Certificate in Social Media Poster Designing

UNIT 1: Fundamentals of Social Media Poster Design

Theory

1. Introduction to social media graphic design
2. Purpose of social media posters
3. Understanding digital audiences
4. Types of social media content
5. Poster design principles
6. Composition and visual balance
7. Visual hierarchy
8. Typography fundamentals
9. Colour theory basics
10. Image selection and composition
11. Branding fundamentals
12. Understanding social media design requirements

Practical

1. Analyze successful social media posters
2. Identify target audiences
3. Create a design mood board
4. Practice visual hierarchy
5. Create basic poster layouts
6. Experiment with typography
7. Create colour combinations
8. Select suitable images
9. Create a simple promotional poster
10. Create a quote/informational poster

UNIT 2: Design Tools, Layout & Creative Elements

Theory

1. Introduction to graphic design software
2. Understanding the design workspace
3. Shapes and design elements
4. Layers and object management
5. Image placement and cropping
6. Background creation
7. Typography and font pairing
8. Alignment and spacing
9. Grids and layout systems
10. Icons and graphic elements
11. Transparency and basic effects
12. Design consistency

Practical

1. Create a new social media design document
2. Set appropriate canvas dimensions
3. Create backgrounds
4. Import and crop images
5. Remove/adjust image backgrounds using available tools
6. Add and format text
7. Create text hierarchy
8. Use shapes and icons
9. Apply transparency
10. Create balanced layouts
11. Create a promotional poster
12. Create a branded social media graphic

UNIT 3: Branding, Typography & Colour for Social Media

Theory

1. Brand identity fundamentals
2. Logo placement
3. Brand colour palettes
4. Typography systems
5. Font pairing
6. Colour psychology
7. Contrast and readability
8. Maintaining brand consistency
9. Designing for different target audiences
10. Promotional design principles
11. Call-to-action design
12. Creating visually recognizable content

Practical

1. Create a brand colour palette
2. Select brand fonts
3. Place logos correctly
4. Create branded templates
5. Design a promotional poster
6. Create an offer/discount poster
7. Create a product/service poster
8. Create an event announcement
9. Create a festival/seasonal poster
10. Create a call-to-action graphic
11. Develop a set of consistent social media designs

UNIT 4: Platform-Specific Poster Design & Content Creation

Theory

1. Social media platform requirements
2. Instagram post and story design
3. Facebook post design
4. YouTube thumbnail fundamentals
5. LinkedIn promotional graphics
6. Vertical, square and landscape formats
7. Mobile-first design
8. Designing for readability on small screens
9. Image quality and resolution
10. Social media content hierarchy
11. Engagement-focused design
12. Basic content planning
13. Trends and creative design approaches

Practical

1. Create a square social media post
2. Create a vertical story design
3. Create a Facebook promotional post
4. Create a LinkedIn professional graphic
5. Create a YouTube thumbnail
6. Resize one design for multiple platforms
7. Create a product promotion
8. Create an educational/informational post
9. Create an event announcement
10. Create a testimonial graphic
11. Create a social media campaign set

UNIT 5: Professional Social Media Campaign & Final Project

Theory

1. Social media campaign planning
2. Understanding a design brief
3. Content themes and visual consistency
4. Campaign branding
5. Creating a content calendar
6. Promotional campaign design
7. Audience-focused communication
8. Call-to-action strategies
9. Basic social media marketing concepts
10. File formats and export settings
11. Digital image optimization
12. Client presentation and feedback
13. Portfolio development
14. Freelancing and career opportunities

Practical

Project 1 – Promotional Campaign

1. Understand the campaign brief
2. Identify target audience
3. Select campaign theme
4. Develop colour palette
5. Select typography
6. Create the main poster
7. Create supporting graphics
8. Add branding and CTA
9. Review and refine designs
10. Export final designs

Project 2 – Product/Service Campaign

1. Select a product or service
2. Collect suitable images
3. Create campaign concept
4. Design promotional poster
5. Design offer/discount poster
6. Create story design
7. Create testimonial graphic
8. Create CTA graphic
9. Maintain visual consistency
10. Prepare campaign presentation

Project 3 – Final Social Media Campaign

Create a complete campaign consisting of:

• 5–10 social media posts
• 2–3 story designs
• 1 promotional poster
• 1 offer/announcement graphic
• 1 YouTube thumbnail
• Consistent branding across all designs

3-Month Course Progression

MONTH 1 – Design Fundamentals

Unit 1: Fundamentals of Social Media Poster Design

Unit 2: Design Tools, Layout & Creative Elements

Students learn:

• Poster design principles
• Composition
• Typography
• Colour
• Images
• Layout
• Design tools
• Layers
• Shapes
• Basic effects

Practical Project: Create 5 different social media poster designs.

MONTH 2 – Branding & Platform Design

Unit 3: Branding, Typography & Colour for Social Media

Unit 4: Platform-Specific Poster Design & Content Creation

Students learn:

• Branding
• Logo placement
• Colour palettes
• Font pairing
• Promotional design
• Instagram designs
• Facebook designs
• LinkedIn graphics
• YouTube thumbnails
• Multi-platform resizing

Practical Project: Create a multi-platform branded social media campaign.

MONTH 3 – Professional Campaign Design

Unit 5: Professional Social Media Campaign & Final Project

Students work on:

• Client briefs
• Campaign planning
• Content calendars
• Promotional graphics
• Product/service campaigns
• Brand consistency
• Export and optimization
• Portfolio presentation

Final Project Workflow

Brief → Research → Target Audience → Concept → Mood Board → Typography → Colour → Layout → Design → Branding → CTA → Review → Resize → Export → Presentation

Final Assessment

Theory Examination

Students will be assessed on:

• Social media design principles
• Typography
• Colour theory
• Composition
• Branding
• Platform formats
• Image selection
• Content planning
• Export formats

Practical Examination

Students should demonstrate:

1. Create a social media design canvas
2. Select suitable images
3. Create visual hierarchy
4. Apply typography
5. Choose appropriate colours
6. Add branding
7. Create a clear CTA
8. Design for mobile viewing
9. Resize for multiple platforms
10. Export high-quality final artwork

Final Project

Create a complete branded social media campaign for a fictional or real business, including:

• 5–10 social media posts
• Instagram Story designs
• Promotional poster
• Offer/discount graphic
• Product/service advertisement
• Educational/informational post
• Testimonial graphic
• YouTube thumbnail
• Consistent logo, colours and typography

Student Portfolio

The final portfolio can include:

• Promotional posters
• Brand templates
• Product advertisements
• Event posters
• Festival/seasonal designs
• Social media posts
• Instagram Stories
• YouTube thumbnails
• Complete campaign project