Start a conversation ↗

Description

Visual Literacy: Analysing Images, Placing Styles and Defending Design Choices

Two days to move beyond "I like it" or "I don't" and defend a design direction in front of a review committee

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Intermediate
  • Up to 6 participants

The layout is presented to the committee. The feedback focuses on the colour of the banner and on a typeface deemed too sombre. The discussion drifts towards personal taste and the designer concedes on points that held the whole piece together. Without a shared vocabulary, the project gradually loses its design line.

These 14 hours build visual literacy and the ability to talk about it. Participants learn to break down an image, place a proposal within the major graphic and typographic movements, then connect an intention to specific formal choices. The programme closes with the preparation and delivery of a reasoned argument in front of a client or sponsor.

Learning objectives

  • Break down an image in terms of composition, colour and rhythm
  • Place a design proposal within the major visual movements
  • Characterise a typographic family and its effect on readability
  • Connect a communication intention to explicit formal choices
  • Defend a design direction in front of a client or sponsor

What makes this programme different

A shared vocabulary built from images brought in by participants
Real proposals examined through a common analysis framework
An argumentation exercise run against objections prepared in advance

Programme

1Reading an Image

Breaking down what we see

  • Composition, framing and lines of force
  • Relationship between form and content
  • Rhythm, repetition and contrast
  • An analysis framework applicable to any visual

2Colour and Material

What colour conveys

  • Colour families and the associations they trigger
  • Contrast, values and legibility
  • Colour and perception across cultural contexts
  • Materials, textures and rendering according to the medium

3Typography and Graphic Movements

Placing a proposal

  • Typographic families and the character they give a text
  • Key reference points on the major graphic movements
  • Influence of past movements on current output
  • Relationships between image and text within a piece

4Intention and Argumentation

Defending a design direction

  • Translating a communication objective into a visual direction
  • References that can be used to support a proposal
  • Formulating constructive feedback on a piece of work
  • Leading a presentation in the face of objections

Who is it for

Graphic designers, communication officers, junior art directors and decision-makers required to approve design proposals.

Prerequisites

Practical experience in creating or approving visual materials is required.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.