High-content screening is a powerful technology platform for implementing functional cell-based assays that allow truly multi-parametric analysis in the physiological context of intact cells, including 3D models. This half-day course provides an introductory level overview of the state-of-the-art components of HCS including the wide variety of imagers, good practice in cell-based assay development and some showcases of high-content screens in industry and academia. An outlook to the second part of this Short Course on image and data analysis will be provided.