There are tonnes of graphic design courses. But you can’t do all of them. You have to make the best use of your time and pick the ones that give you the maximum value.
Too lazy to pick? No worries.
Here are the top 10 graphic design courses that can help you uplevel your design game –
Introduction to Graphic Design ( LinkedIn Learning)
If you are a beginner in the field of graphic designing, this course can be a great way to start your journey. ”Introduction to Graphic Design” is a 4 hours course offered by LinkedIn Learning.
Tony Harmer, an illustrator and Adobe creative master, is the instructor for this course.
It offers introductory lessons on topics like colour correction, typography, layout, and more.
The trainer takes a step-by-step approach to teach vector drawing techniques and the methods of building custom logos on illustrator.
By the end of the course, you will be acquainted with the foundational concepts of graphic designing.
You will have a clearer idea about the next steps to take in your design journey.
Udemy’s Graphic Design Masterclass
Udemy’s Graphic Design Masterclass by Lindsay Marsh is probably one of the most popular online graphic design courses.
Broadly, it covers graphic design basics.
What makes it interesting, is the in-depth approach by which each of the topics is covered by the trainer. For this very reason, this course is an arsenal of knowledge even for an intermediate or an advanced level student.
It intermingles theoretical aspects with real case studies, which makes the learning experience fun.
You will learn ad design principles, vector illustration, logo designing, and more. It also covers important design tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
A new section has also been added to the course called Finding your Design Niche. It gives you insights into dominant design categories. It gives you tips on how to select a design niche and the steps you can take to become an expert.
Canva Design School
Graphic designing is becoming a universal skill. Even if your goal is not to become a professional designer, you can still use visual communication in your work.
You might just want to create a pretty resume. Or maybe you are a teacher who wants to create interactive presentations.
Platforms like Canva offer easy “drag and drop” set up to create effective designs. Its academic trunk – “Canva design school” offers amazing courses for people looking for easier alternatives to learning digital designs.
The courses teach you how to use the features and functionalities of Canva to create terrific designs.
It also has courses on personal branding, social media, graphic design basics which will help you in developing “design sense.”
The courses are segmented for enterprises, schools, nonprofits, and others. Plus, it comes with a 30days free trial.
Creative Live
Creative live is an amazing platform that brings together a community of creative people. It has around 1500+ classes in the field of art, design, blogging, and writing.
The courses are taught by some of the top creative professionals (best selling authors, Grammy and Oscar winners)
In their graphic design section, they have courses like –
Branding Essentials for Designer
Freeforms Gradient in Adobe Illustrator CC
File Formats Explained: Everything you need to know
It also hosts a number of live events which not only enhance your creative skills but are also instrumental in your personal growth.
UI/UX Design Specialization (Coursera)
If you are planning a career as a UX/UI designer then pursuing this course can be a great way to uplevel your skills.
There are 4 modules to this course that covers topics like Web design, Visual elements, UX design fundamentals, etc.
It will take you through the complete cycle of UI-UX development. Starting from user research to developing sitemaps.
While most design courses focus on marketing or programming, this course takes a different approach. It gives immense focus on creating designs that are based upon user perception.
The course is experiential in its nature and packages short- application oriented exercises.
Adobe CC Masterclass: Photoshop, Illustrator, XD & InDesign
In most job descriptions, you will find proficiency in Adobe software as a “must-have” requirement.
This course will teach you Adobe CC applications from the basic to the advanced level. It provides detailed lessons on topics like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, InDesign, and more.
Along with the Adobe application, it also focuses on building your conceptual knowledge.
It’s 13+ hours of video content packages application-based learning. Most sections end with an exercise based on a real-world project.
You get to learn design mechanisms for various mediums like social media, web, print, and more.
Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers Specialization by University of Colorado Boulder
As the name of the course suggests, this course is for someone who is a newbie in the field of designing. Or someone who is just curious about the processes of graphic designing.
The course starts with the historical background of designing, touching upon the inception and evolution.
It further elaborates subjects like design fundamentals, typography, color theory, image selection, and more.
It teaches you foundational concepts of designing brochures, ads, websites, and more.
Google UX Design Professional Certificate (Coursera)
It is a certificate-level program in UX Design to help you take your first steps in the industry.
Google employees with decades of experience in UX developed this program.
The course is divided into 7 modules. It covers topics like UX foundation, design processes, wireframes, UX research, building responsive web design, and more.
Not just technical skills, the course will help you in crucial soft skills, like developing sensitivity to a users’ pain point. Such a skill helps you to create interactive designs.
The course is hands-on, in fact by the end of the course you would have built a portfolio of 3 projects. You can use these projects as a work sample during the interview.
All in all, the course is a fun mix of theory, hands-on activities, and videos.
Instagram Illustration from Skillshare
If you are focusing on creating designs for social media, then this course can help you with bringing out your creative expression.
It touches upon the basics of design like balance, rhythm, and more. But what makes this course different is that it focuses on bringing out your emotional and creative self in your work.
It teaches how to choose themes and palettes that reflect your personality.
It will also teach you how to play with different types of typography.
Taught by Sophia Yeshi, It’s a short one-hour course consisting of 12 lessons.
Udemy’s Logo Design Fundamentals
This course is a perfect blend of branding and designing. It teaches you design layout, its fundamentals, and most importantly the alignment of a design with brand values.
For this course, you need Adobe Illustrator, Reader, and basic knowledge of designing. You can begin logo making in free logo maker apps to get basic idea of designing. Later on, it will be easier to get your hands on designing with the help of this course.
This course will also prepare you for having more effective conversations with your customers.
Ending note
Now that you know the top 10 courses, it is time to get started. The majority of graphic design courses available online are self-paced. When you pick a course, give yourself a deadline. This way, you can ensure that you stay on track as you learn.
All the best!!
