20 Best Online Graphic Design Courses 2024

Do you wish to become a graphic designer but you don’t know how to go about it?, If yes, this is for you. In this article, we have listed some of the best online graphic design courses, both free and paid across several learning platforms such as Udemy, Edx and many more.

In today’s world, graphic design has become the most popular means of visual communication between a brand and its audience. It is now one of the most sought after skills in the world and learning it will help you gain the necessary skills to build a successful career as a graphic designer.

Should you want to start learning graphic design, browse through our list and register using the course links we have provided for you.

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Table of Content:

• Benefits of learning graphic design online
• Best online Graphic design course

Benefits Of Learning Graphic Design Online

What are some benefits you’ll enjoy by taking graphic design courses online? In case you aren’t completely sold on this idea, allow us to change your mind with this list of all the things you stand to gain by taking online graphic design courses.

1. Flexible Hours

The best part of taking an online graphic design course is that you get full time access to downloadable videos and resources which you can study at a comfortable pace.

Although some courses have schedules for online classes, you can speak to the tutor and communicate at a time that is convenient for you to participate and follow up with classes.

2. Increased Collaboration 

Online graphic design courses create the best platforms for beginners to interact and collaborate with top professionals in the design industry.

It exposes you to the world of successful designers and you can pick up a few tricks and techniques from senior designers as you learn.

3. Affordable 

There are many free as well as paid quality graphic design courses for you to learn from online.

4. Career Advancement 

Most of the courses are created for designers across all levels who wish to improve their skills and knowledge in design and ultimately pursue a new career path like motion graphics, 3d rendering and so much more.

Taking online design courses are the best to upskill as a designer without breaking the bank.

5. Builds Skill And Confidence 

Improving your skills is the best way to invest in yourself as a designer and taking online design courses is a great way to do so.

Learning new techniques, styles and principles can help enhance your expertise and bolster your confidence in various aspects of your personal and professional career.

20 Best Online Graphic Design Courses

Finally, these are the 20 of the best online Graphic Design Courses you can start learning today. Our recommendation comes with a summary of what each course is about, and a direct link to each of them, so that you can promptly check them out before making your choice.

1. Graphic Design Bootcamp 

Graphic Design bootcamp is a 16 hour online course on Udemy that teaches the basic fundamentals of design. It helps learners develop the skills and confidence to increase their chances of getting employed in the creative design industry.

In this course, you will work with typography, shapes, colours, images to build realistic design print and web projects using Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign.

You will get full life-time access to downloadable resources, articles, assignments and a certificate upon completing the course.

Duration: 16 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Graphic Design bootcamp

2. Graphic Design Masterclass- Learn Great Design 

This is a great online course for graphic designers who want to upskill and create real-time design projects across different industries.

It is a highly collaborative course that covers the tools and capabilities of Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Design theory, Branding and Logo Design.

By the end of this course, you will have a deeper understanding of typography, colour theory, images, layout, balance, type hierarchy, fonts and other essential tools in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

Duration: 29 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Graphic design masterclass

3. The Complete Graphic Design Theory For Beginners By Udemy

The Complete Graphic design theory is the perfect design course for newbies in graphic design. Learners will gain the knowledge and experience on how to apply the concepts of design to their daily lives.

They’ll also learn the fundamentals of colour theory, typography, photography composition, user interface and user experience design and how to connect past and current trends to source for inspiration for creating your own original projects which you can add to your portfolio or apply for jobs.

This course examines the thought process behind some of the most common graphic design practices and principles. It is one of the

Duration: 10 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: The Complete Graphic design theory for Beginners

4. Logo Design with Draplin: Secrets of Shape, Type and Color

Logo Design with Draplin is an hour-long course that teaches the secrets and tricks to creating appealing and user-friendly logos for brands.

Students will get unlimited access to videos and materials packed with lessons and advice on how to use Adobe Illustrator to refine shapes, type and colour effectively for every logo and branding design project.

Duration: 1 hour

Certificate: No

Course Link: Logo Design with Draplin: Secrets of Shape, Type and Color

5. Graphic Design Specialization by CalArt 

In today’s world, Graphic design is everywhere, it is used to communicate products, stories, and services in different forms and shapes, on print and screen to reach its desired target.

Graphic design specialisation is a 4 course module that covers the core concepts required to create graphic design projects by understanding the process, historical context and communication through typography and image-making.

The goal of this course is to equip learners with the fundamental skills needed to succeed as a graphic designer and also serves as a beginners course for those who wish to further their studies in interface design, motion graphics and editorial design.

Duration:  6 months

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Graphic Design Specialization

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6. Adobe CC Masterclass: Photoshop, Illustrator, XD and InDesign

Adobe CC Masterclass introduces you to the world of modern graphic design. In this course, you will be working with industry-leading design software for photo-editing, manipulation, branding, publishing, marketing and  creating web and mobile design projects.

The course runs through a flexible period of 13 hours which can also be accessed offline with 25 downloadable resources and a certificate of completion.

It is one of the online Graphic design courses that can be taken by beginners and professionals who wish to gain a deeper understanding of Graphic design.

Duration: 13 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Adobe CC Masterclass: Photoshop, Illustrator, XD and InDesign

7. Become A Graphic Designer- LinkedIn Learning

Become a Graphic Designer is a free course by LinkedIn Learning. This graphic design program takes you on a journey of exploration to visualise compelling ideas and stories.

You will understand how to use in-demand tools and skills like design systems, layout, typography and colour to build projects and discover the skills to become a great visual thinker and communicator.

Duration: 27 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Become a Graphic Designer

8. Visual And Graphic Design 

This course explores the basic design principles such as balance, hierarchy, image composition, and design elements like shapes, forms, colours, and textures.

