graphic design coursework

The 14 best online graphic design courses in 2021

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• Great graphic design involves sharp layouts, images, colors, and typography.
• We rounded up some of the best online graphic design courses on platforms like Coursera and Udemy .
• To learn how we cover Education and Personal Development , you can read about us here .

Graphic design is all around us: Fliers, advertisements, movie posters, and magazine layouts all require plenty of creativity and thoughtfulness to capture the attention of potential customers. 

To produce eye-catching, effective work, clients often rely on graphic designers, who have an eye for images, layouts, and typeface, as well as the ability to strategize and create artwork that is both visually appealing and functional.

Whether you're an entrepreneur who wants to design your own marketing materials, a creative professional interested in expanding your skills, or a graphic design beginner who doesn't know where to start, taking online graphic design courses can provide a variety of useful tools and knowledge to take your work to the next level. 

Below, you can find everything from short online tutorials to in-depth classes, including free options that are perfect for brushing up your skills or testing out a graphic design course before committing to a bigger career change.

The 14 best online graphic design courses in 2021:

Beginner graphic design courses.

• Intermediate graphic design courses

Advanced graphic design courses

Graphic design basics: core principles for visual design.

Available on Skillshare

Length: 35 minutes

Cost: $8 per month or $29.88 per year for a Skillshare subscription

If you're completely new to graphic design or need a refresher, this short class focuses on the core principles of functional design. Taught by graphic designers Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), it provides background on the importance of scale, symmetry, framing hierarchy, grids, and more. 

Graphic Design Fundamentals: Getting Started

Available on CreativeLive

Length: 5 hours and 29 minutes

Cost: $14 for the course; $13 a month for a CreativeLive subscription

Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced graphic designer wanting to enhance your skills, this course shares instructor Timothy Samara's creative process and what happens behind the scenes when combining technique and inspiration. You'll walk away with a better grasp of color theory, typography, composition, and more.

Fundamentals of Graphic Design

Available on Coursera

Length: 15 hours

Cost: Free to audit (no certificate) or with 7-day trial; $49 per month subscription after trial ends

If you learn best through hands-on learning, you'll want to consider this course that focuses on all the core principles of graphic design, with plenty of assignments to practice and incorporate the skills you learn. 

It's part of CalArts' Graphic Design Specialization , a five-course certificate program.

Graphic Design For Real Beginners

Available on Udemy

Length: 5.5 hours

Cost: $89.99 

If you're considering a career in graphic design (or simply want to gain some quick new skills), this course is designed with beginners in mind. The basics are covered, from images and layouts to logo creation and common design issues to avoid.

The Complete Graphic Design Theory for Beginners Course

Length: 8.5 hours

Cost: $149.99 for the course; $29.99 per month for a Udemy subscription

This course combines the core principles of what every graphic designer needs to know, including logo creation, marketing, branding, and the legalities of design. When you complete this intensive course, you'll be ready to apply real-world skills to your business, work, or hobby.  

Intermediate, in-depth graphic design courses

Graphic design masterclass: learn great design.

Length: 18 hours and 20 minutes

For those wanting a more in-depth and hands-on course, this masterclass tackles the fundamentals from color and images to designing a magazine layout. You'll also gain an understanding of how to use some of the most popular programs geared for designers: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Graphic Design Bootcamp: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

Length: 15 hours and 34 minutes

Cost: $129.99 for the course; $29.99 per month for a Udemy subscription

Sooner or later, you'll need to know how to use different Adobe programs if you're serious about graphic design. This course is great for beginners and creative types who want to learn new skills whether it's making a logo, invitation, or website.

David Carson Teaches Graphic Design

Available on MasterClass

Length: 2 hours and 7 minutes

Cost: $15 per month or $180 per year for a MasterClass subscription

Interested in learning from a famous graphic designer? In this MasterClass, David Carson, known for breaking the rules and relying on his intuition in his design, shares his best tips and tricks after breaking down the basics of graphic design. He walks you through the core principles, including typography, photography and layouts before diving into his insider advice on making graphic design your career.

Design Fundamentals: Layout and Composition

Length: 1 hour and 14 minutes

Cost: $8 for the course; $13 a month for a CreativeLive subscription

There are lots of components to practicing beautiful design. If you want to perfect your composition as well as your understanding of what makes or breaks a layout, this class will help.

Color for Designers: Exploration, Theory, & Application

Length: 8 hours and 14 minutes

This course is dedicated to color theory principles, color terminology, and using color to enhance your work. If you're a designer or creative professional interested in expanding your knowledge specifically about using color in design, this is for you. 

Introduction to Imagemaking

This course focuses on learning, experimenting, and playing with images through composition and juxtaposition with assignments focused on creating spreads and ultimately with your own book of images. 

