GRAPHIC DESIGN
Top Ultimate Online Graphic Design Courses in 2020
The Best Options to Learn Graphic Design at Home
2020 many of us are in self-quarantine and keep the social distancing rule at home. So, let’s use this time to build new skill sets with several online learning platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, etc. Devoting some of our quarantine time to self-education makes sense. Besides helping to bolster your career during this economic uncertainty, learning a new skill can give you a sense of control that will help cope with anxiety engendered by the epidemic [1].
Why take a Graphic Design course?
- You will be able to apply Graphic Design skills to any of your projects even if you are not a graphic designer, like creating a nice illustration for showcasing your work.
- If you are already a graphic designer and looking for a job. The courses will help you strengthen your portfolio and follow the visual design trend of 2020.
- Graphic Designers are always needed in the job market with a decent salary. The good thing is you can work anywhere!
While a picture may be worth a thousand words, graphic design can be worth thousands of dollars in any business. Graphic Design is one of the most important fundamental of all businesses.
When you search online about the graphic design courses, you may find several sites list top 10–20 of the courses, and you end up not so sure which one to take. So, in this article, I will list the top three best online graphic design courses as of 2020 for you.
Let’s get started!
1. Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts
Make a Compelling Design. Learn and apply the principles of graphic design towards a comprehensive branding project.
Platform:
Coursera
Cost:
Free Trial for 1 week, then €45 per month.
About this Course:
The Graphic Design Specialization course [2] is available on Coursera taught by CALARTS (California Institute of the Arts), the top art school in the USA. The goal of this specialization is to equip learners with a set of transferable formal and conceptual tools for “making and communicating” in the field of graphic design. The structure of this course contains five-course sequences from a basic you need to know about graphic design. It ends up with an opportunity to tie together your knowledge and skills into a final brand development project. These five courses are including:
- Fundamentals of Graphic Design
- Introduction to Typography
- Introduction to Imagemaking
- Ideas from the History of Graphic Design
- Brand New Brand
Review:
The ideal thing about these courses from my experience is that I must do the assignments, and I can get the peer reviews about my design. The assignment and review system helped me practice what I learned and use the knowledge that I got from the course. The course is about the theoretical principals and practices. It was good because it did not focus on the tool training, but covers the history, theory, and fundamentals.
This course is the best available online graphic design course that worthy of your investment and time. Try for free for the first 7 days, and you will know it! One downside of the Coursera platform comparing to one from Udemy is that you have to pay your fee monthly until you finish the course. So, it is highly recommended that you take the class seriously once you design to take it. You will get the certificate from Coursera once you complete each course. Yay!
LINK to the course:
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/graphic-design
2. Illustrator CC 2020 MasterClass
Master Adobe Illustrator CC with this in-depth training for all levels.
Platform:
Udemy
Cost:
€10.99 (one-time price as of May 17, 2020)
About this course:
This Illustrator CC 2020 course [3] teaches you to use this industry-leading vector graphic application as a creative professional. The entire course content, including examples, techniques, exercises, and quizzes, have been carefully selected and refined to offer the most efficient and enjoyable way to master Adobe Illustrator. This course has been purposely designed for users of all experiences, from complete beginners to existing Illustrator users, who want to take their skills to the next level. Being able to work in Illustrator confidently is an essential skill for any Graphic Designer or Illustrator. Still, it is an equally useful tool for Product Designers, Fashion Designers, UI/UX designers, and various other areas within and outside of the creative industry.
Review:
I would recommend this course if you want to start your career in the field of design or even someone who wants to pick up digital art, just as a hobby. Not only will this course get everything you need to know about Adobe Illustrator, but it will also help you to get an official qualification proving your proficiency with this software. If you want to see demo of the class, feel free to check the instructor YouTube channel in the link below:
LINK to the course:
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/graphic-design
3. Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization
Learn to Design and Create Websites. Build a responsive and accessible web portfolio using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript
Platform:
Coursera
Cost:
Free Trial for 1 week, then €45/month
About this course:
This Web design specialization course [4] covers how to write syntactically correct HTML5 and CSS3, and how to create interactive web experiences with JavaScript. Mastering this range of technologies will allow you to develop high-quality web sites that work seamlessly on a mobile, tablet, and large screen browsers accessible. During the last capstone module, you will develop a professional-quality web portfolio demonstrating your growth as a web developer and your knowledge of accessible web design. This will include your ability to design and implement a responsive site that utilizes tools to create a site that is accessible to a broad audience, including those with visual, audial, physical, and cognitive impairments.
These five courses are including:
- Introduction to HTML5
- Introduction to CSS3
- Interactivity with JavaScript
- Advanced Styling with Responsive Design
- Web Design for Everybody Capstone
Review:
You can see from the online freelance platform like Freelancer.com that Web Design has the highest demand. I highly recommend this course if you want to be able to design a website and work as a web designer, even if you have no experience before. This course was very easy to catch up and fun to learn even for a non-programmer like me!! To show you an example, I was able to create my first own website here.
LINK to the course:
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/graphic-design
Conclusion
This article shows you the top three online graphic design courses as of 2020. I hope you enjoy this short article. Feel free to leave me a message if you have questions, comments, or suggestions.
♥♥ Thank you for Reading ♥♥
References
[1] David Robson, Online learning: how to acquire new skills during lockdown (Apr 19, 2020), The Guardian
[2] Graphic Design Specialization (May 2020), Coursera
[3] Illustrator CC 2020 MasterClass (Mar 2020), Udemy
[4] Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization (May 2020), Coursera
