Graphic Design Digital and Career Skills Syllabus

Digital and Career Skills syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Digital and Career Skills in Graphic Design, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Design for Digital Media

   3 topics

   • Social Media Graphics
   • Web and UI Design Basics
   • Motion Graphics Introduction
2. 2

   Image Sourcing and Rights

   3 topics

   • Stock Photography and Licensing
   • Copyright and Fair Use
   • Creative Commons
3. 3

   Portfolio Development

   3 topics

   • Selecting and Curating Work
   • Case Studies and Presentation
   • Online Portfolio Platforms
4. 4

   Working as a Designer

   4 topics

   • Client Communication and Briefs
   • Freelancing and Pricing
   • Design Critique and Feedback
   • Collaboration and File Handoff
5. 5

   Design History and Movements

   3 topics

   • Bauhaus and Modernism
   • Swiss International Style
   • Postmodern and Contemporary Design

Digital and Career Skills flashcards for Graphic Design

21 of 50 cards from the Digital and Career Skills deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the standard pixel dimensions and aspect ratio for a square Instagram feed post?

   $1080 \times 1080$ pixels, with a $1:1$ aspect ratio.

2. What are the standard dimensions and aspect ratio for vertical story-format graphics (Instagram Stories, Reels, TikTok), and what is a 'safe zone'?

   $1080 \times 1920$ pixels at a $9:16$ aspect ratio. The safe zone is the central area kept free of critical text and logos so platform UI elements (profile icons, captions, buttons) near the edges do not cover them.

3. Which color mode and resolution unit should be used for social media and other screen graphics, and why not CMYK?

   RGB color mode, measured in pixels, because screens emit red, green and blue light. CMYK is a subtractive ink model for print; designing social graphics in CMYK causes color shifts and a narrower gamut on screen.

4. What is the difference between UI design and UX design?

   UI (user interface) design concerns the visual and interactive surface — layout, typography, color, buttons, icons. UX (user experience) design concerns the overall experience — user research, information architecture, flows, and usability. UI is one part of the broader UX process.

5. What is responsive web design?

   An approach where a layout automatically adapts to different screen sizes and devices using flexible grids, flexible images, and CSS media queries, so one site works on mobile, tablet, and desktop.

6. Distinguish a wireframe, a mockup, and a prototype in the UI design process.

   Wireframe: low-fidelity structural sketch showing layout and content placement without visual styling. Mockup: high-fidelity static design with real colors, type, and imagery. Prototype: an interactive, clickable simulation of the product used to test flows before development.

7. What minimum color-contrast ratios does WCAG AA require for text on a background?

   At least $4.5:1$ for normal-size text and at least $3:1$ for large text (roughly 18 pt regular or 14 pt bold and above).

8. What are motion graphics, and how do they differ from character animation?

   Motion graphics are animated graphic design — moving typography, shapes, logos, and illustrations used to communicate ideas (e.g., title sequences, explainer videos, animated logos). Unlike character animation, they focus on graphic elements and information rather than storytelling through characters.

9. In motion graphics software, what is a keyframe?

   A marker that records a property's value (position, scale, rotation, opacity) at a specific point in time. The software interpolates the values between two keyframes ('tweening') to create movement.

10. Name the common video frame rates and explain what easing does in animation.

    Common frame rates: $24$ fps (film look), $30$ fps (standard video/broadcast), $60$ fps (smooth motion, screen recordings, games). Easing (ease-in/ease-out) varies the speed of a movement — accelerating and decelerating instead of moving linearly — so motion feels natural.

11. What is a storyboard and why is it made before producing a motion graphics piece?

    A sequence of drawn frames showing key moments, composition, motion, and timing of a video. It lets the designer and client plan and approve the narrative and visuals cheaply before time-consuming animation begins.

12. Compare royalty-free and rights-managed stock image licenses.

    Royalty-free: pay once, then use the image many times, in many projects, without paying per use (but non-exclusive, with some limits like resale or print-run caps). Rights-managed: license priced and restricted per specific use (medium, duration, region, print run), often with possible exclusivity.

13. What is a model release, and when is one needed?

    A signed document in which a recognizable person in a photo grants permission for their likeness to be used commercially. It is required for commercial/advertising use of images of identifiable people (a property release serves the same role for private property).

14. What does an 'editorial use only' restriction on a stock photo mean?

    The image may only be used to illustrate newsworthy or informative content (news, blogs, commentary) — not in advertising, marketing, or other commercial promotion — usually because it lacks model/property releases or shows trademarks.

15. When does copyright protection begin for a design or artwork?

    Automatically, the moment an original work is fixed in a tangible medium (saved, drawn, photographed). No registration or © notice is required, although registration strengthens enforcement (e.g., enabling statutory damages in the US).

16. List the four factors courts weigh when deciding whether a use of a copyrighted work is fair use.

    1) Purpose and character of the use (commercial vs. educational; transformative or not); 2) Nature of the copyrighted work; 3) Amount and substantiality of the portion used; 4) Effect of the use on the market or value of the original.

17. How long does copyright last in the United States for individual works and for works made for hire?

    Individual authors: life of the author plus $70$ years. Works made for hire (and anonymous/pseudonymous works): $95$ years from publication or $120$ years from creation, whichever is shorter.

18. What is a 'work made for hire,' and who owns the copyright in one?

    A work created by an employee within the scope of employment, or certain specially commissioned works under a signed written agreement. The employer or commissioning client — not the designer — is legally the author and copyright owner.

19. Name the four Creative Commons license elements and what each requires or forbids.

    BY (Attribution): credit the creator. SA (ShareAlike): derivatives must carry the same license. NC (NonCommercial): no commercial use. ND (NoDerivatives): the work may be shared but not modified or adapted.

20. What does a CC0 designation mean for a creative work?

    The creator waives all copyright and dedicates the work to the public domain: anyone may copy, modify, and use it for any purpose, including commercially, without permission or attribution.

21. Which Creative Commons license is the most permissive (besides CC0) and which is the most restrictive?

    Most permissive: CC BY — any use, including commercial and derivatives, as long as the creator is credited. Most restrictive: CC BY-NC-ND — sharing only, with attribution, no commercial use, and no modifications.

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