10 Free Online Graphic Design Courses
Nowadays, we get more and more information from our screens. Graphic design has played a silent, but crucial, role in the ways we interact with our myriad of devices. There maybe thousands of free design courses online, but what is good design? Tropika Club lets you discover the answer for yourself with these 10 Free Online Graphic Design Courses.
Table of Contents
- No Time to Read? Here’s a Snappy Summary of This Article
- 1. ‘Visual and Graphic Design’
- 2. ‘Introduction to Graphic Design History’
- 3. ‘Applying Design Principles’
- 4. ‘Graphic Design Specialisation’
- 5. ‘Typography That Works’
- 6. Canva Design School
- 7. ‘Graphic Design’
- 8. ‘Introduction to Graphic Illustration’
- 9. ‘From Doodle to Logo’
- 10. ‘Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers Specialization’
No Time to Read? Here’s a Snappy Summary of This Article
- Introduction: The article introduces graphic design as a silent but crucial role in the ways we interact with our devices, and lists 10 free online graphic design courses for beginners and professionals.
- Course 1: Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design: This course, offered by Skillshare, teaches the fundamental rules of visual design, such as symmetry, scale, framing, hierarchy, and grids.
- Course 2: Professional Logo Design in Adobe Illustrator: This course, offered by Udemy, guides the learners through the process of creating logos in Adobe Illustrator, from sketching to vectorizing to presenting.
- Course 3: Introduction to Graphic Design: This course, offered by Lynda, covers the essential concepts and skills of graphic design, such as typography, layout, color, and imagery.
- Course 4: Graphic Design Specialization: This course, offered by Coursera, consists of five courses that cover the fundamentals of graphic design, typography, imagemaking, history of graphic design, and branding.
- Course 5: Graphic Design Theory: Graphic Design Basics for Beginners: This course, offered by Udemy, explains the theory behind graphic design principles, such as contrast, alignment, balance, and proximity.
- Course 6: Canva Design School: This course, offered by Canva, teaches how to use Canva’s online design tool to create stunning graphics for various purposes and platforms.
- Course 7: Learn Adobe Photoshop from Scratch: This course, offered by Udemy, teaches how to use Photoshop’s tools and features to edit and enhance photos and graphics.
- Course 8: Graphic Elements of Design: Color Theory and Image Formats: This course, offered by edX, explores the role of color and images in graphic design, and how to use them effectively in different formats and contexts.
- Course 9: Introduction to Typography: This course, offered by Coursera, introduces the basics of typography, such as typefaces, fonts, styles, and layouts.
- Course 10: The Art of Graphic Design: This course, offered by edX, examines the history and evolution of graphic design as an art form and a cultural phenomenon.
1. ‘Visual and Graphic Design’
Hosted on a website called Alison, this free online graphic design course takes you through the basics of graphic design. You’ll get a good look at the mechanics behind the core principles of design, studying concepts like balance, contrast, composition, and hierarchy. If you’re looking for short courses for graphic design online just to dip your toes in, this is the course for you.
2. ‘Introduction to Graphic Design History’
If you’re looking commit more to the field, you might want to learn about its history. The course is a series of discussions between Ellen Lupton and Brockett Horne. Both hail from the leading faculty at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), the oldest independent university of art and design in the United States.
Ellen Lupton, currently the Senior Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York. Also, Ellen is known for her love of typography with her bestselling book ‘Thinking With Type’. Meanwhile, Brockett Horne was a past Rotary International Scholar before being the chair of graphic design at MICA. Now, Brockett has work in the permanent collection of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, where she holds a Masters of Fine Arts (with double theses in art history and graphic design).
3. ‘Applying Design Principles’
Here’s another quick graphic design online course that’s free on Alison. After learning the principles of graphic design, let’s put it to work! With this course, you can learn the practical applications of design principles across print and digital platforms. With the core graphic design principles and concepts under your belt, you’re on your way to creating great designs.
4. ‘Graphic Design Specialisation’
Offered by the renowned visual and performing arts institute, the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), this course dives deeper. This graphic design course is hosted on Coursera. It lets you discover design as a formal study, letting you understand the fundamental skills to communicate through image-making and typography. By the end of the course, you’ll even have a project to show off on your professional portfolio.
5. ‘Typography That Works’
Sponsored by MICA, Ellen Lupton holds another free online workshop on Skillshare. Here, she focuses on typography – the art of arranging letters and text. Neat, appealing typography could be what sets you or your business apart. Today, your online presence is where people find the first impression of you. So, awkward-looking texts could cost you your next opportunity.
This is probably one of the best free design courses online for beginners. Through the course, Ellen will take you through the differences between good typography and bad typography. Delve into the beauty of typography, and you’ll get to even experiment with it as well. In the course, you’re tasked with designing a business card with various typefaces (the overall design of the letters you type). This free graphic design course is hosted on Skillshare, so you need to sign up before accessing this course.
6. Canva Design School
Canva is a free online graphic design platform that allows you to create a myriad of graphics and documents. And they have an online school to boot. While there may not be a tonne of courses yet, their Graphic Design Basics and Branding Your Business will jumpstart your graphic design journey.