Typography Fundamentals

Length: 6 hours

If you want to better convey text information, then you'll want to learn more about typography. This fundamentals course highlights the importance of aesthetics and designing through a different lens and is geared towards designers, illustrators, and many creative types who want to expand their knowledge and abilities. 

Introduction to Typography

Length: 9 hours

Understanding typefaces is an integral part of graphic design. This class provides historical and cultural context as well as aesthetics for considering all things related to fonts and sizing — but you should have basic knowledge for using Adobe InDesign before signing up since these skills are necessary for completing assignments. 

Ideas from the History of Graphic Design

Length: 10 hours

Understanding the past can provide plenty of inspiration. This course focuses on the history of graphic design and provides perspective on how design evolved throughout the years, from the 1850s through the 1960s.

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Top 10 Graphic Design Courses & Certifications Online in 2024

Do you want to start a career in graphic design or refresh your design skills one of these fantastic graphic design certifications and courses will help you learn new skills or refresh your knowledge..

by Bobby Huffman January 1, 2024, 2:10 pm 40.1k Views

We select and review courses independently. This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a commission, which helps to support our website.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words; in current times when the whole world has shifted towards digital space, we can say that a good graphic design is worth a thousand dollars in any business. Graphic Design plays a big role in modern businesses and our everyday lives in many ways, it is clearly an important form of communication between a business and its audience or consumers. Be it a logo or brochure or website or signage or magazines or business cards or leaflets, all use graphics to draw attention of potential customers. Companies hire the services of graphic designers to design all this and much more. With internet pervading all aspects of our lives, role of graphic designers has increased to include designing online ads, social media posts, sales pages for product releases or email series to up sell services and more.

One obvious way to learn graphic design is to attend a design school and commit to a degree course. But that’s not the only route. If you are passionate about design and have a desire to learn, you can learn on your own by making use of plenty of resources and graphic design tutorials available online. A good foundation in graphic design theory and practical application will help you hit the ground running. You will also need a working knowledge of desktop design software, such as Illustrator, InDesign etc., and image-editing packages such as Photoshop. For an in-depth knowledge of all of these, you can choose self-directed study through a good online graphic design course or certification that will provide you with proper foundation in various areas of graphic design.

Our team of global experts has researched and compiled this list of best graphic design courses, tutorials, training programs and certifications available online. It includes both free and paid resources with a super-flexible timetable, thus allowing you to study additional learning and practice material on your own. There is stuff for every type of learner whether beginner, or intermediate or an expert level.

1. Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts (Coursera)

It comprises of five courses — an introductory Fundamentals of Graphic Design course, a Typography course, an Imagemaking course and a Graphic Design History course — all of which culminate in the final project for the Capstone Course where students get an opportunity to tie together their knowledge and skills learnt into a single project: a brand development guide for a company that they invent. Only learners who have earned a certificate in the four previous courses in the Specialization are eligible to take the Capstone. All the courses contain video lectures, homework assignments, creative prompts and additional materials.

All courses in the program are instructed by known faculty members of the prestigious CalArts. CalArts is famous worldwide and offers more than 70 comprehensive degree programs in the visual, performing, media and literary arts.

For people who have never had a formal design education, this specialization serves as a great starting point for any formal studies in graphics, or further work in interface design, motion graphics, and editorial design.

Key Highlights

• Aimed at beginners entering the graphics design field or students interested in learning more about visual culture, analysis and processes
• Understand the entire design process, from ideation to creation to presentation
• Learn to communicate through image-making and typography
• Complete a capstone project to add to your professional portfolio
• Learn everything you need to know to work in interface design, motion graphics, and editorial design
• Read and view the course content for free
• Assignments and practical exercises at the end of each week to apply topics learnt
• Active community and Peer reviews to provide feedback

Duration : 5-6 months, 4 hours per week Rating : 4.7 Sign up Here

2. Graphic Design Masterclass – Learn Great Design (Udemy)

This course effectively pairs the graphic design basics and theory with real world projects and applications. You will learn typography, color and layout theory, proper type hierarchy and balance to create stunning designs. A variety of topics and projects including photo manipulation, magazine layouts, branding and logo design projects will be covered. Students will also be taught basics of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, which are tools that every graphic designer should use and master.

There are tons of extra valuable content sections in this course. One such section is about most up-to-date design trends, so you can be knowledgeable on what’s hot in the design world right now. Another great newly added section called ‘Finding your Design Niche’ is an exploratory mini-class in which Lindsay reviews some main core design categories and talks about what types of projects each niche entails and also what you will need to learn to leap into those design niches. This will greatly help you to choose your top focal niches. Some of the niches covered by Lindsay are logo design, print & editorial design, pattern design and illustration, package design, branding design, ux/ui design and social media/digital graphic design.