You will learn the important skills and knowledge that graphic design professionals use in the real world.

Visual and Graphic design is the best course to take you from intermediate to expert level so you too can make a successful impact in the creative industry.

Duration: 1-3 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Visual and Graphic Design

9. Beginners Guide To Adobe Photoshop Skillshare

If you’re looking for the best photoshop course for complete beginners, then we might suggest the Beginners guide to Adobe Photoshop.

The course is approximately 4 hours long and covers all the principles and elements on how to edit, create and manipulate graphics in Photoshop.

You will also learn how to use essential tools to clean up images, change background, crop & adjust, retouch, add effects to designs to create graphics for sales Ads, web banners, flyers, posters and so much more.

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Certificate: No

Course Link: Beginners guide to Adobe Photoshop

10. Google UX Design

This is one of the best courses for designers who want to communicate and deliver the best user experience through eye-catching visuals.

The Google UX design course is one of the best beginner friendly programs you can find. Students will explore user-centred design, design process, systems and accessibility.

You will also learn the foundation of UX design, including empathising with the user, creating wireframes and prototypes and conducting background research to test your designs before delivering it to the public. It is the best design course to take your career to the next level.

Duration: 6 months

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Google UX Design

11. Graphic Design Basics

Graphic Design Basics is a free graphic design course that teaches you all you need to know as a beginner in design.

It combines core fundamentals of design as a means of communication, teaching you how to effectively apply your creativity to communicate visually and ensure your idea/message is interpreted correctly.

Duration: 30 mins

Certificate: No

Course Link: Graphic Design Basics

12. Logo Design Fundamentals 

Logos can make or break a brand. A good brand logo should be adaptable, dynamic and possess the ability to convey the brand’s values and purpise.

This course will teach you the step by step process to create a brand logo for a product or company. You will learn logo design fundamentals including the design process, elements and systems using tools like Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

This course is more than just learning about shapes and colours, it explores more in-depth explanations of the complex world of logo design theory and brand identity.

So, whether you are a beginner in design or a professional looking to add a few tips and tricks to improve your skill, this is the perfect course for you.

Duration: 49 minutes

Certificate: No

Course Link: Logo Design Fundamentals

13. Introduction to Graphic Design History

This is a two-part program about the origin of graphic design, this course breaks down the concepts of design theories, style, techniques and tools and how they have improved over time.

You will be taught directly by top renowned authors and professionals at Maryland Institute College of Art(MICA) and by the time you have completed the course, you will understand how to apply the concepts developed by past designers and its impact on modern design movements.

Duration: 6 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Introduction to Graphic Design History

14. Creating Brand Systems: An overview Of Combining Logos And Types – Skillshare

This is a short online course suitable for designers, Illustrators, and creative who want in on the behind the scenes process of logo design and branding.

The aim of this course is to teach you the skills and knowledge that goes into creating dynamic logos which can be used across numerous platforms.

Duration: 18 minutes

Certificate: No

Course Link: Creating Brand Systems: An overview of combining Logos and Types

15. Print Advertising 

Print Advertising combines design and advertising to capture the attention of audiences to a certain product or brand with the aim of attracting more customers or spreading information.

It is simply the process of using words and images to create powerful designs in printed media such as, magazines, billboards, posters, newspapers.

In this course, you will learn how to combine the right images and texts to create meaning to your design and the function of design elements and how it affects the way message is perceived.

Duration: 50 minutes

Certificate: No

Course Link: Print Advertising

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16. Mastering Design Principles and Elements

Mastering Design Principles and Elements is a course that’ll upgrade your graphic design skills to expert level. In it you’ll learn the usefulness of design principles, elements, and understanding the best techniques to create the correct coordination in design application.

It is one of the best courses to develop knowledge on the effects of design visually and psychologically.

Duration: 1hr

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Mastering Design Principles and Elements 

17. Print and Digital Elements: Branding and User Experience 

The two most popular applications of graphic design are in print and digital format. The print and digital element course will teach you how to build dynamic designs that can be delivered in print (logos, brochures, billboards) and digital medium as seen on websites and social media.

By the end of this course, you will not only be good at designing, you will also learn how to prioritise user experience while working on your design projects.

Duration: 10 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Print and Digital Elements: Branding and User Experience 

18. Adobe After Effects: Complete Course from Novice to Expert

This is a trusted best seller graphic design course you need to boost your creativity and productivity as a graphic designer. This course teaches learners how to use all the important tools and elements in Adobe after effects.

It covers a lot of important topics on motion graphics, animation, illustration, compositing and so much more to help you increase and broaden your expertise in design.

Duration: 34.5 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Adobe After Effects: Complete Course from Novice to Expert

19. Become A Professional Graphic Designer 

This is a very good course to study if you want to understand the importance of a graphic designer. You will learn the principles behind some of the greatest design techniques.

You will also learn the fundamentals of visual communication, graphic design for web applications and also learn the skills to help you land your first job as a graphic designer.

Duration: 20.5 hours

Certificate: Yes

Course Link: Become a Professional Graphic Designer 

20. Colour for Designers: Exploration, Theory & Application

With colour for designers: Exploration, Theory & Application, you will become a master at selecting and combining colours to enhance the appeal of your design projects.

This course enables you to go out of your comfort zone and try colours you have never worked with before. You will be taught the fundamentals of colour theory principles and practise how to apply them.

You will also be exposed to a series of ideas, styles and techniques which will change the way you play with colours in your projects and in turn boost your confidence in your professional work design.

Duration: 8 hours

Certificate: No

Course Link: Colour for Designers: Exploration, Theory & Application

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By taking anyone of these graphic design online courses, you’ll be making the right investments into your career and future as well.

Another good thing to note about these courses is that some of them are free and you must not have any prior knowledge of design before you can take them.