Graphic design is 0ne of those worthwhile career choices simply because every business needs a designer at one point or another.
Given the popularity of the field, there are thousands of courses available online – don’t let this deter you though.
We’ve done the hard work and created a list of some of the top online graphic design courses to consider this year.
Table of Contents
8 of the Best Online Graphic Design Courses
Please note that the courses below aren’t presented in any particular order. The first course on the list isn’t necessarily the best.
All programs have a high attendance rate, excellent reviews, or are provided by some of the world’s leading corporations. Also, you’ll find plenty of online graphic design courses with certificates.
The best course for you will depend on the duration, cost, and technical abilities.
Let’s dive right in.
1. Graphic Design Masterclass – Udemy
- Cost: $169.99
- Duration: 28.5 hours
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
This is a perfect all-in-one graphic design course to teach you the basics of working in the most popular tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
The program also covers the basics of design theory, logo design, and branding. With over 135,000 students, this is one of the most frequently attended graphic design courses on the web.
To follow this course, you should have one of the software options pre-installed on your device, as this is not included in the course price. The curriculum consists of 28.5 hours of on-demand videos, dozens of downloadable resources, reading material, and hands-on projects. Much like with any other Udemy course, you’ll have full lifetime access to all program content.
2. Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers Specialization – Coursera
- Cost: 7-Day free trial; $49 per month
- Duration: 4 months
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
If you’re looking for a comprehensive graphic design course that goes over basic elements, color theory, publication design, and innovative techniques for creating layouts, this is a good option.
Coursera’s hands-on specialization allows you to learn about all aspects of this field and work with a team to create your very first designs. This specialization consists of four courses and is suitable for beginners.
Much like any other Coursera course, you can expect pre-recorded video lectures, reading materials, quizzes, and hands-on assignments that students have to complete to get a certificate upon completion. You can access all course materials at all times, regardless of where you are in your learning progress. There’s also a forum for discussions with other people who follow the same program.
3. Fundamentals of Graphic Design – Coursera
- Cost: 7-Day trial and free audit; $49 per month for the full version
- Duration: 15 hours
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
This top-rated course teaches beginners about the exciting world of imagery that forms the basis of graphic design.
The course covers the basics of color, rhythm, and patterns and shows students how to use direction, texture, scale, and weight in compositions. Ultimately, students get to create their own images using a range of image creation methods.
This is the first out of five courses in Coursera’s Graphic Design Specialization. The course has a well-structured curriculum consisting of pre-recorded video lectures, reading material, additional resources, quizzes, and assignments.
4. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process – Udemy
- Cost: $124.99
- Duration: 6 hours
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
Experienced graphic designers who want to focus on branding should sign up for Udemy’s Graphic Design Mastery course. Learn about logos, social media, ads, packaging, T-shirts, web design, and more.
Other than learning about the graphic design aspects of company branding, students get to work on projects that mimic what they could encounter in the real world.
Note that you should already have these three programs pre-installed on your device (although Dimensions isn’t strictly required).
The course consists of pre-recorded video lessons, downloadable resources, and plenty of hands-on projects. Users get lifetime access to all course material upon purchase, and receive a certificate of completion.
5. Graphic Design Masterclass Intermediate: The NEXT Level – Udemy
- Cost: $119.99
- Duration: 17 hours
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
Are you a graphic designer with basic knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign looking to enhance your logo design skills? If so, this course is worth your time and money.
The NEXT Level Graphic Design Masterclass teaches students complex photo manipulation techniques for ad design purposes, how to sketch logo design concepts, the golden ratio, and more. New content is added to the course a few times per year.
Students can follow the video lessons from their mobile, desktop, or TV device anytime and anywhere. It’s highly recommended that you use Adobe Creative Cloud throughout this course.
6. Color for Designers: Exploration, Theory, and Application – CreativeLive
- Cost: $49
- Duration: +-8 hours
- Qualification: None
This CreativeLive course dives deeper into the world of colors and how they are applied. You’ll learn about the theory of color, color grids, illusions but also get to work on your own projects.
Although this class is mainly suited for intermediate graphic designers, beginners with basic knowledge of the field are also welcome.
The course consists of 20 pre-recorded video lectures totaling just over 8 hours of content. Learners can download and access the material on their learning device of choice for offline study, as well as lifetime access.
7. Design and Develop a Website using Figma and CSS – Coursera
- Cost: $9.99
- Duration: +-2 hours
- Qualification: None
If you already have basic skills in Graphic Design and would like to create your website prototype using Figma, CSS, and HTML, this two-hour guided project by Coursera is a good place to start.
The project runs on an interactive workspace with walkthrough video instructions for each step. There is a final quiz to solidify your knowledge upon completion.
Students get instant access to all software needed for the course. The goal is to teach the basic features of Figma and convert your website prototype into a website exactly as you designed it.
Note that this project takes place on a cloud desktop inside a browser, so no downloads are required. Due to the specific structure of the course, lectures can only be followed via desktop.
8. Google UX Design Professional Certificate – Coursera
- Cost: Free trial; $49 per month
- Duration: 6 months
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
What better platform to learn graphic design from than one of the world’s trendsetters? Google’s UX design course is available on Coursera and covers essential UX skills.
Some of the topics include conducting user research, designing prototypes, and using tools such as Adobe XD and Figma.
This certificate program is made up of seven programs. Each one consists of pre-recorded videos, graded assignments, quizzes, and plenty of resources for your future endeavors as a graphic designer.
Hands-on learning is an important part of this course, so you’ll create three portfolio projects that you can share with prospective employees. You’ll also have a chance to apply for jobs with more than 130 partners (and Google itself).
What to Expect from a Graphic Design Course
Different programs can help you acquire both technical skills (ideation, branding, typography, UX design) and soft ones (creativity, communication, strategy, problem-solving) required to succeed in this career.
Most courses are flexible and let you complete the program at your own pace, so fitting the course in between school or work won’t be an issue.
When it comes to the content type, you can choose between theory-focused, hands-on project-focused, or a mixture of both. If you’re a complete beginner, it’s recommended to start with programs that offer just enough theory to get you started and build a solid foundation.
However, as you advance in your learning, you want to focus more on getting hands-on experience. Fortunately, tons of courses offer just that.
As an added bonus, some programs (like the Google course on this list) let you create portfolios and apply for jobs at some of the largest companies in the world.
Conclusion
As the need for graphic designers keeps rising, so does the number of available online courses. After plenty of research, we’ve presented you with some of the web’s most popular programs to end your search for the best online graphic design courses.
Still uncertain about your choice? We recommend starting with shorter and easier programs and building your way to more comprehensive programs for a more systematic learning experience.