There are tons of useful downloadable resources in this course, including an 11-page guide to using grids, a color theory sheet, anatomy of typography poster, font-pairing guide, and graphic design resource guide with links to free and paid tools, resources and places to find design inspiration.

• Understand and learn the essential tools and capabilities of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign
• Work through the entire package design process
• Understand solid logo design and ad design principles to create compelling campaigns and logos
• Learn the basics of Affinity Designer and learn the difference between Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer
• Work through a 7 page vector tracing worksheet and feel confident creating a complex vector illustration
• Access to over 15 hours of video content with 20 downloadable resources

Duration : 15 hours on-demand video Rating : 4.6 Sign up Here

3. Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers Specialization by University of Colorado Boulder (Coursera)

There are four courses in this specialization:

• The first course focuses on basic elements of design, design principles and overview of software used for design.
• The second course discusses the graphical elements of design, including color theory and various types of images used in both print and digital design projects.
• The third course focuses on the textual elements of graphic design, so students will learn about types, fonts, typography and spacing.
• The fourth course discusses print and digital elements of design, so students will learn to use a design in print medium such as logos, brochures and larger printed projects that also carry over as seamlessly as possible into the digital realm of websites and social media. Branding and user experience is also covered in this course.

All the courses include recorded video lectures, auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forums. This is a beginner friendly specialization and does not require any background experience in graphics and design. Anybody with a zest to learn and explore can take up this program.

• Learn to communicate design principles and strategies clearly, and start doing your own designs
• Appreciate the study of design layout and conceptual elements concerning design projects
• Discover techniques for working and communicating with graphic designers and other creative professionals
• Earn a Specialization Certificate to share with your professional network and potential employers
• Access to lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or mobile app

Duration : 3 months, 3 hours per week Rating : 4.7 Sign up Here

4. Graphic Design Bootcamp (Udemy)

The aim of this course is to quickly equip the learners with right skills and programs to create stunning, high-quality designs. Since the course focuses on project-based learning, students are taught how to make some of the most popular projects in the industry, like custom logos, business cards, brochures, flyers, web graphics and more. It also covers the basics of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. The instructor of this course Derrick Mitchell has based the lessons and projects on his 18 years of experience in the design industry and has strategically crafted the content to teach learners exactly what they should know to become successful graphic designers and use Adobe program software.

Since the software that designers use is constantly updated and changing, one needs to be educated on the new trends and tools. Derrick regularly updates the course material as new software updates are released. All students enrolled for the course will get a lifetime access to these new and updated course lessons.

• Get a clear understanding of how to work with both print and web projects in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign
• Access to Private Facebook group with over 14,000 members, that gives a platform to post projects, get insightful critiques, and network with other like-minded students and working professionals all over the world
• Explore a lot of program shortcuts that help to increase productivity and maximize workflow
• Get lifetime access to over 15 hours of video content with 13 downloadable resources with a shareable certificate upon completion of course
• Ideal for beginners, freelancers, entrepreneurs or anyone looking to gan skills in graphic design

Duration : 15.5 hours on-demand video Rating : 4.6 Sign up Here

5. Become a Graphic Designer (LinkedIn Learning – Lynda)

There are following 11 courses in this learning path with total of over 22 hours of expert-created video tutorials:

• What is Graphic Design? By: Sean Adams Learn what graphic design is and how it is used to convey ideas and concepts, and to enhance experiences. Discover the impact graphic design has on the success of individuals and businesses.
• Graphic Design Careers: First Steps By: Cara St. Hilaire Want to become a graphic designer? Discover the most crucial skills, tools, and techniques for graphic designers today, and where to find training to kick-start your career.
• Introduction to Graphic Design By: Tony Harmer Learn the concepts and software skills that you need to become a graphic designer. This introductory training covers image editing, logo design, and layout in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Graphic Design Foundations: Layout and Composition By: Sean Adams Learn how to create stronger, clearer, more attention-grabbing designs by understanding the how, why, and when of layout and composition.
• Graphic Design Foundations: Typography By: Ina Saltz Explore good typographic practices. Learn how to select and use type to add impact, how type is measured, and how factors like spacing and alignment affect your design.
• Color for Design and Art By: Jim Krause Learn about the practical application of color theory: how to create color palettes, manipulate colors in Adobe tools like Photoshop and Illustrator, and paint for learning and for fun.
• Learning Logo Design By: Von Glitschka Learn to avoid pitfalls, improve your design process, respond to demanding clients, and solve the creative problems that are involved in building a brand’s identity.
• InDesign Quick Start By: David Blatner Learn the five techniques every InDesign user needs to know to start creating and editing layouts. Get up to speed in less than 30 minutes!
• Introducing Illustrator By: Deke McClelland Quickly learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to create digital illustrations with no experience required.
• Introducing Photoshop: Design By: Deke McClelland Quickly learn how to use Photoshop for everyday design tasks—combining text and artwork, replacing backgrounds, and more.
• Aaron Draplin Takes On a Logo Design Challenge By: Aaron Draplin Aaron Draplin, owner of Draplin Design Co., takes our logo design challenge. Watch as he sketches, tests, and tunes his ideas, and provides tips on freelancing and finding inspiration.
• Discover the right set of skills needed to build or advance your career as a graphic designer
• Build a solid foundation in the elements of design: typography, color, and layout
• Explore the design process to visualize compelling ideas
• Learn to use industry-leading tools that every graphic designer should know
• Hands on exercises in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop
• More than 22 Hours of expert-created video tutorials
• Earn shareable certificate to showcase your achievement
• Courses authored and instructed by professionals and leading experts in the industry
• Access all course content for free for 30 days after signing up
• Download course videos on mobile app and watch anytime
• Flexible timelines to undertake the learning at your own pace

