The students become acquainted with the theoretical foundations of media design. This includes knowledge about creativity techniques, design rules and gestalt principles, systems of organisation, micro- and macro typography, colour theory, logos/pictograms/icons as well as grid systems for layouts. Additionally, they gain insights into analog and digital photography and the conception and design of digital media content exemplified through web applications. The students explore the history of design, starting at the dawn of industrialisation and including the seminal design movements of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as contemporary trends in design. This overview enables students to categorise and evaluate different design styles, allowing an integration of the acquired knowledge into their own design processes.  

• M. Jäger: "Grafik und Gestaltung: Mediengestaltung von A bis Z verständlich erklärt", Rheinwerk Verlag, 2014, ISBN 978-3-8362-2513-7
• S. M. Weinschenk: "100 Dinge, die jeder Designer über Menschen wissen muss", Addison-Wesley Verlag, 2011, ISBN 978-3827330994
• M. Pricken: "Kribbeln im Kopf", Schmidt Hermann Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3874397971
• T. Rempen, Uwe Stoklossa: "Blicktricks", Schmidt Hermann Verlag, 2005, ISBN 978-3874396813
• C. Berents: "Kleine Geschichte des Design: Von Gottfried Semper bis Philippe Starck", C.H. Beck, 2011, ISBN 978-3406622410