101-Fundamentals of Design
A course about how visual ideas are built and how we learn to think and observe.
Design isn’t just how things look. It’s how ideas take shape. This course will guide you through the foundational elements of visual design—not as rules to follow, but as tools to think with. Whether you draw, direct, storyboard, or simply want to sharpen your eye, this course offers a starting point for working with intention.
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Introduction to Design
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Beyond Looks
Introduce your lesson with an optional, short summary. You can edit this excerpt in lesson settings.
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Design & Nature
Patterns and intelligence in the natural world.
Spirals, symmetry, growth, and structure.
Learning to observe nature not just as inspiration, but as method. -
Design & Art
Where design meets and departs from artistic practice.
Clarity versus ambiguity.
Design as structure in service of meaning. -
Design is Language
Syntax, rhythm, and grammar in visual composition.
What we can borrow from linguistics to understand design.
Reading, writing, and reworking with form. -
Designin your voice
How identity, taste, and lived experience shape visual decisions.
Moving from imitation to intent.
Voice as the natural result of working with care.
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Who It’s For
This course is for artists at any stage. If you’re just starting, it gives you a foundation to build on. If you’ve been at it for years, it offers a chance to revisit core ideas with new perspective.
What the Course CoverS
You’ll explore how design works in practice—not just what looks good, but what communicates clearly and holds attention. Through simple elements like point, line, plane, and contrast, we’ll study how visual structure gives shape to meaning.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Self-paced, text-based lessons
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No software required
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SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
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Self-paced, text-based lessons • No software required • SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE •
COURSE DESIGNED BY:
Johel Rivera
Art Director & Visual Development
Johel loves collecting musical instruments from around the world and can even play some of them. He often dives into rabbit holes exploring the connections between music and color theory, with the dream of one day painting with chords and creating music with colors.
A Costa Rican artist and educator with over 14 years of experience in animation, concept art, and visual storytelling. He has contributed to numerous high-profile projects, including serving as Art Director for Marvel's What If...? and Marvel Zombies, Background Designer for Netflix's Emmy-winning series Carmen Sandiego and The Last Kids on Earth, and Compositor for My Little Pony: The Movie (2018). Johel’s work also includes environment and prop design for feature films like The Addams Family 2 and contributions to games, advertisements, and visual development for international clients.
In addition to his professional achievements, Johel has pitched original projects to Netflix and showcased his creative vision at festivals worldwide. He is currently working on his passion project, Lizards Have No Friends, a graphic novel about loneliness and solitude. His dedication to the arts also extends to fostering creative communities by organizing local drawing clubs and meetups to inspire collaboration and connection among artists.
Johel has taught at multiple universities across the Americas, sharing his industry knowledge and empowering students to develop their skills, build professional portfolios, and craft meaningful stories. He believes that sharing knowledge generates more knowledge.