Duration : 22 Hours of video content Rating : 4.5 Sign up Here

6. Google UX Design Professional Certificate (Coursera)

This Google UX certification program is organized as a series of seven courses that explore UX principles, UX terms, and industry-standard tools. These courses cover the complete design process from beginning to end, including the following:

• Empathizing with users
• Defining user pain points
• Defining user needs using problem statements
• Coming up with ideas for design solutions
• Creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes
• Gathering feedback about designs and testing them through usability studies
• Iterating on designs based on feedback
• Conducting competitive audits

The program places a lot of emphasis on hands-on learning. Apart from videos, courses include several readings, assessments, and hands-on activities. By the time learners complete the program, they will have three portfolio projects to share with potential employers in their job applications. Upon completion, learners will have the opportunity to directly apply for jobs with Google and over 130 partners committed to sourcing talent from Google certificate programs. These include top U.S. employers like Deloitte, Anthem, Walmart, Best Buy, and Astreya.

• One of the most popular Coursera UX design certificate program to prepare for a successful career in UX design
• Learn how to create empathy maps, personas, user stories, and user journey maps to understand user needs
• Learn to create wireframes and low-fidelity designs using the design tool Figma
• Learn to build mockups and high-fidelity prototypes in Figma
• Understand how to work with design systems in Adobe XD
• Hundreds of practice-based activities and assessments that simulate real-world UX design scenarios
• Courses developed and taught by Google UX designers and researchers with decades of experience in UX design
• Project work involving designing a dedicated mobile app and a responsive website focused on social good
• No previous experience necessary to enrol in the program

Duration : 6 months, 10 hours per week Rating : 4.8 Sign up Here

7. UI / UX Design Specialization by CalArts (Coursera)

This design specialization takes learners through a series of four courses that cover all stages of the UI/UX development process. It starts from user research all the way to how to define the strategy of a project, its scope, and information architecture. It also teaches how to develop sitemaps and wireframes. You’ll learn current best practices and conventions in UX design and apply them to create effective and compelling screen-based experiences for websites or apps. There are tons of practice quizzes, graded quizzes, graded programming assignments. The instructors of this specialization are Michael Worthington and Roman Jaster, both are design experts with many years of experience in the field.

Since this specialization teaches courses from a graphic design perspective, so it’s ideal if learners have some ability in visual form-making or visual communication. Fundamentals of Graphic Design, the first course in the Graphic Design Specialization, also offered by CalArts on Coursera, would be an excellent course to take in combination with or as a prerequisite to this Specialization.

• Identify, discuss, and appreciate the integral role visual design plays in UI/UX
• Interpret and apply strategies and methodologies essential in the UI/UX development process
• Demonstrate visual design’s role in UI/UX through the creation of successful design artifacts
• Skills and knowledge that you learn in this specialization are applicable to a wide variety of careers, from marketing to web design to human-computer interaction
• Extended free trial (1 month) of a full product suite of UX tools from Optimal Workshop for all enrolled learners
• Flexible schedule and self-paced learning makes it suitable for all types of learners
• Earn a verified certificate of completion upon completing the course
• Financial aid is available to learners who can’t afford the course fee

Duration : 8 months, 4 hours per week Rating : 4.8 Sign up Here

8. UX Designer Nanodegree Program (Udacity)

The program is organized into 3 modules that teach everything from visual design basics to UX design concepts, to how to convert low-fi sketches into high-fi interactive designs using Figma that are ready for engineering handoff. These modules are followed by a capstone project, for which you’ll build a case study that can be incorporated in a UX design portfolio. The projects will give you real world UX design experience and showcase your skills to research, design, and prototype effective and visually-appealing applications and websites.

