13 Free Graphic Design Courses Online With Certificates starting 2024
13 Free Graphic Design Courses Online With Certificates starting. Are you thinking of starting a career in graphic design ? Maybe it has it been a while since you last worked in the field.
If you are aspiring to join the league of these top expertise but don’t how to choose the best course for you, no worries, we’ve got you covered.
These graphic design classes are 100% free.
Yes, free. I know it’s not a word we use much anymore in our culture but they are. If you are interested in taking a course in graphic design, whether you’re a beginner or have 25 years in the field, free is good.
How to teach yourself graphic design ?
Becoming a graphic designer does not have to be done at school, in fact, if you follow the below steps, you will be well on your way to becoming a professional designer.
- Put together a portfolio and blog.
- Understand the core principles of graphic design (shown below).
- Ground yourself with the the history of graphic design (book recommended).
- Participate in professional graphic design communities.
- Diversify your skillset (enroll in another course).
- Find work as a freelance graphic designer.
- Familiarize yourself with the graphic design process & solving problems creatively.
- Consider advanced study & development (either online or at school).
- Learn from professional graphic designers.
- Develop your proficiency, intuition, and flow.
In case you are having a double mind about enrolling in art or design school to become an expert in graphics, consider the following reasons.
- Graphic design opens doors to many work opportunities in the field of advertising, public relations and even in manufacturing.
- Graphic Designers are the highest in-demand freelancers in the world today.
- In 2015, Peerhustle listed design in spot number two in their “Top 12 Paying Freelance Careers,”.
Where can I learn graphic design for free?
Best Free Graphic Design Classes Overview
- Skillshare.
- Alison.
- Coursera (more in-depth)
- Udemy.
- Canva.
- Shaw Academy.
How Do Free Graphic Design Online Classes Work?
Just like every other distant program, online Class in Graphic Design uses the Learning Management System.
LMS method which includes the use of Blackboard, Canvas, and Moodle, which provides an accessible exchange of information between you and your Instructor.
During online classes, you receive your study materials, lectures, and assignments via email or some kind of file transfer system. You submit course assignments through LMS by posting on discussion forums and submitting tasks through applicable links.
1- Free Skillshare Design Courses
Skillshare offers prospective students lots of short & in-depth courses centered around graphic design. Many of these are available for free, or with a paid subscription, you can access them all. To help those who may be just beginning, we wanted to highlight a few free courses that would be a great benefit.
- Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design.
- Creating Brand Systems: An Overview of Combining Logos and Type.
- Typography That Works: Typographic Composition and Fonts.
2- Coursera Free Design Courses
While not every course on their site is free, Coursera offers online courses from some of the top universities such as Stanford and Yale. While at first glance, the site pushes you towards paying for the classes they offer, there is the option to “audit” the class.
This means that while you can take the class, none of your work will be marked and you won’t be able to earn a certificate at the end of the course. To take the classes for free, follow this guide here and get started right away.
- Graphic Design by David Underwood.
- Fundamentals of Graphic Design.
- Introduction to Typography
3- Free Udemy Graphic Design Courses
Founded in 2009, Udemy is an online learning platform that was created to help people learn new skills. Many of the courses on Udemy can be perfect for someone looking for to learn graphic design. We decided to highlight a few of these that we think you may find useful, plus our list of the Top 10 Udemy courses.
- Introduction to Graphic Design.
- Learn Adobe Photoshop from Scratch.
- Professional Logo Design in Adobe Illustrator.
4- Alison Free Graphic Design Online Courses
Any list we create would be incomplete without Alison Online on it. Taking the Visual and Graphic Design course on the site will earn you a test-based certificate upon completion, which can be great for anyone already studying graphic design.
Now for some who may have been working in graphic design for some time may not see the value in the completion certificate. However, if you are a graphic designer just starting out, having a certificate in a subject can help establish credibility when trying to secure a new job or freelance project.
List of Free Graphic Design Online Courses
Our selection criteria for these programs are focused on the duration and nature of course work offered. We also considered the quality of education, average earnings of graduates, accreditation, and several other relevant factors.
As you read further, you will get detailed information on the various programs offered by the free online schools listed below.
- Canva Design School.
- Envato Tuts+ Illustration and Design Courses.
- Core Principles for Visual Design(Basics).
- Introduction to Graphic Design.
- Adobe Photoshop.
- Graphic Design from the University of Colorado.
- CreativeLive.
- Fundamentals of Creative Design from CalArts.
- ADMEC Multimedia Institute.
- Creative Pro.
More Free & Paid Graphic Design Courses Online
Here are a few more! If you have any other courses to add, let me know!
- Lynda / LinkedIn Learning.
- Creative Live.
- Kadenze.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- CoursesOnline.
- General Assembly.
- The Graphic Design School.
- Springboard (UX Design / Business / Marketing).
- Interaction Design Foundation – Get 3 months off your first year!
- ShawAcademy.
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