Interdisciplinary thinking lies at the heart of Culture and Design Management. This course introduces fundamental perspectives, concepts, and methods across culture, design, management, UX, technology, art, branding, and marketing. Through lectures, case discussions, and interdisciplinary projects, students will learn to connect these domains and develop thoughtful strategies for real-world opportunities.
How do Graphic Design elements shape what people notice, understand, and feel?
Why can the same design principle produce different effects across users, media, tasks, and contexts?
How can controlled visual variations help us identify the conditions, limitations, and exceptions of a Graphic Design principle?
Learning Goal
Understand how typography, visual hierarchy, information density, and grid structure shape attention, readability, comprehension, and spatial relationships. Apply each principle to new cases while identifying relevant conditions, limitations, and exceptions.
Lecture Materials
FC Lecture: Graphic Design Elements
Graphic Design principle slides
D:Branch case-exploration guide
Unlocks when Week 3 class ends
Sep. 15, 1:00 PM (KST)
In-class Activity
In-class Lecture:
Introduce four Graphic Design principles through cases:
Typography Shapes Readability and Tone
Visual Hierarchy Directs Attention
Information Density Shapes Comprehension
Grid Structures Spatial Relationships
In-class Activity:
Repeat the following cycle for each principle:
Step
Time
What You Do
What You Complete
1. Quick Check
3 min
Complete a short familiarity survey and record your initial expectation.
Initial response
2. Case Exploration
10 min
Examine given case sets and compare how the design element or relationship changes.
Principle Analysis Form
3. New Case Analysis
7 min
Apply the principle to a new case that was not included in the learning materials.
New Case Analysis
In-class Submission:
Complete the Initial Response, Principle Analysis Form, and New Case Analysis for each principle, followed by the final comparative survey.
Unlocks when Week 3 class ends
Sep. 15, 1:00 PM (KST)
Homework
FCProduct Design ElementsDueSep. 29, before class
Deliverable 1Select one Graphic Design principle introduced in Week 4 and use D:Branch to independently explore a Graphic Design case that you genuinely want to understand.
Begin with a specific personal learning goal, generate an initial branch set, examine useful and unsuccessful results, develop a follow-up question, and conduct at least one additional exploration.
The purpose is not to create the most visually attractive variation. Demonstrate how you used D:Branch to investigate how a Graphic Design principle operates, how its effects may change across users or contexts, and where generated results require further verification.View Deliverable 1 →Due2026.09.29, 11:59PM
Key Takeaways
Graphic Design principles describe relationships between design elements and perceptual or communicative effects; they are not universal rules.
Typography is shaped by more than the choice between serif and sans-serif.
Visual hierarchy organizes the order in which users discover information rather than merely enlarging important content.
Appropriate information density depends on user knowledge, task, content, and context.
Grid systems organize spatial relationships, rhythm, and proportion; intentional deviation from a grid may also serve a purpose.
A design principle should be examined through its mechanism, conditions, limitations, and application to new cases.
AI-generated visual variations require critical review because intended and unintended variables may change together.
Available after class
Unlocks Sep. 22, 1:00 PM (KST), when this class ends.