• Learn the core principles of human-centered design and how to appropriately scope a design problem
• Learn the design research fundamentals to identify the user and the solutions they need
• Learn the process of a design sprint, and how to translate findings from research into a prototype that can be tested with users
• Learn advanced user interface principles to build interactive and impactful designs
• Learn how to improve design and user experiences based on engagement data
• Work on real world projects created by industry experts
• Get technical mentor support and access to career services

Duration : 3 months, 10 hours per week Rating : 4.6 Sign up Here

9. Free Graphic Design Courses (Skillshare)

The best part is that you can sign up on skillshare for free to get access to all these classes. You can purchase their premium membership for full access to courses in their premium catalog, along with useful features like offline viewing.

• Every Skillshare course has a project that allows students to put their skills in practice and get feedback
• Get opportunity to share and collaborate with a growing community of over 7 million creators
• Access to course content from anywhere and anytime with skillshare app (available for both android and iOS platforms)
• All course material is available for free for first 2 months after signup

Duration : Self-paced Rating : 4.5 Sign up Here

10. Adobe CC Masterclass: Photoshop, Illustrator, XD & InDesign (Udemy)

The course comprises of more than 13 hours of video tutorials that teach both beginner and advanced graphic design skills while using the most popular programs around – Adobe Creative Class suite. It covers Adobe CC Programs, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, Adobe InDesign, Social Media Graphic Design, Icon Design, Logo Design, Website Design, Mobile App Design, Poster Design, Book Cover Design, and much more. Be it a designer, an artist, a freelancer or an individual working in a large production house, all can find something useful in this course to build on their creative skills.

This professional class on graphic design is taught by Jeremy Deighan and Lindsay Marsh who have years of graphic design experience and are professional artists by trade. Students who enrol in the course, get access to a facebook group to connect with the instructors and other students to ask questions, get feedback and participate in design challenges.

• Learn intermediate and advanced terminology and concepts to incorporate in graphic design, user interfaces, mobile app design, logo design, t-shirt design, and other digital or print mediums
• Get expert level knowledge of Adobe CC applications that you will immediately be able to apply to your career, job, hobby, or company
• Work on real-world, applicable projects to solidify your learning
• Direct communication with the instructors to help students as they progress through the course
• Learn Adobe Photoshop, the industry-leading program for photo editing and manipulation
• Learn Adobe Illustrator, the number one software for creating graphics, icons, symbols, and branding
• Learn Adobe XD, the premiere software for creating stunning web design and mobile app design mock-ups
• Learn Adobe InDesign, the best software on the market for publishing and marketing materials

Duration : 13 hours on-demand video Rating : 4.6 Sign up Here

More Courses

11. illustrator cc 2020 masterclass (udemy).

Illustrator is an industry-leading vector graphic application which is used not just by graphic designers but equally useful for Product Designers, Fashion Designers, UI/UX designers and various other areas within and outside of the creative industry. This course is designed for users of all experiences, from complete beginners to existing Illustrator users. Beginners, who want to get into the creative industry and gain a rock solid foundation of Illustrator, will be able to master the software from beginner to advanced features. Even more experienced users of Illustrator will discover hidden gems and workflows or catch up with all the new features released in CC 2020.

By purchasing this course, students get downloadable exercise files so they can actually use the software to work their way through projects while they learn. They can also test their knowledge through quizzes at the end of each chapter.

This course is also a perfect way to prepare for official Adobe Certification called Graphic Design and Illustration using Adobe Illustrator. It covers all necessary skills to pass the exam and also includes a guide for the same.

Marti, the course’s instructor, is a graphic designer and an Adobe Certified Instructor with years of experience teaching in classrooms, seminars and webinars. Over 120,000 students are studying from his online courses from over 200 countries. He has worked as a designer and illustrator for companies like Disney, Pixar, BBC, Accenture, Mattel and as an instructor taught teams at Google, Ben&Jerry’s, House of Lords and Oxford University Press.

• Learn to use all the time-saving features of Illustrator and work efficiently
• Learn how to trace scanned drawings and sketches and turn them into scalable vector graphics
• Learn to create vector illustrations, infographics and icons
• Explore how to produce repeatable patterns for product packaging, apparels and stationaries
• Learn useful keyboard shortcuts and best practices
• Practice everything you learn with provided Exercise Files

Duration : 12.5 hours on-demand video Rating : 4.6 Sign up Here

12. Learn the Entire Affinity Suite: Photo, Designer & Publisher (Udemy)

The Affinity suite of products is a wonderful alternative to the Adobe suite of products for designers and creatives. So for photoshop, illustrator and end design users, it’s an easy transition to the affinity suite of products.

