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Free Graphic Design Courses

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A graphic designer is a fairly broad concept that can include a huge number of different responsibilities. This is the creation of identity for brands, product design, the layout of books, and layouts for printing, packaging design, etc. For work, specialists of this profession use graphic editors Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Figma.

To learn full-fledged graphic design, you can turn to design courses. It's a quick and easy way to get important information and skills to take you further into your graphic arts.

Identity development is about doing research, coming up with an idea, and finding a visual form. The choice of the program does not matter here, it can be done even in PowerPoint, or it can be done without a computer at all. Many designers are accustomed to working in Adobe Illustrator, although there are many alternatives, such as Figma.

Projects and tasks are always different and depend on the client's request. Each time you have to process an array of new information, delve into the market and the client's product to find the best design solution.

Before starting work, a designer receives a graphic design assignment and begins to research the market, brand, look for references, and develop a design concept. Usually, these are several options that are discussed with the team and the client in the future, and then they are improved by iterations. To constantly improve their skills, many designers resort to the graphic design course and study other types of designs, not forgetting to improve.  

free courses for graphic designers

Skills for Graphic Designers

You should constantly be learning and studying design courses. You can study both at a higher educational institution and on your own; the main thing is to be sincerely interested in design and devote a lot of time to it. The number of design courses taken and a university degree has little effect when applying for a job in a good place. Concrete woks mainly affect.

The list of skills for graphic design depends on the chosen direcrtion. In some areas, specialized software is used, certain requirements apply. But any professional working in this area should:

  • understand the basics of visual design (color, composition, typography, modular grids, gestalt principles in graphic design);
  • be able to work in raster and vector programs;
  • check the literacy of writing texts;
  • have communication skills to communicate with customers;
  • be able to analyze the needs of potential customers;
  • constantly monitor trends and keep abreast of the latest design changes.

Impeccable artistic taste and sense of style provide huge competitive advantages. A person who possesses these qualities can create harmonious compositions that cannot be overlooked.

A graphic designer is a rather demanded profession, as all brands and businesses need a high-quality visual environment. But even here, it is worth understanding the specifics of the market because graphic design is an extensive concept that includes many areas.

Beginners should determine the area they are interested in and want to work in. After that, it is better to take this item seriously to collect a portfolio; in most cases, the work becomes the determining factor for employers. If you have no experience, you need to look at the portfolio and how others are doing, understand the meaning. do it your way, add such work to the portfolio, and go to design classes.

Directions and Specializations in Graphic Design Courses

The person's activities in this profession are very diverse. There are many areas among which you can choose the best option for realizing your abilities. Consider what a graphic designer does.

Logos and Corporate Identity

  1. Each company, website, the online store wants to have its own recognizable, unique logo that will become the face of the brand and will be remembered by customers. The logo can include the name of a company or store, stylized letters, symbols, shapes, drawings, gradients. This niche is suitable for those who like to work with vector objects and fonts.
  2. Together with the brand name, other style-forming elements of the business card are usually created, letterheads, backgrounds for presentations, posts and banners on the Internet, images for printing on branded products, and other components. Serious organizations order a brand book, which describes what colors and fonts should be used in printing and on the Internet, on which backgrounds a logo can be placed and what variants of symbols to use on different media. This makes it possible to maintain recognition in the future and adhere to a certain visual concept associated with the brand.
  3. To improve your skill, you will be helped by a modern graphic design course, from which you can learn the basics of creating logos.

Creation of Printing

  1. Despite the development of Internet technologies, printing does not lose its relevance. Business cards, banners, catalogs, magazines, menus, booklets, flyers, leaflets, signs, billboards, tags, and other products. The responsibilities of a graphic designer involved in the development of printing products include drawing layouts and knowing and adhering to technical standards that allow high-quality printing in a printing house.
  2. A printing designer must work with different color models, choose the correct resolution for files of different sizes, place significant elements at an acceptable distance from the edge of the canvas, take into account the peculiarities of color rendering when printing.

Website Design and Social Networks

  1. Content in the form of pictures on the Internet is always in demand. Websites, blogs, social media communities require the hand of a professional. Today you will not surprise anyone with ordinary texts, and stylish modern design helps attract visitors and stand out from competitors.
  2. The Master in Computer Graphics creates website banners, advertising posters, social media group covers, post layouts, video intros, presentations, and much more. These essential details allow you to transform any page and present information as brightly and interestingly as possible. In addition, now many design courses will tell you how to design social networks and post properly.

