Are you looking to kick-start your graphic design education? Free courses are an excellent place to start. Keep reading to discover the best available options.
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Maybe you want to become a fully-fledged graphic designer. Perhaps you just want to pick up some useful graphic design skills. Either way, free graphic design courses are a great way to learn the fundamentals, gain an introduction to the field, and lay the foundation for further education.
And the Internet is full of them! But quantity doesn’t always mean quality, and identifying the best courses can be a challenge.
To help you, we’ve created this shortlist:
- Graphic Design Basics by Canva Design School
- Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts via Coursera
- Adobe Illustrator for Beginners by Daniel Walter Scott
- Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design by Ellen Lupton & Jennifer Cole Phillips via Skillshare
- Graphic Design by BCcampus OpenEd via Alison
- Diploma in Graphic Design by Adams Academy via Alison
- Free graphic design tutorials by The Futur Academy
Without further ado, let’s help you find the best free graphic design course for you!
1. Graphic Design Basics by Canva Design School
Image source: Graphic Design Basics by Canva Design School.
Canva is one of the most popular graphic design tools, and Canva Design School offers thousands of free tutorials to help learn the tricks of the trade.
The Graphic Design Basics course provides a beginner-friendly starting point, covering the very basics such as what graphic design is and what it means to be a graphic designer.
From there, you’ll learn about some of the practicalities of graphic design, including how to begin the design process, how to create a mood board, how to pair fonts, creating contrast, and the basics of colour theory.
The course comprises a total of 12 short video lessons, and most lessons include an activity that you can complete using Canva.
Overall, this is an excellent free course if you’re brand new to graphic design and want to start from the very beginning.
In summary:
- A short, high-level introduction to the basics of graphic design.
- Practical activities are included with most lessons.
- Around 25 minutes of video instruction in total.
Learn more: Graphic Design Basics by Canva Design School.
2. Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts via Coursera
Image source: Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts via Coursera.
The Graphic Design Specialization is a series of courses taught by CalArts via the Coursera learning platform.
The Specialization comprises five courses in total:
- Fundamentals of Graphic Design
- Introduction to Typography
- Introduction to Imagemaking
- Ideas from the History of Graphic Design
- Brand New Brand
Each course outlines key learning objectives followed by a sequence of video lessons. At the end of each course, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to a peer-graded assignment. Some courses also include quizzes to test your knowledge.
The final course in the Specialization builds on everything you’ve learned so far, taking you through the entire design process to complete a capstone project. Note that, in order to complete the final project, you’ll need to have earned a certificate in the four previous courses within the Specialization.
This Specialization course provides a thorough and practical introduction to graphic design, ideal if you’re thinking about becoming a graphic designer.
In summary:
- A thorough and practical introduction to graphic design.
- Five courses in total which include video lessons and practical assignments.
- Available for free with a 7-day Coursera trial. At the end of the trial period, you’ll be required to pay monthly until you complete the course ($59/month).
- Includes a certificate of completion.
Learn more: Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts via Coursera.
3. Adobe Illustrator for Beginners by Daniel Walter Scott
Image source: Adobe Illustrator for Beginners by Daniel Walter Scott.
Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based illustration software that belongs to the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. It’s one of the most popular (and essential) graphic design tools, and you can learn how to use it in this free beginner’s tutorial led by Daniel Walter Scott.
Daniel Walter Scott is a digital designer and certified Adobe instructor. Under his expert instruction, you’ll learn:
- How to draw using Adobe Illustrator
- How to work with colour and gradients
- How to use text and fonts in Illustrator
- How to create effects and patterns
- How to export your designs for print and web
The course is just under 3.5 hours long, broken down into a series of mini-video lessons. The theory behind the video tutorial is also explained through a blog article-style text.
To complete the course and to download the source files that you’ll use throughout the tutorial (available via the course landing page), you’ll need access to Adobe Illustrator.
Whether you want to work as a graphic designer or simply master the skills to create your own designs, you’ll want to learn Adobe Illustrator—and this free course provides a thorough, high-quality, and hands-on introduction.
In summary:
- A practical tutorial teaching you how to use Adobe Illustrator, one of the most important graphic design tools.
- Just under 3.5 hours of video footage and downloadable source files.
- Ideal for beginners—no prior knowledge or experience necessary.
Learn more: Adobe Illustrator for Beginners by Daniel Walter Scott.
4. Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design by Ellen Lupton & Jennifer Cole Phillips via Skillshare
Image source: Graphic Design Basics by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips via Skillshare.
Skillshare is an online learning community offering thousands of video classes for a broad variety of skills. Among them is a great introductory course for aspiring graphic designers, taught by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips of MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art).
The course, Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design, provides an introduction to five core principles of graphic design:
- Symmetry vs. asymmetry, and how to use them to create balance.
- Scale and its role in telling a visual story and meeting (or playing with) the audience’s expectations.
- Framing—an introduction to the 3 different types and where they fit into the design process.