The course is taught by Jeremy Hazel and Lindsay Marsh, both of whom have years of experience as design professionals and teachers.

In Affinity photo, Jermey Hazel builds 3 popular advertisements, 3 separate Youtube thumbnails, and a complete movie poster using custom made brushes.

In Affinity Designer Lindsay Marsh works through all of the major tools and builds an engaging downloadable tracing worksheet, so you can master the pen tool, shapes tool and create a series of icons. She also covers logo design, layout design, business card design, type only poster, practical tri-fold brochure etc.

In Affinity Publisher, students learn a wide variety of tools like master pages, character styles, photo frames and book covers etc.

In Mobile Affinity apps, both Designer and Photo are covered where students build out a complete Tshirt mock-up for use in multiple projects. They learn how to do a digital illustration in both vector and pixel personas and create a cohesive themed portfolio.

• Master the Affinity Designer, Photo, Publisher and Mobile Apps
• Over 10+ hours of video content, downloadable project files, software instruction and practical fun projects
• Know how to export and work with digital and print files
• Learn design basics like layout, color and working with fonts and type, and mastering Grids
• Master Photo Editing Techniques – layers, masking, lighting, blending modes, effects and more
• Learn to create your own custom brushes in multiple programs
• Create a wide variety of awesome practical projects including logo designs, brochures, books, Instagram posts, posters, business cards, create brushes, digital graphics, advertisements and more

Duration : 11.5 hours on-demand video Rating : 4.6 Sign up Here

13. Learn Adobe Photoshop from Scratch (Udemy)

The course starts with basic design introduction and follows it up with tools like Selection tools, manipulation tools, creation tools and workspace tools. It also covers professional design principles and tips and tricks to get you started on photoshop.

• Learn to master photo correction techniques
• Learn to use different manipulation and creation tools
• Includes great practical tips and tricks for professional designers
• Learn to add different effects using photoshop
• Through discussion on photoshop tools
• Full of task based lectures focusing on learning outcomes
• Detailed process lectures on photoshop techniques and effects

Duration : 8 hours on-demand video Rating : 4.5 Sign up Here

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Best Graphic Design Courses of 2021: Learn Graphic Design Online

Graphic design is a fast growing industry and is currently one of the most in-demand career fields. Many people believe they need to be expert artists with years of practice to learn graphic design, but that isn’t the case.

Through graphic design courses, it’s possible to learn this valuable skill and start working in the industry in less than a year. Below is a list of the best graphic design courses for those interested in making a career change.

Find your bootcamp match

What is graphic design .

Graphic design is the communication of ideas to a target audience through visual compositions. Great graphic design must exhibit a sophisticated interplay of color, line, and typography. It must also convey a story, promote an idea, or inspire its audience. This is what makes graphic design essential in any business. 

How to Become a Graphic Designer?

There is a lot that goes into learning graphic design, from studying graphic design theory to learning the principles of design. Some people learn graphic design on their own while others take part in extensive degree programs or targeted bootcamps. Whatever your course of action may be, this is a short guide on how to get into the graphic design industry and start your career.

Study Graphic Design Theory

To become a graphic designer, you need to study the theory behind it. Graphic design theory covers every step of the creative process. Learning the basic principles of graphic design and developing your fundamental skills is vital for any graphic design student.

Develop Your Basic Drawing Skills

To work as a graphic designer, you’ll need to develop your drawing skills. Many graphic designers even invest in a drawing tablet to work on digital design projects. Several of the courses below are designed to help you develop your drawing skills and learn the basic elements of design.

Learn to Use Graphic Design Software

Adobe Photoshop is one of the many essential tools professional designers need to do their work. In most of the courses listed below, there are guides on how to use certain software. Features like using blending modes and the pen tool are vital to a graphic designer. You can also develop your skills through graphic design tutorials on how to use certain creation tools. These tutorials usually go more in-depth.

Start Working on Your Portfolio

A strong professional portfolio is an important step in finding a job as a graphic designer. Portfolios show that you understand various aspects of the design, how to use certain tools, and even how to follow design trends. Even if you don’t have a degree, a portfolio can still help you get a job by showing off your creative skills.

The Best Online Graphic Design Courses

Below are our top picks for free graphic design online courses. These online courses are great for beginners. If you still aren’t sure if graphic design is right for you, consider taking part in any of these courses. They’ll help you determine if this is the career path for you.

Udemy: Art Fundamentals (Building Blocks of Digital Painting)

Online learning platform Udemy offers a wide range of free courses in graphic design. If you’re a beginner, then Art Fundamentals is a great place to start. As the name suggests, this free graphic design course lets you in on the process of creating digital art by teaching you the fundamental software techniques used by designers. 