Advertising

  1. Today, advertising remains the sale engine and development of companies. How efficiently it will work depends on its quality. The images are easy to understand, easy to remember, and should evoke positive emotions. A graphic designer creates original concepts that will motivate people to buy a product or use a service.
  2. Among printed advertising products, leaflets and brochures for distribution on the streets, specialized events and promotions, brochures, flyers, banners for magazines and other printed publications, and outdoor advertising for placement on city streets are in demand.
  3. Digital advertising products are more and more in demand every year. They can be posted on web resources, social networks, and screens installed on the streets and in shopping centers. Also, advertising banners are used for mailing and messengers.

Package Design

  1. Beautiful and convenient packaging allows you to increase consumer interest in a specific product and outperform competitors even with equal quality and price. It is the visual perception that allows you to make the final purchase decision.
  2. A specialist who creates bags, boxes, wrappers, bottles, and other types of packaging should not only own tools for working with images but also know the basics of industrial design and typography.

Illustrating

  1. If you have a rich imagination and like to draw different characters or render individual episodes, try your hand at being an illustrator. This specialist can draw illustrations for books, characters for animated screensavers, create unique graphics for articles and catalogs, and sell his drawings on photo stocks. 
  2. To improve your skills in this area, you can take a graphic design course that will tell you about current trends.


 

Top Best Free Online Design Courses 

Becoming a specialist in graphic design means mastering the means of visual communication, learning how to express thoughts and ideas through images, and video. Possession of graphic design helps a creative person solve problems using color, shape, composition, typography, special tools and opens up new perspectives in brand and motion design, advertising, user interface design, and text publishing.

We've rounded up the best online graphic design courses for distance learning.

SkillBox

SkillBox design course

  1. According to this principle, video lectures, practice, consultations, a diploma, employment, and the educational process at the online university of popular professions Skillbox is built. Consumers have the opportunity to choose a program that provides a full range of information on the specialty or helps to master certain skills.

  2. An extensive complex of design classes consists of 93 modules and is designed for two years of practical training. During this period, users will learn how to create logos, own tools, understand branding, develop a corporate identity, and brief a client. From the fourth month, successful students can begin to apply knowledge and receive their first orders. Future specialists will join the professional community, get acquainted with the activities of large companies, receive advice on drawing up a resume and passing an interview.

  3. The same duration of the educational process when getting the profession of Brand designer. The study of the material begins with the fundamental block Design from scratch to PRO, within which beginners, novice brand designers, and experts in other areas will study tool programs, understand the terms of identity and guideline, comprehend a variety of approaches, and complete several practical tasks. This online course is recommended for both newcomers to the industry and those in related fields. Both will master Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe Color, learn how to work on corporate identity and design concepts, and delve into the intricacies of branding. Participants will work on a live case; they will go from a client briefing to a presentation of the finished result.

GeekBrains 

GeekBrains design course

The graphic design course involves training up to the Middle level with guaranteed employment. The program is divided into quarters.

  1. First, students receive basic knowledge of the discipline, learn the principles of typography and composition, learn to work with objects and create effects using key tool programs.

  2. The second quarter introduces the creation of layouts, 3D objects, and smart objects in Photoshop. Students try drawing, storyboarding, and handling shapes and textures.

  3. The third part of the graphic design course includes introduction blocks to audience study, visual identity, and presentation creation.

  4. In the final quarter, when performing project work, clients gain experience in creating a brand platform and corporate identity.

Experts teach the graphic design course with at least five years of experience. They will tell you how to analyze customer and consumer requests, work with a color palette, and present your ideas. The program includes eight workshops and two months of internship. To broaden your horizons and get familiarization information, you should turn to webinars.

Udemy 

Udemy design course

  1. The Internet resource Udemy is a platform where teachers from all over the world post their educational products. In order not to get lost in the variety of proposals, future students have the opportunity to use filters and choose a video course by rating, reviews, level, the language of instruction, the presence of subtitles, and other parameters.

  2. The teacher introduces the step-by-step operation of the basic graphic design tools and talks about modern trends and methods of organizing brainstorming. The content of the program is updated monthly, which allows consumers to acquire relevant and in-demand skills.

Skillshare

Skillshare design course

The graphic design course includes examples and demonstrations of how to use basic design principles. The online course will teach how to:

  1. Define five basic design principles
  2. Use basic principles in daily projects
  3. Be critical of your work

 

  1. Graphic design facilitators Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips talk in a friendly conversation that understanding design comes from knowing basic principles.