- Hierarchy and its importance for ordering information and directing the reader.
- Grids—how they bring structure and efficiency to page design, and how to create a basic grid using Adobe InDesign.
In just 36 minutes of engaging video content, you’ll learn how to identify and apply these fundamental graphic design principles—a great place to start for novice designers.
In summary:
- An expert introduction to five core graphic design principles.
- 36 minutes of expert-led video content.
- You can access the course for free with a 7-day Skillshare trial.
Learn more: Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips via Skillshare.
5. Graphic Design by BCcampus OpenEd via Alison
Image source: Graphic Design by BCcampus OpenEd via Alison.
If you’re looking for one of the best free graphic design courses with certificates, look no further than this course published by BCcampus OpenEd via the popular online education platform Alison.
The course teaches you the art of graphic design from the ground up, exploring the fascinating history of graphic design before diving deeper into some of the fundamental theories, practices, and principles.
Requiring around 3 hours of study time, the course is divided into the following modules:
- Introduction to Graphic Design
- Graphic Design History
- Graphic Design Process
- Graphic Design Elements
- Course assessment
Note that you won’t be able to unlock the course assessment until you’ve done the four previous modules. Complete the final assessment and you’ll receive a CPD-accredited Alison certificate. Impressive!
In summary:
- A beginner-friendly introduction to the theory of graphic design.
- 5 core modules comprising around 3 hours of total study time.
- Includes a CPD-accredited certificate of completion.
Learn more: Free Graphic Design Course by BCcampus OpenEd via Alison.
6. Diploma in Graphic Design by Adams Academy via Alison
Image source: Diploma in Graphic Design by Adams Academy.
Another free graphic design course available via Alison is the Diploma in Graphic Design by Adams Academy.
With this course, you’ll learn how to use professional design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign. The course is broken down into just two core modules. Module one covers:
- An introduction to graphic design
- Design software
- Blends and effects
- Logo design
- Fundamentals of graphic design—lesson summary
Module two comprises your course assessment, a multiple-choice quiz that tests your knowledge of the concepts covered throughout the course. If you score 80% or more, you’ll pass with flying colours and obtain your certificate.
This free graphic design course is a great option for beginners seeking a practical introduction to key graphic design tools and their most useful features and functions.
In summary:
- 6-10 hours of learning.
- A practical introduction to Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
- Pass the final assessment quiz to get a certificate of completion.
Learn more: Diploma in Graphic Design by Adams Academy via Alison.
7. Free design tutorials by The Futur Academy
Image source: The Futur Academy YouTube channel.
The Futur Academy is a YouTube channel dedicated to “the developing creative professional.” It’s full of tutorials, demos, and top tips to help you learn the fundamentals of graphic design, sharpen your skills, and make your mark in the graphic design job market.
The experts at The Futur Academy cover the whole gamut of graphic design topics—from typography, logo design, and layout to motion design, illustration, film, and video.
If you’re new to graphic design, consider starting with these free tutorials on the channel:
Already familiar with the fundamentals and keen to delve into some more advanced techniques? Check out these tutorials:
- Adobe After Effects for Beginners
- The Brand Identity and Packaging Process
- Kinetic Typography Animation: After Effects Motion Graphics Tutorial
While not a graphic design course per se, this is a great resource for quick and practical free tutorials.
In summary:
- A collection of free graphic design lessons for new and mid-level graphic designers.
- Practical tutorials showing you how to complete specific tasks using graphic design tools and software.
- A mix of fundamentals and more advanced topics.
Learn more: The Futur Academy YouTube channel.
How to take your graphic design education to the next level
Free graphic design courses provide a great introduction to the field. And, with this guide, you’ve got a good selection to kick-start your learning.
If your ultimate goal is to become a graphic designer, bear in mind that free courses alone won’t prepare you for a job in the field. Once you’ve got a handle on the basics, you’ll want to take your design education to the next level with a full graphic design course or qualification.
The most reputable graphic design courses offer expert instruction and mentorship from industry professionals, the opportunity to work on practical projects, connect with a community of aspiring designers, and support with landing your first graphic design role. An industry-relevant and comprehensive course will also help build out your graphic design portfolio from scratch. Here are a few portfolios from AND learners for reference:
We’ve rounded up the best graphic design programs and certifications here, and we also encourage you to check out our step-by-step guide on how to become a graphic designer.
Next steps
Are you ready to explore the exciting world of graphic design and launch your career in the field? Here’s what you can do next:
- Watch this session by design veteran and AND’s Academic Head, Prachi Mittal, and our Course Lead, Soumya Tiwari.
- Talk to a course advisor to discuss how you can transform your career with one of our courses.
- Pursue our Graphic Design courses - all courses are taught through live, interactive classes by industry experts, and some even offer a Job Guarantee.
- Take advantage of the scholarship and funding options that come with our courses to overcome any financial hurdle on the path of your career transformation.
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