The course entails an hour of on-demand video divided into five sections. Each of these present bite-sized lessons, including the basics of sketching, design principles, and still life painting. 

To supplement your learning, you should also check out Udemy’s Photoshop Fundamentals . This course walks you through the core functions and tools of Adobe Photoshop. It’s important to learn Adobe Photoshop and other Adobe Creative Suite programs to become a graphic designer.

There are countless other free graphic design courses on Udemy. What’s great about Udemy is how it displays user ratings for each course. This gives you an insight into the quality of the courses so you don’t get lost in the search.

MIT OpenCourseWare: User Interface Design and Implementation

OpenCourseWare is perhaps one of the most sophisticated online learning platforms, known for the high-quality content it offers. This is because OpenCourseWare is the digital embodiment of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s course content. 

While it doesn’t offer a course solely focusing on graphic design, OpenCourseware has a graphic design class that falls under the User Interface Design and Implementation course. 

The class lets you learn graphic design in practice by redirecting you to sample websites where you can pick out parts of the web page design that make it stand out. Of course, you also have to pinpoint areas that need improvement. 

Canva Design School: Graphic Design Basics

Canva is a reliable tool that has helped students and teachers create visually pleasing digital content, such as posters, presentation slides, storyboards, and so on. With its Canva Design School, users now have unlimited access to Canva’s free course content, advancing the idea that creativity can be learned. 

If you need an introduction to graphic design, Canva’s Graphic Design Basics course is made up of 12 lessons that teach you the basic design know-how. These include hours of video that show you how to use font styles to match your message, how to pick color palettes to fit your theme, and valuable lessons such as icon design, business card design, and how to use conceptual tools.

Kadenze: Introduction to Graphic Design History 

To understand a field, it isn’t enough to know about current trends and techniques. You must also know the history and culture embedded in it. This course is part of the Graphic Design History and Methods Program and was created by faculty staff from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). 

As the name suggests, it provides an introduction and teaches you the history of design, specifically how it grew and changed over time. From the origins of text and graphic design to the universal forms and expressions of design, this course will give you a deeper understanding of the field. In addition, students take part in practical projects where they create a brand development guide for a company.

The Best Paid Graphic Design Classes

If you want to develop your skills further, consider taking things to the next level through paid graphic design classes. Paid classes are oftentimes more involved, come with more features, and cover topics more thoroughly. For those serious about pursuing a career in graphic design, it’s important to look into paid graphic design classes. Below is our top pick of the best paid graphic design classes of 2021.

Udemy: Graphic Design Masterclass   

Cost: $129.99

Certificate of Completion: Available 

This course is composed of 19.5 hours of on-demand video in addition to downloadable resource materials and a certificate of completion. Its curriculum covers an in-depth discussion on typography, color theory, and ad design principles, among others. 

Students are also trained to use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign, all of which are essential for graphic design. One of its newest features is a section on word mapping and brainstorming techniques to enhance creativity in branding design projects.     

The Adobe CC Masterclass is another useful course from Udemy priced at the same level. It offers 13 hours of on-demand video and projects that teach you how to navigate the full suite of Adobe Creative Cloud products. These include Adobe Photoshop, XD, Illustrator, and InDesign. It’s a great way to learn about the graphic design process in full through industry-standard tools.

Udemy: Digital Design Masterclass for Graphic Designers

Cost: $119.99

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Certification of Completion: Available

This course is for experienced graphic designers who want to improve their skills further. It’s a comprehensive program that covers Adobe XD from scratch, teaches you how to design a social media campaign, the basics of WordPress, digital display ad creation, and more. You’ll also be part of an online community of other 4,000 students.

If you’re at a stage in your graphic design journey where you need to take your skills further and do more advanced study, then this course may be right for you.

LinkedIn Learning-Lynda: Become a Graphic Designer 

Cost: $29.99/month with Premium Membership after a 30-day free trial

LinkedIn Learning is another avenue to learn graphic design. Completing the course promises a solid foundation in the elements of graphic design, which are color, typography, and layout. It also includes essential training on the use of the latest Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator software.

The course is composed of 11 sessions for a total of 29 hours of coursework. Each session is taught by different instructors. Upon subscription, you’ll gain the option of downloading the videos on your phone. This way, you can learn essential graphic design skills anytime and anywhere. 

Coursera: Graphic Design Specialization by the California Institute of Arts 

Cost: $49/month to continue learning after the seven-day free trial ends

Free Option: Coursera’s graphic design specialization can be audited for free. When auditing a course, the course materials will be accessible to you. However, you will have no access to graded assignments nor earn a certificate of completion.  

