form needs to be functional. And an understanding of the fundamentals is what separates your design work from the crowd. They are:

1. Contrast
2. Scale
3. Repetition
4. Balance
5. Hierarchy
   

In this livestream, Chris critiques graphic designers’ work and teaches them how to improve their layout and typography.

As you watch this critique, you’ll see the fundamentals come into play, as well as how they significantly impact each layout as a whole.

Want to get started with type? We’ve put together a free typography manual to help you get a jumpstart to mastering type—just click here to download it. And be sure to check out our most popular design course, Typography 01, below.