Top 8 Online Graphic Design Courses for Beginners

Graphic design is a flourishing industry that is constantly looking for new talents. The good news is that you don’t need to pursue a degree to start a career as a graphic designer. Today you can learn anything you want online. However, there are so many courses out there that it feels overwhelming to navigate through the search, especially if you’re a beginner.

In this article, we’ve compiled the list of the eight best courses that teach the fundamentals of graphic design. All of them are offered by leading industry experts, which makes them a good starting point for your journey into graphic design.

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1. Introduction to Graphic design

Platform: Udemy

Instructor: Anthony Isaac

Duration: 2.5 hours

Cost: $11,99

Taking Introduction to Graphic Design, you’ll learn how to create projects with the help of Canva. The course provides an overview of the platform and allows you to hone basic graphic design skills like typography, text masking, image and text effects, etc.

You can use knowledge from the course to design logos, cards, posts, thumbnails, posters and even improve the appearance of your school assignments. Well-designed form and quality content are the two elements of a winning school project.

2. Fundamentals of Graphic Design

Platform: Coursera

Offered by: CalArts

Instructor: Michael Worthington

Duration: 15 hours

Cost: $49 per month (subscription)

As a part of the Graphic Design Specialization, the course allows you to immerse yourself in the field and get the basic skills. You’ll learn the fundamentals of color, image-making, typography, and composition.

The course isn’t only about theory. It allows you to create real-life designs. You’ll work on exercises, quizzes, and graded practical assignments. Getting feedback on your work from the instructor is a major benefit of the course. Upon completion, you’ll have a finished project that you can put on your portfolio.

3. Graphic Design Fundamentals: Getting Started

Platform: CreativeLive

Instructor: Timothy Samara

Duration: 6 hours

Cost: $14

The course includes 18 lessons on everything from the history of graphic design to guidelines on how to produce specific types of images. You’ll learn everything about the creative process. The course is popular among students who come from different academic backgrounds.

4. Basic Elements of Design: Design Principles and Software

Platform: Coursera

Offered by: University of Colorado Boulder

Instructor: Lori Poole

Duration: 11 hours

Cost: $49 per month (subscription)

If you’re looking for resources to gain skills in color theory, textual elements, and print design, consider Basic Elements of Design taught by Lori Poole. The flexibility of the course allows you to balance it with college if you’re still a student. Once you’ve finished this course, you’ll be able to work on your first professional projects in no time.

5. Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design

Platform: SkillShare

Instructor: Ellen Lupton

Duration: 36 minutes

Cost: $8.32 per month (subscription)

This is a short class with bite-sized lessons for beginners. It introduces you to the general principles of graphic design, covering symmetry, scale, framing, hierarchy, and grids.

The class walks you through the basics, and you’ll need less than an hour to complete it. With a SkillShare subscription, you’ll be able to go on exploring other classes on the platform to advance your knowledge. You can find other design courses from the same author or explore what other creators have to offer.

6. Adobe Illustrator for Beginners

Platform: Envato, YouTube

Instructor: Daniel Walter Scott

Duration: 3 hours

Cost: Free

Graphic designers need basic software training to make their ideas come to life. Daniel Walter Scott has created a free course for beginners that helps get a grasp on the basic tools of Adobe Illustrator like lines, curves, shapes, and brushes.

The course explains the essentials and allows you to get started with the software even if you use it for the first time in your life. It also includes files with exercises. You can practice as you watch the course and let the instructor guide you through the process.

7. Graphic Design Foundations: Typography

Platform: LinkedIn Learning

Instructor: Ina Saltz

Duration: 2 hours

Cost: $29.99 per month (subscription)

Typography skills are essential for graphic designers. By taking a specialized course, you’ll understand how to use typographic techniques to make your message more effective and eye-catching.

The course covers the best practices for both digital and print designs. You’ll learn everything about typographic differentiation, spacing, type design, legibility, composition, and the language of type. Each section of the course includes short lessons and presents information in small portions, which makes it easy to memorize the material. You can also earn a shareable certificate upon completion and use it to power up your CV.

8. Professional Logo Design in Adobe Illustrator

Platform: Udemy

Instructor: Rawson Uddin

Duration: 7 hours

Cost: Free

Another specialized course on our list concerns logo design. It’s a beginner-friendly and completely free resource. Yet, we recommend you to complete Daniel Scott’s Adobe Illustrator for Beginners to have the basic knowledge of the software before you proceed with logo design.

The course teaches how to choose the typeface, colors, textures, and much more. It includes assignments and exercise files you can download and practice while watching tutorials. The instructor combines theory and practice to explain the basic principles of logo creation and guide you through the process step by step.

The Bottom Line

Enrolling in courses online is a great opportunity to develop your skills in graphic design. You’ll learn essential information about color, layout, and image creation so that you’ll be able to start your career right upon completion. Many of these courses are free or require minimal investment, which makes education available for everyone. Besides, the flexibility of online learning allows you to balance course assignments with other responsibilities. So don’t hesitate to choose a course and take your skills to the next level.