Curriculum Development on Graphic Design | in collaboration with Re:Coded

A Graphic Design for Beginners Program to improve the digital skills of  women in Qaraqosh, a town near Mosul in Iraq that is being rebuilt after suffering for years under the brutal reign of ISIS which forced tens of thousands of innocent people to leave their homes. 

The program is designed to help women to improve the social media presence of their local businesses by learning basic design programs. I developed and designed the course plan, the content, class materials, slide presentations along with in–class activities with the aim of  helping build creative confidence for people with no background in design. 

The content was then translated into Arabic. Re:Coded's trainees taught the class between October – December 2019 in Qaraqosh. 

Contributions Curriculum Development, Consulting, Content Design, Research & Planning

Sector Education, Psychology, Development, Graphic Design


Course Description:

Graphics are all around us: on our screens, our surrounding environments, at work and in our homes. Each visual imagery is designed with a goal to transmit a certain message. This course will explore the process behind what designers do and understand, while providing knowledge on what constitutes good design. Why do certain posters grab our attention? Why do we find certain logos appealing? What do colors make us feel? The course will provide the skillset to make the trainees think like designers and provide them with the necessary tools to apply their knowledge into practical activities. The topics will include general themes such as shape, color, visual hierarchy, word-image relationships. The trainees will explore and learn about the topics by doing fun and engaging in-class hands-on activities such as designing flyers, social media graphics, invitations...etc. by using available tools. The course aims to build the skills and creative confidence of individuals with no background in design.


 Each class consists of 7 main parts: Highlights & Recap, Slideshow, Discussion, Relevant Video, Digital Activity, Links.  

Activities are designed to fit the learning styles of both extroverts and introverts.

Trainees' Journey

The course is divided into three parts: Introduction + Basic Theory + Project. At the end of the program, the trainees develop their design eye, observation skills and the ability to use basic tools to develop graphics. 

Pop-Up Posters

Pop-up posters were made to set the tone of the course and define the area as a safe space to learn.

Class Presentations 

Throughout the program, a variety of subjects are covered from Design Principles such as Hiearchy, Contrast, Proximity etc to Graphic Elements (Color, Typography, Line...).

The class begins with a basic description of design. It showcases that we're already thinking like designers when we're making decisions while organizing our spice cabinets or picking a seat in a classroom. After we establish what design is, we delve into the study of Graphic Design. 

Towards the end of the program, the trainees are guided through the process of creating a branding project for a local business. 

A creative brief document template for the final branding project 

A glossary on design to help with basic terms

Using Format