When I first started learning graphic design, I had a hard time believing that anyone could actually do it.
I spent years working in various tech companies and eventually made it to a career in advertising, but it wasn’t until a recent conversation with my husband that I realized that he had been working in the same field for over 10 years.
“That’s when I realized, ‘Well, I’m an idiot,'” he says.
“I never wanted to learn graphic design.
I didn’t know what I was doing.”
I was wrong.
In fact, if you have a high school education or a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or animation, chances are you can learn to do some graphic design at some point.
And if you don’t have a degree, there are tons of options out there to get your feet wet.
One of the most popular courses in the field is the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.
If you’re willing to put in the time and work to get the skills, it will pay off big time.
But if you want to make it in the industry, you’ll need to take on some more of a challenge.
So here are 10 of the best graphic design programs for those looking to get their foot in the door.
1.
Articulate Graphic Design With an emphasis on interactive design and illustration, Articulated Graphic Design (Agd) is a graduate-level course for artists.
It starts by taking a group of students and working through a series of short and interactive tutorials.
This way, you can get a feel for what the classes are about and see if it’s something you’d like to pursue.
2.
Digital Arts and Design For a more hands-on approach, you may want to take Digital Arts, a graduate level course offered by The Institute of Fine Art.
This course combines interactive design, graphic design and computer graphics.
You’ll get to design a website, build an interactive app, create an online gallery or use Adobe Photoshop for an illustration course.
3.
Graphic Design and Graphic Design Management The Graphic Design Development program at the University of Utah offers two online graphics courses: Graphic Design for Business and Graphic Designer for Business.
The courses focus on how to manage graphic design projects and are a great way to learn how to navigate the industry.
4.
Graphic Designer Bootcamp This bootcamp is geared toward graphic designers who want to learn more about how to become an effective designer.
The program, which is offered at colleges across the country, offers courses in visual design, design theory, business development, marketing and more.
5.
Graphic Designs and Illustration If you are interested in graphic designs or illustration, you could always take advantage of Graphic Design Design and Illustrator Bootcamp, a course offered at the Graduate School of Art and Design.
The course offers a curriculum in graphic illustration, graphic art and design theory.
6.
Graphic Architecture and Design In a nutshell, this course is designed to help you learn about graphic design through a set of four tutorials.
The first three videos focus on the process of creating your own graphic design for a website or mobile app.
Then, the course takes you through creating an interactive site using Adobe Illustrator.
7.
Graphic Education and Design After a short class in graphic education, you should consider taking the Graphic Education Certificate or Graduate Certificate in Graphic Education.
This is an online master’s program for graphic design graduates.
The class focuses on how graphic design education can help students improve their creative skills.
8.
Graphic Engineering And Design In this online master course, you will get hands- on experience designing web and mobile apps, and learning how to program and develop websites and mobile applications.
9.
Graphic Marketing And Design This is a more traditional master’s course, which emphasizes business development.
The four-hour course includes four modules, one for the design side, one focused on the management side and one for marketing.
10.
Design Bootcamp In this bootcamp, you take a group and learn about how graphic designers can use the digital medium to grow their business.
The classes focus on business development and branding.
The one-hour class lasts for a total of 90 minutes.
The goal is to create a business plan, design a logo and get it signed off with a designer.