10 Courses Every Design Student Should Check

Online courses are a great opportunity to enrich your education. No matter how great your college curriculum is, there is always room for growth and development. And digital studies are one of the most convenient ways to get better at something.

Maybe you want to learn a new skill or explore techniques you haven’t even known about. After all, design is such a diverse and creative field that there is always much to learn.

Technology has brought education to a new level, whether you need to access a variety of sources, learn a new skill, or find a great write my paper service to deal with your essay. And if you want to get better as a design student, check out these excellent courses.

Introduction to Graphic Design

This is a perfect course for beginner level learners provided by professors of Maryland Institute College of Art. It is available for free, but the certification one can get at the end of the course is included in the premium membership for Kadenze users (costs $20).

 
It explores the history of publishing and how printing has changed the principles of graphic design. There are seven sessions; each of them takes about 6 hours of work. And the course is available not only in English but also in Spanish, Russian, Chinese, etc. It is a bit more on the theoretical side but gives the necessary background for understanding the design fundamentals. These lessons can put all further knowledge in a certain wider context and perspective. Also, they are extremely interesting to almost anyone.

Overall, it is a good place to start learning about the factors that influenced graphic design as we know it today. Learning history helps to understand the significance of particular trends and solutions.

Fundamentals of Graphic Design

This program is open for free on Coursera from CalArts partners. It is exactly what one might look for to enter the field. Mostly, the lessons would be great for beginners, but maybe you want to deepen some knowledge even as a professional. Overall, it is a comprehensive and detailed university-level program.
It takes about 15 hours to complete, so it is not a huge commitment in time. And there is a certificate of completion available for learners. 

The lessons cover all the basics one might need to know, such as composition, working with colors, image-making, typography, etc. One of the great benefits of these lessons is that there are many practical assignments, so it is not just theory. All that is taught can be used right away to create something beautiful.

All one needs is a computer and a basic knowledge of Adobe software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. After completion, you’ll be ready to start on your project, have all the fundamental knowledge of visual representation. It is a helpful way to begin a designer’s journey.

Animation for Graphic Designers: How to Animate a Logo

This course is available at Skillshare and offers the opportunity to bring animation to your design. It has 14 lessons that will take you about 2.5 hours to finish.

It is hugely practical and very useful if you want to know how to use Adobe After Effects and Adobe Illustrator in general. The main focus of course is making a logo more attractive with motion. It is suitable for those who want to start their animation journey or just want to add some spice to their logos.

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Introduction to Graphic Illustration

This is yet another great Kadenze course that will help you start off with the illustration field. It is also available for free but certification is for premium members.

Students who enroll in this program need to know basic design principles. You should have experience with digital drawing and Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator as well.

The program is developed by professors of Cornish College of Arts. The aim is to teach about the means of expression and effective communication through illustration. If it's something you’ve always wanted to try, this course is a great opportunity.

Graphic Design Specialization

For those who want to invest their time but get a full package, this one is the best choice. It is the program created by the California Institute of Arts. It is going to take about six months to finish, but this course will teach you everything you need to know about the matter.

The main benefit is that it is incredibly practical and there are lots of assignments and exercises for each theoretical part. So you will not only know the theory but learn exactly how to do things.

The course is based on real-life examples and highlights emerging industry trends. In the end, students will get a completion certificate that can be mentioned in a resume. You will also create a portfolio project.

Adobe Photoshop Essential Tools

This is a short but very helpful course on Adobe Photoshop CS6 from Alison. It is a free program that takes up to two hours to finish. There is also a certification available if you need it. 

Overall, it is pretty useful, rather comprehensive, and practical. It helps to know the most crucial tools to bring your design to a new level.

Learn Adobe Photoshop from Scratch

If you need further knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, you can learn everything from a beginner’s level on this Udemy’s program. This is an excellent choice for those who want to learn all the basics and professional tips and tricks to use for their projects. 

It is not free, but costs about $20 and is available for students of all levels of knowledge. Yet, it will prove much more beneficial for those who are just starting. It is comprehensive, interesting, and offers many additional sources to learn from.

Learn the Entire Affinity Suite: Photo, Designer, and Publisher

For those, who prefer Affinity suite to Adobe, this is a perfect program to learn all the essential functions. Maybe you want to add more tools to the set, broaden your knowledge, or use completely different software, it is up to you. This program is available on Udemy for $129.99 and offers a detailed insight into the whole suite with its features.

It is a well-built program that has over 11 hours of video lessons, 8 articles, and 11 files to download. It is quite practical and has several interesting tasks to do. There is a possibility to get a certificate in the end, which can be a great bonus for many learners. Another factor that makes this one a great investment is that it is highly rated by more than 5,000 students.

It covers the whole suite including Designer, Photo, Publisher, and Mobile Apps functionality. You’ll also learn more about the pen tool and use it to create logos and icons. The program deals with the basic principles like layout and color, as well as layers. As a result, you’ll know how to create and export as digital or printed files almost anything – from an Instagram post to a book, business card, or advertisement poster.

UI/UX Design Specialization

It is a full 8-month program from CalArts. This is an option for those who are interested in working on designs for websites, mobile and web applications, etc. 

The program consists of four courses. You will get to know everything, from the principles of analyzing the audience and considering their needs up to bringing ideas to life. 

Students will also learn strategies and best practices to provide the most comfortable user interface. There are many exercises and assignments to actually learn how to do things. The focus is, as always, on the practical aspect of education.

Create a Knockout Graphic Design Portfolio

This outstanding course has a bit of a different subject at its core. It is created for designers to master the art of a portfolio that will get one the desired position. After all, it is one of the most important tasks to showcase your skills and creativity so they are not missed out on.

The program as a whole is comprehensive and interesting. The course consists of 15 videos, which take about 5 hours to finish. You’ll learn how to target the audience and analyze potential clients so that the portfolio impresses them. This is as essential for artists as a perfect resume for other professionals as it helps to find the best opportunities and score them.

It is available on the Creative Live website as a separate course for $49 or as part of the subscription for $13 per month. This is a very helpful program for those who are ready to start their professional career as freelancers or as corporate employees.

In Summary

These programs are helpful if you want to learn new skills or get better at what you are already doing. Whether you are interested in a short-term program or a full-on curriculum, you can find a fitting option. There are some helpful options for beginners and more advanced lessons for those with more experience. The majority of the courses are available for free, but if you need certification, these are usually a paid feature.