The Best Websites Online to Learn Visual and Graphic Design

It doesn’t matter what your medium of choice is, knowing visual and graphic design is a valuable skill for all creatives to have, especially in today’s visual world. For many creatives, it is a fundamental part of the job, while for others, knowing and understanding the basic principles of design can give anyone that professional edge. Luckily, learning and improving your skill set doesn’t have to mean enrolling in an expensive school or workshops. Taking advantage of online education opportunities is a great and inexpensive way to learn at your own pace, all while still having the support of the online community.

It doesn’t matter if you are a current design student or a self-taught artist there are many helpful online graphic design courses available to you at your fingertips. If you are looking to hone your skills, here is a list of some of the best online graphic design courses.

Spoon Graphics

You can find tutorials ranging from illustration to typography on Spoon Graphics, a helpful blog that shares resources and tutorials to help give you creative inspiration. While Spoon Graphics is free, there is an option for a $10 per month membership for Access All Areas. The Access All Areas membership gain access to premium source files and design resources.

Lynda

A tried and true site, Lynda.com has been around for nearly two decades and has since become the leading platform for online learning. On Lynda.com you can learn more about technology, photography, business, design and creative skills via online courses taught by industry experts. While this site isn’t free, the subscription library is extensive, so you are bound to find something that interests you.

Creative Pro

Creative Pro has been around since 1999 and has consistently been one of the web’s premier graphics portals around. It doesn’t matter if you are a photographer, web designer, or an illustrator, Creative Pro gives you the tools you need to learn new skills and become a well-rounded designer. On this site, you can easily find articles and tutorials ranging from typography, design, illustration, print, and layout.

Alison

If you want to empower yourself and beef up your resume, head over to Alison for free online courses on various topics, for all levels. On Alison, you can earn a test-based certificate on the subject of your choice, for free, which can help you if you are trying to secure a freelance or job opportunity. Luckily, Alison offers over 1000 courses across nine categories and offers certificate courses, diploma courses, and learning paths to help you master a subject.

Envato Tuts+

With Envato Tuts+ you can gain access to eBooks, written tutorials, as well as video courses to help you expand your (technical) design skills. Their mission is to “help people learn and earn online” so they offer 26,390 tutorials that cover everything from web design, photography, game development, business, illustration, and design, all for free. You can also pay for a subscription to Envato Elements to gain access to eBooks, unlimited downloads, and courses.