Best Free Design Theory Resources & Tutorials

There are plenty of professionals who are eager to share their knowledge about design theory. As a result, you’ll find a surprising number of free resources on this topic. Read on to learn more about the different types of free resources and tutorials available to help you learn design theory. 

What is Design Theory?

Design theory is a system that explains how a design works and why it works that way. Every choice that a designer makes has a specific effect on the audience. For instance, a design can communicate, direct, invite, entice, or excite the viewer. Design theory is a way to understand how and why this happens. It gives designers a deeper understanding of how various design choices work together to communicate a specific message. 

When studying design theory, users will learn about design's key elements, including alignment, repetition, contrast, hierarchy, and balance. These elements all have a specific effect on an audience and are an important part of communicating a message in any design. For instance, contrast emphasizes particular aspects of a design or evokes certain feelings in the viewer. Balance can create a feeling of tension or stability, both of which affect the viewer in different ways.

Designers who understand design theory can make better creative choices because they know how these choices will affect an audience. They combine a knowledge of design elements with the specific purpose a design intends to achieve. Thanks to understanding how design works, designers can create a finished product that looks the way they want it to and does what they intend.

Read more about what design theory is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Design Theory?

Design-related careers exist in different industries, and design theory is an essential foundation for many jobs. Designers work in fields like advertising, video editing, magazine publishing, and website creation. They create an array of different products, including advertisements, website graphics, and product packaging. Some designers work on digital designs, such as social media graphics, while others design for non-digital products, like books or business cards.

Almost every industry needs designers, so there will likely be a design job to match every interest. Web design is one popular field that involves creating and maintaining websites. Motion design is another popular design career. In this job, designers apply graphic design principles to filmmaking and video production. Augmented reality design is a newer design field. Designers who work in augmented reality enhance the real-world environment with virtual content, helping to improve the way people interact with the world.

Types of Free Resources

An online search will quickly reveal many different free design theory resources. Some websites provide good overviews of design and can help students understand the basics and make sense of all the different types of design out there. For instance, Noble Desktop’s Learning Resources page has free information about many different types of design. Articles on the Noble website explain each type of design, how it’s used, and how students can learn it.

There are also free design seminars and tutorials online, many of which can be found on YouTube. For instance, Get Started in Design is a free tutorial that gives viewers an overview of the many different types of digital design. Intro to UI Design is all about what UI design is and how it is used. Users can also find a long list of free design-related seminars on the Noble Desktop website.

Some providers of paid courses offer free design classes as well. For example, Skillshare, Udemy, and Coursera all have free classes in design. However, users will find that most free courses are fairly short and cover basic information. They usually need to pay to access more in-depth courses from providers like these.

Benefits of Watching Free Videos

Videos can be an effective learning tool because students can watch them anytime and from anywhere. With videos, students can pause the lesson whenever needed and replay the content as often as needed. This allows them to learn at their own pace and more easily master a topic. 

Many experts also believe that videos are an effective learning tool because they involve multi-sensory learning. When students watch videos, they look at images, hear sounds, and read text, which means they engage multiple senses simultaneously. Advocates of multi-sensory learning maintain that using numerous senses simultaneously helps students understand the topic they are studying.

Check that Sources Are Reliable

While free design theory articles and videos can be valuable resources, students must check their sources' reliability. Not all free design theory content is posted by experts, and some may even be incorrect. Students who learn online must ensure that their resources are credible and current. With a paid class, this can be easier to determine because instructors inform students of their expertise and credentials. For free resources, users might have to do some research.

Benefits of Paid Classes

Students who are serious about learning design theory will probably decide to take a professional class in addition to using free online resources. With a class, they can receive instruction from a knowledgeable and experienced instructor. The instructor can help explain difficult concepts, ensure that students receive comprehensive and up-to-date information, and answer any questions.

Learn Design Theory with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

No matter your schedule or learning style, you can find a design theory course at Noble Desktop. The school runs many different in-person classes at its Manhattan campus, as well as a variety of online courses. Whether online or in-person, all class groups are small and feature instructors who are experts in their fields. In addition, Noble offers a free retake option, where students can choose to retake a course once within a year. Students who opt for the free retake can gain additional design skills without paying for another class.

Design classes come in many different forms. Design bootcamps are one popular way to learn design theory and other design skills and can be a good way for students to master new skills quickly. Graphic Design Portfolio Bootcamp is just one of many different design bootcamps offered by Noble Desktop. In this class, students learn graphic design theory and techniques. For students interested in other types of design, Noble provides a long list of different bootcamps, including a Sketch Bootcamp and a UI Design Bootcamp.

A design certificate can be a good option for those who want more in-depth training. These courses generally run longer than bootcamps and provide a deeper level of design education. Digital Design Certificate is one of Noble’s many certificate classes in the design field. This course is intended to create well-rounded Digital Designers and includes vital design concepts and theory. Like many other bootcamps, it also provides job support.

Key Insights

You can find many different free design resources online.

• Many websites have free overviews of various design-related topics.
• YouTube has many free design tutorials and seminars.
• Some course providers offer a number of free design classes.
• More in-depth classes generally require users to pay.
• When using free resources, check to make sure they are reliable and current.