7. ‘Graphic Design’
(part of the Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization course)
Score yourself your next promotion with this free graphic design course. In this course, you’ll learn to create sleek designs for documents in your workplace. And you don’t even need any Adobe software for this course! All the assignments in the course can be completed in common programs like Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Apple Keynote.
8. ‘Introduction to Graphic Illustration’
Time to get your pen and paper out, and draw. Graphic Illustration isn’t just about webcomics or Uniqlo t-shirts. Discover how you can craft unique visual identities for yourself, or for brands and products.
But make sure you’re up for the challenge; this is a more advanced course. It requires you to have basic drawing skills, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop skills, and a clear understanding of fundamental design theory. This is a free online graphic design course that has a lot of bang for zero bucks.
9. ‘From Doodle to Logo’
This free graphic design online course is as straightforward as its title. After drawing a logo on paper, you’ll learn the ins and outs of Adobe Illustrator to help you craft and polish your own design.
10. ‘Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers Specialization’
If you’re looking for a more holistic course, then definitely try out this course. It’s offered by another renowned design university: University of Colorado Boulder. From colour theory to critiquing design, you’ll be taken through the paces of the theories and practices of graphic design. Once you finish the course, you’ll be equipped with skillsets that you can tap on for your next creative endeavour.
Conclusion
Hey, do you want to learn graphic design but don’t have the time or money to enroll in a formal course? Don’t worry, I got you covered. I found this awesome article that lists 10 free online graphic design courses that you can take at your own pace and convenience. These courses will teach you everything you need to know about graphic design, from the basics to the advanced. Here are the courses:
- Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design: This course will show you how to make your designs look good and balanced by following some simple rules, like symmetry, scale, framing, and more.
- Professional Logo Design in Adobe Illustrator: This course will teach you how to create logos like a pro using Adobe Illustrator, a powerful vector graphics software. You will learn how to sketch, vectorize, and present your logo ideas.
- Introduction to Graphic Design: This course will give you an overview of graphic design as a discipline and a profession. You will learn about typography, layout, color, and imagery, and how they work together to communicate your message.
- Graphic Design Specialization: This course is actually a bundle of five courses that cover the fundamentals of graphic design. You will learn about typography, imagemaking, history of graphic design, and branding. You will also work on a capstone project where you will apply your skills to a real-world problem.
- Graphic Design Theory: Graphic Design Basics for Beginners: This course will explain the theory behind graphic design principles, such as contrast, alignment, balance, and proximity. You will learn why these principles are important and how to use them effectively in your designs.
- Canva Design School: This course will teach you how to use Canva, an online design tool that lets you create stunning graphics for various purposes and platforms. You will learn how to use Canva’s templates, features, and resources to make your designs stand out.
- Learn Adobe Photoshop from Scratch: This course will teach you how to use Photoshop, the most popular photo editing and graphic design software. You will learn how to use Photoshop’s tools and features to edit and enhance photos and graphics.
- Graphic Elements of Design: Color Theory and Image Formats: This course will explore the role of color and images in graphic design, and how to use them effectively in different formats and contexts. You will learn about color theory, color harmony, color psychology, image formats, compression, and optimization.
- Introduction to Typography: This course will introduce you to the basics of typography, such as typefaces, fonts, styles, and layouts. You will learn how to choose and combine fonts for different purposes and audiences.
- The Art of Graphic Design: This course will examine the history and evolution of graphic design as an art form and a cultural phenomenon. You will learn about the influences and trends that shaped graphic design over time.
So there you have it. 10 free online graphic design courses that you can start right now. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, these courses will help you improve your skills and knowledge in graphic design. Graphic design is not only a useful skill for your career or business, but also a fun and creative way to express yourself.
At Tropika Club Magazine, we believe that graphic design is an essential part of our digital world. We use graphic design to create engaging and attractive content for our readers. We also support aspiring and talented graphic designers by featuring their work on our platform. If you are interested in graphic design or want to learn more about it, we invite you to check out these courses and share your feedback with us. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do! 😊
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What are the 10 free online graphic design courses?
A: The 10 free online graphic design courses are:
- Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design by Canva
- Introduction to Graphic Design by California Institute of the Arts
- Fundamentals of Graphic Design by Coursera
- Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts
- Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers by Canva
- Graphic Design Masterclass – Learn GREAT Design by Udemy
- Adobe Illustrator CC – Essentials Training Course by Udemy
- Adobe Photoshop CC – Essentials Training Course by Udemy
- Branding Your Creative Business: Define Your Brand by Skillshare
- Logo Design Mastery In Adobe Illustrator by Udemy
Q: What is the duration of these courses?
A: The duration of these courses varies from a few hours to several weeks.
Q: Are there any prerequisites for these courses?
A: No, there are no prerequisites for these courses.
Q: Are there any age restrictions for these courses?
A: No, there are no age restrictions for these courses.
Q: Are these courses available globally?
A: Yes, all the courses listed in the article are available globally.
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