What Classes to Take to Become a Graphic Designer

So you’re ready to become a graphic designer, but what classes are the best to take if you want to transition into the professional world? There are no shortage of courses that can teach you the basics of things like illustration, typography, and design essentials. Hobbyists can easily find online resources that walk them through fun and engaging projects. Still, picking a class specifically for professional growth and career advancement can be a little more difficult. In this article, we’ll walk you through what courses you should be on the lookout for if you want an engaging and efficient way to reach your professional and personal graphic design goals.

Workshops, Short Courses, and One-day Classes

Workshops, short courses, and one-day classes are perfect for those who want to get a head start on graphic design essentials, but may not have availability for a full bootcamp or immersive course. Because these shorter classes are often dedicated to foundational skills and geared toward beginners, it might take a bit of fishing to find ones that cater specifically higher level learning. If you’re a beginner, start here. If you’re not a beginner, you’ll want to pay close attention to classes that offer advanced technical skills in typography, photography, ideation, coding, or portfolio management. Beginner skills are more aligned with layout, color theory, and photo manipulation or editing. Soft skills are easier to keep an eye on, especially because there is a lot of overlap between beginner and advanced soft skills. Communication, collaboration, project or program management, and problem-solving are all really important for working with clients in graphic design. Even when the classes are short, they are still a great way to simultaneously grow both types of skills, and get feedback from industry professionals and peers in the process.

So how do you find professional-level workshops and short courses? There are many platforms online dedicated to helping you find classes that match your skill level. Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me platform is great for finding classes with little time commitment that are still high-quality, engaging, and efficient. Other learning platforms are dedicated to professional growth and can offer shorter courses and workshops in graphic design, like LinkedIn Learning or Skillshare. Professional associations like the Graphic Artists Guild or the American Institute of Graphic Arts offer webinars and workshops focused more on the business side of graphic design, but which are affordable and do not require a long time commitment. On-demand courses are student-paced and are a great opportunity for you to find highly flexible, digital options that can fit both the preferred schedule and the bank.

If all else fails and you can’t find a workshop, short course, or one-day class to meet your needs, many of those same institutions offer private tutoring. While private tutoring may not be as strong an addition to a resume or a portfolio, it is excellent at providing skills that are specific to your needs, interests, and goals. Private tutoring can be used in conjunction with free resources to help you gain more confidence in your graphic design skills, something that is highly valuable once you’ve transitioned to your career. Keeping up with trends and remaining in the know about how to market yourself as a designer is important, and a private tutor can help you shape those things while you continue to search for your ideal graphic design course.

University Courses

Perhaps one of the more common ways to round out your education in graphic design is a degree at a college or university. This is often a more expensive option, as you must pay full tuition and take other courses to get your degree, but it has an additional value that many other course types dont. It’s interdisciplinary, which means that you’re not just learning about graphic design, you’re also learning other subjects that are related to it. This could be business, media communication, or visual design. Courses will cover a variety of relevant software including Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign. Some universities will even help you gain relevant certifications alongside your degree. Though it’s not every University, certain institutions may offer continuing education courses for professionals who want to build specific skills. These courses are more flexible, as they align with the schedules of working people.

If you’re not ready to commit to a degree program, universities also host standalone graphic design courses. These are ideal for anyone who wants the structure and curriculum of a higher education class without taking the full degree. It’s important to note that while university courses are a great option for those looking to go into graphic design, they often require some form of admission, which may incur additional fees, making it more expensive than taking a bootcamp or other immersive class. However, once you are admitted, you will likely have full access to the university’s facilities, which will provide you with additional resources that can help you learn faster and better, while minimizing costs short term. For example, having access to a computer lab with the required software already installed means that you won’t have to pay a subscription fee or buy the application outright, as the university will provide it for you. This isn’t unique to university. Bootcamps and intensives may also offer facilities. It’s important to do research on what on-campus options look like for programming to check whether those amenities will be available to you.

A university curriculum differs from other formats in several ways. If you’re going for a degree, you’ll be expected to take and pass foundational courses before tapping into advanced courses. If prerequisites are involved, those are a requirement. With outside classes, requirements are treated more as recommendations to prevent you from taking a class you can’t understand. There are benefits and detriments to higher education classes. Things like cost, educational goals, and schedule are highly influential in deciding whether they might work for you. University is a highly collaborative place that can be great in growing your network before you join a professional career.

Bootcamps, Certification Courses, and Immersive Classes

Bootcamps and other immersive classes are ideal for those who intend to join a professional career, but are currently still in the learning phase. Their curriculum is packed tight with content to teach you the ins-and-outs of graphic design. This is similar to university courses minus the time commitment, admission, and potential application fees. These programs are intensive, and may last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months, and are an efficient way to learn vital skills for the job market. Bootcamps and immersive classes are a longer and more expensive commitment than workshops and one-day courses, but they are also more detailed. They not only offer beginner skills, but intermediate and advanced skills. Some bootcamps cover all levels at once.

Certification courses will ensure that you are prepared to pass any required certification exams while also being able to apply graphic design skills in real-world scenarios. Certification acts as an endorsement for Illustrator’s most vital professional tools and techniques. Many times, bootcamps are included in certification courses, as part of the training process, but there are also additional resources offered to help you better learn content specifically for an exam. Offered resources may include study guides, practice exams, private tutoring, mentoring, and career services. With the help of a certification, you will have access to more job opportunities in graphic design and other art-related fields, gaining both credentials and confidence.

Learn Graphic Design with Noble Desktop

If you’re looking for a place to start your graphic design journey, Noble Desktop offers a handful of courses that can directly address your needs and goals. Starting with their Graphic Design Certificate, you can learn more about some of design’s most celebrated software. This course includes the bootcamps for Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, and will help you build and manage a stunning portfolio. The certificate can also act as an endorsement of your skills, widening your career opportunities.

Courses in Illustrator can be taken separately from the certificate. Noble Desktop’s Adobe Illustrator Bootcamp covers both basic and advanced software features including the effects, layers, masks, and the pen tool. You will learn how to make logos, icons, and packaging. With the help of real-world projects, instructor guidance, lectures, and other in-class activities, you’ll leave this class feeling confident that you can apply what you’ve learned to a professional environment. If you’re not able to make the time commitment to a full bootcamp, Noble Desktop also offers an Illustrator in Day course that covers the fundamentals of the program within one class period. With this accelerated course, you can learn how to use the pen tool, colors and layers, image tracing, and more. 

There are also individual classes in Photoshop and InDesign. The Photoshop in a Day course is a remedy for those who may not know much about editing and retouching images, but who want to learn quickly. The curriculum covers color, brightness, contrast, and other design graphics. You can combine photos and text, create logos, and save your images for personal use. InDesign in a Day is similarly efficient at teach you vital graphic design software. You will learn how to create layouts with text, color, and graphics, apply color, and finish by creating a brochure and a 2-page magazine ad. There is an advanced Photoshop course, as well as both a Photoshop and InDesign bootcamp for those who want to either review their skills or learn a variety of new skills at the professional level.