Certain about choosing design as your future career path or want to test the waters? Enrolling in online design courses would be a great thing to do.
This way, you’ll get a chance to learn the fundamentals of subject matter from experts. You’ll also find out some tips and tricks that will help you grow as a professional.
In this article, you’ll find information on ten design courses that can come in handy. The courses on the list are short to cover the contents during the weekend and don’t feel stressed out for weeks or even months.
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The Complete Graphic Design Theory For Beginners Course
One of the bestselling courses on Udemy, this course is created for beginners who would like to learn graphic design basics. During the course, you’ll learn about color theory, logo design, and branding, as well as other design-related concepts and theories.
The course includes 6.5 hours of on-demand video. It’s a great choice to make sure you can both engage in self-education and have enough time to finish a paper. Learning about graphic design inspires you more than finishing that paper due to another subject? Then use a paper writing service and devote your time and energy to something you really enjoy.
Enrolling in the Complete Graphic Design Theory for Beginners Course will help you learn how to navigate the realm of graphic design.
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Color Theory Basics For Graphic Designers – Creating Color Palettes
This class comprises 7 short videos that cover different aspects of color theory. These are color harmony as well as hues, shades, and tones and differences between them. During the class, you’ll have a chance to learn about the psychology of color and how different colors affect people’s emotions and moods.
With the help of the Color Theory Basics class, you’ll understand how the color wheel is organized and how to create your own color palette. At the end of the class, there’s a student project for you to work on and apply your knowledge.
This class is a good choice for an entry-level graphic designer who wants to know how to work with colors.
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Learning Logo Design
This is a short LinkedIn Learning course on how to deal with creating a client logo. It’s 2 hours 34 minutes long, and within this short period of time, you’ll learn both the creative and business sides of designing a logo.
Specifically, you’ll find out how to define a client’s expectations and where to find inspiration to create a great logo, and, importantly, how to pitch your work to a client. You’ll also learn how to create a style guide and a brand narrative that will keep a brand’s visual identity intact.
Once you finish the course, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion. It’s always good to have one in your CV or LinkedIn profile, especially when it’s time to start looking for a job.
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Mastering Logo Design: Gridding With The Golden Ratio
This class can help you gain intermediate-level knowledge on creating long-lasting logos with the help of the golden ratio. Applied in architecture, art, and design, the golden ratio is a proportion known to be the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
During the class that consists of 12 short lessons, you’ll learn about the golden ratio and how to apply it when gridding a logo in Adobe Illustrator. This knowledge will be useful for anyone who strives to create visually perfect and organic design elements.
So if you’re an experienced graphic designer or illustrator who wants to create even more complex logos, this class is a perfect match for you.
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3D Modeling For Virtual Reality Creation
This short course is designed around the 3D computer graphics software called Autodesk Maya. Its main goal is to teach you how to use Maya to create a 3D-animated model for virtual reality production.
You’ll find out how to navigate the Maya interface and learn the basics of 3D modeling as well as animation. You’ll also get to know the basics of rendering 3D objects – how to use color, transparency as well as shading, etc.
During the first half of the course, you’ll build a 3D model that you’ll be able to use later to practice rendering. To get the most out of the course, you should have some prior knowledge of virtual reality platforms. Hands-on experience in Adobe Photoshop or Sketch would also be useful.
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UX Fundamentals
UX Fundamentals is a short beginner-level course to introduce you to the world of user experience design. The course’s main goal is to provide students with a framework that will help them create great experiences that focus on a user.
In this course, you’ll learn how to research to help you understand users and their goals. You’ll also explore how to map user journeys and create scenarios. Finally, you’ll learn how to use wireframing to sketch the basic structure that can later be used for prototype usability tests.
UX Fundamentals would be useful for any student who wants to get an overview of the process of UX design and have a closer look at its different elements.
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Branding For Designers
This course might interest those designers who wish to approach their clients’ needs holistically. That is, from a branding perspective. However, there’s much more to branding than just creating logos and website designs. An insight into how it works to communicate a brand’s unique message and value proposition is critical for creative designers.
The course covers such topics as the origins of branding, branding elements, and the importance of research. You’ll also learn how to find solutions to design problems, create logos, and build a brand identity system.
You’ll get a better understanding of how design works to tell a compelling brand story. This knowledge is necessary to create a brand visual system that will stand the test of time.
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UX: Visual Design Process
A 10-hour course on user experience design that you can complete during the weekend. It’s intended for beginners who want to build their design vocabulary and learn how to create and implement a design idea.
You’ll learn how to handle feedback on your work, use wireframing, and practice sketching. There are also lessons on how to design layouts, create mockups, and build prototypes. Finally, you’ll find out how to present your design idea to all the stakeholders on the same page as you.
UX: Visual Design Process is a practical course rather than theoretical. It consists of workshops and practice sessions, meaning that you’ll be able to apply your knowledge. To enroll in this course, learn and practice to sharpen your skills.
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UX: Research Process
This is an 8-hour course on one of the first and most important stages of UX design, the process of research. You’ll learn how to understand your users’ wants and needs, conduct interviews, and create user personas.
The course covers such topics as design thinking, user research, and information architecture. You’ll have a chance to practice creating empathy and journey maps, learn how to identify and solve users’ problems, and evaluate your design.
At the end of the course, there’s an overview of the methods you can use to test your design ideas and make sure they are working, such as A/B testing, surveys, and usability testing.
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Build Your Portfolio Website With HTML And CSS
If you’re serious about pursuing a career as a graphic designer, you’ll most certainly need a portfolio website. This short course offered by Coursera could help create and customize your first website to showcase your work.
The project is 1-hour long. It aims to guide you through the basic elements of a webpage and teach you to create simple content with HTML and CSS. Also, you’ll find out how to host your portfolio website on GitHub.
The course is well-structured and helpful to beginners who want to create a portfolio website to share their work with the world. So if you already have some student projects and great design ideas, make sure to create a portfolio and include them there.
Wrapping Up
As a student, you might not have all the time in the world to do whatever you’d like to. Yet, it would help if you managed to devote some time to self-education, especially in the sphere you’d like to work in after graduation.
If you want to become a graphic designer or a 3D illustrator, you should start getting familiarized with the fundamentals and the necessary design software as soon as possible. For this purpose, take the time to dive into short design courses and classes offered on different learning platforms.
This way, you can gain both theoretical and practical knowledge that is crucial for your future career. It’s also a good idea to learn how to create a website portfolio and then fill it with your best design ideas and prototypes, and projects you’ll be doing while learning.