This is not a course but a bundle of courses offered by CalArts. To boot, the program has five free courses that expose you to the full breadth of the graphic design field. Courses include the following:

• Fundamentals of Graphic Design: This course teaches students the basic building blocks of graphic design and is great for beginners.
• Introduction to Typography: Typography is an important aspect of design for beginners. You’ll learn about the rules and conventions of typography to improve your foundational skills.
• Introduction to Imagemaking: This course is for graphic design students that want to seriously delve into imagemaking. Students participate in creative projects where they share ideas and receive constructive feedback
• Ideas from the History of Graphic Design: This course explores four historic periods of design. It explains why things have a certain look to them and the ways an experienced designer tackles projects.
• Brand New Brand: This one focuses on all the things you learned in the courses listed above. Students take part in practical projects where they create a brand development guide for a company.

Students are encouraged to spend three hours per week in the courses. This means that you would need approximately six months to complete the program. The specialization includes a hands-on project which you’d have to complete to earn a certificate. 

Coursera: Graphic Design by the University of Colorado 

Free option: The specialization can be audited for free. When auditing a course, the course materials will be accessible to you. However, you will have no access to graded assignments nor earn a certificate of completion.  

This course is one of the four courses covered by the University of Colorado’s Effective Communication Specialization. As it’s also accessible through Coursera, students have unlimited access to its lessons and exercises. 

The course is designed for beginner students and requires approximately 27 hours to complete. Included in the syllabus is a module which tackles the tricks of the trade. That is, teaching you the full development process of composition and how to prioritize both visual content and the message the design seeks to convey. 

The course serves an excellent design challenge that prepares you for a career as a creative professional.  

Top Online Graphic Design Degree Programs

Graphic design degree programs can be useful ways to get your foot in the door and start your career in design. A graphic design major can take several years to complete part-time and full-time, but you will take part in various graphic design projects and potentially develop your portfolio.

However, consider any of the graphic design degree programs below if you have the time and resources available. These programs are available online, which means you can earn your degree from the comfort of your own home.

Southern New Hampshire University

Program: Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and Media Arts

Cost: $320/credit hour

Credit Hours: 120

Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education

SNHU’s online graphic design program focuses on the three pillars of the field: art, storytelling, and commerce. Key graphic design skills are honed throughout the program. These are design thinking, digital media, branding identity, and professional practice. 

The program also leaps beyond the traditional practices of design by offering two concentrations: web design and 3D modeling and animation. 

What makes the program stand out is its low barrier to entry and flexible structure. Applicants for the program do not need to pay for the application process nor present SAT or ACT scores. In terms of accessibility, course materials are open for viewing 24/7.  

Savannah College of Art and Design

Program: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design 

Cost: $782/credit hour 

Credit Hours: 180

Accreditation: Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 

As a student of this SCAD degree program, you’ll learn the core principles of graphic design, including the fundamental components of design theory and typography. Aside from the creative aspect of graphic design, this program also emphasizes entrepreneurship. 

Students are taught how to make the most of their communication tools to streamline their business models, from pitching their ideas to marketing and manufacturing. Students also learn the art of branding from industry leaders. 

Alums of this online graphic design degree program are currently employed in top companies worldwide. These include Apple, IBM, Ralph Lauren, Amazon, and more. 

University of Maryland Global Campus

Program: Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Communication

Cost: $499/credit hour

Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education

This is a portfolio-intensive program that seeks to produce career-ready graduates. The curriculum takes students through the fundamentals of drawing, typography and layout, digital media, and motion graphics. The content is the result of consolidated input from industry experts, employers, and scholars. 

Completion of the program sets students up for two career options: graphic design and communication management; hence the name of the degree.  

Conclusion: Are Graphic Design Courses Worth It? 

Graphic design can be a lucrative career. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average graphic designer salary is $52,110. Through taking part in graphic design courses, you’re able to learn the fundamentals and even develop your graphic design portfolio.

Graphic designers are crucial in any business. They’re often responsible for creating custom images, product packaging, animations, and other unique graphic design elements for a company. The work involved is not only demanding, but it allows you to be unique and creative as well.

If you’re interested in the high-demand field of design, then it’s worth giving it a try. Take part in any of the free graphic design courses online that are available and then take your graphic design journey forward from there.

Graphic Design Courses FAQ 

No, there are several ways to start a career in graphic design without a degree. By taking part in and completing courses or other programs, you can build a portfolio to increase your chances of working with potential employers.

The average graphic designer salary is approximately $52,110 per year. Graphic designers with particularly high salaries typically work in certain fields, such as advertising.

It can take six months to a few years to learn graphic design. Several factors determine how long you can learn graphic design, such as past experience and the courses you take.

You can learn graphic design on your own. However, taking part in graphic design classes and other programs may speed up the process and increase your chances of getting hired.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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