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Content Creation · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Social Media Graphics

Design for social media is a race against the scroll. This course focuses on creating high-impact visuals specifically for mobile platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Students will learn the technical constraints of each platform, the psychology of the “Thumbnail,” and how to design carousels and stories that stop the user in their tracks and drive engagement.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master the aspect ratios and safe zones for all major social platforms
  2. Design engaging "Carousels" that encourage swiping and saving
  3. Create "Click-worthy" thumbnails using contrast, emotion, and typography
  4. Develop scalable templates for consistent personal or corporate branding
  5. Integrate motion graphics (GIFs/Stickers) to enliven static posts
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Attention Economy: Designing for Speed
  2. 02Platform Specs: 9:16, 4:5, and 1:1
  3. 03Visual Hierarchy on Small Screens
  4. 04Typography for Mobile: Readability & Impact
  5. 05The Carousel: Narrative Flow & Pacing
  6. 06Instagram Stories: Interactive Stickers & Layouts
  7. 07Repurposing Content: From Video to Graphic
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09YouTube: The Science of Thumbnails
  10. 10LinkedIn: Professional & Data-Driven Design
  11. 11Twitter/X: Information Density & Infographics
  12. 12Motion Graphics: Stickers & GIFs
  13. 13Branding: Creating a Visual Identity System
  14. 14Accessibility: Alt Text & Color Contrast
  15. 15Tools: Canvas vs. Photoshop vs. Figma
  16. 16Final Project: The 30-Day Content Grid

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The 30-Day Content Grid

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
  2. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
  3. Designing for Social Media (Smashing Magazine)
  4. The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams
  5. Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
More in Content Creation
Audience Engagement and Experience DesignContent is king, but engagement is the queen. This course merges User Experience (UX) design with community psychology.
Changing Political Attitude through Social MediaThis course intersects political science, psychology, and media studies. It examines how social media platforms engineer public opinion, mobilize activism, and deepen polarization.
Content Moderation and SafetyThis course addresses the "essential workers" of the internet: content moderators. It examines the policies, tools, and human labor required to keep digital platforms safe.
Content Monetization and Revenue Streams"Views are vanity; revenue is sanity." This course explores the complex economics of the modern media landscape.
Crafting Social Media Contagious ContentWhy do some ideas spread like wildfire while others die? This course explores the science of virality. Drawing on behavioral psychology and network theory, students will deconstruct the anatomy of "Contagious" content.
Cross-Platform Content Repurposing"Create Once, Publish Everywhere" (COPE). This efficiency-focused course teaches the workflow of taking a single piece of "Pillar Content" (like a podcast or long-form video) and fracturing it into dozens of micro-assets for TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.