  2. The authors suggest cracking great design code using a solid knowledge of the basic principles of graphic design. Join designers to understand five key principles that apply to all visual art projects.

  3. The authors argue that it is enough to understand the basic principles of design to become successful in creative design, in creating marketing materials, and even in photography.

Netology 

Netology design course

  1. The Internet service Netology offers to acquire a promising specialty, gaining knowledge of the current focus. Educational packages are divided not only by topic but also by the degree of readiness of the audience; there are design classes for both beginners and experts.

  2. The format of training on the course Graphic design and communication is 10 months of webinars, video lectures, practical tasks. As part of studying the topic of the review directly, students will learn to use the means of composition and form, comprehend the psychology of color perception, delve into the trends of mobile and web design, and come up with metaphors for the brand and work with digital distortions.

  3. With advanced training in the Introduction to Digital Design program, consumers will get acquainted with the basics, understand composition, color aesthetics, typography, get acquainted with branding and the concept of a modern poster.

Ellen Lupton's Online Course 

Ellen Lupton's Online Course 

  1. Typography that works composition and fonts in type art. Clean, smart typography makes you clean and smart too. Good typography is a pleasure to read. "Bad typography sucks the energy out of your content and leaves it dead by the side of the road." - Ellen Lupton.

  2. In the course, you will understand how to recognize and use great type and how to create intriguing, awesome compositions. The author will show you how to create a business card using the typography elements described in each tutorial. This online graphic design course in typography will be useful for both the aspiring designer and the professional looking to improve their knowledge and skills.

Online Courses from Coursera

Online Courses from Coursera

Michael Worthington's Graphic Design Fundamentals are part of a converging specialization of five design courses that introduce students to the basic skills required to create complex graphic design.

Michael Worthington, a faculty member of the California Institute of the Arts, has created a different course from its counterparts.

  1. The first part of the lesson is devoted to the topic of creating images with your hands.

  2. It will be helpful to learn about the many unique imaging techniques that rival clipart and stock photography.

  3. In the third part of the course, the author teaches you how to apply rhythm and drawing and use scale, direction, texture, weight, and space in your project.

Difference from other courses, in particular, the author tells complex topics in a fun and simple language. Michael talks about the interesting topic of metaphor in images and how the literal meaning of images differs from the metaphorical one.

An introduction to the history of graphic design

  1. Conversations by leading teachers Brocket Horn and Ellen Lupton. In a series of action-packed conversations, renowned authors and top faculty members at the Maryland Institute of Art introduce you to interesting people and processes. Where did the graphic design come from, and where will it go next?

  2. This introduction to the history of graphic design is part of a two-part program, History, and Methods of Graphic Design. You can learn how printers revolutionized society when they created open access to information. You can explore visual systems that are used in graphic design, from handwritten alphabets to online publishing.

  3. The presenters will talk about how subcultures rebelled against cultural uniformity, creating their own visual identity. Thinking about history will open your eyes to new ideas and varied practices. Test your knowledge along the way with short quizzes and expand your design skills by responding to inspiring creative queries.

  4. High-quality traditional education will likely become unaffordable for most students soon, as education costs are growing by at least 10% per year. The main advantage of online design courses over traditional education is convenience. Distance education allows you to get a graphic design specialty on the job quickly.

Becoming a graphic desighner takes a lot of practice and learning. But if you have talent, then you will definitely be able to achieve success in this area.

 

FAQ

  • Where is graphic design used?

The graphic design applies to everything visual, from road signs to technical diagrams, from interagency memoranda to reference books. Design can help sell a product or idea.

  • Where to study to be a graphic designer?

There are many options:

  1. University. Higher education in graphic design can be completed in 4 years or 6 years.
  2. Short programs and design courses for advanced training.
  3. Graphic design courses from scratch.
  • What techniques does a graphic designer use?

A graphic designer can use typography, visual arts, and page layout techniques to produce the final result. He must be proficient in basic graphics programs Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

  • Who is a graphic designer?

A graphic designer is a master of design and decoration for the world of users. He is a magician, able to breathe life into simple lines, shapes, and inscriptions. For people of this profession, design is a way to convey the necessary information to the client using graphic images.

  • Where to look for a job for a beginner in graphic design

You can work on the staff of a company, in an agency, as a freelancer. Each format has its characteristics. In a company, you are limited to working with one brand, and perhaps you are the only designer there, but in an agency, you have different tasks each time and have some kind of common design environment. Well, a freelancer doesn't need to go to the office.

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