The Best Graphic Design Courses Free For Beginners in 2024

Find the best free graphic design courses to create more cohesive design projects and attract quality clientele. 

Over the years, we’ve seen a rise in creative design tools that make graphic design accessible. But how do you go from an okay designer to an in-demand one? 

Well, you could spend your time doing low-cost graphic design, or you can hone your skills and attract quality clients. 

With that, here are some of the best (and free!) graphic design tutorials you can finish today. 

 

1. Figma Youtube tutorials

There are tons of tutorial marketplaces now. Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, you name it, and they’ve got it. But this list wouldn’t be complete without paying homage to the OG tutorial platform: Youtube. 

Course description

Here, you can find SaaS tools giving tutorials. One of them is Figma, a Canva alternative that’s great for artists to start learning wireframing and design. 

The Figma Youtube tutorials are completely free for anyone. You can learn about design systems, find out how to do wireframing, and get started on using Figma’s many features. 

 

2. Logo Design Fundamentals 

Next, we also recommend the Logo Design Fundamentals course by Andrew Boehm on Udemy. The course is free, but you need basic design tools to start. In particular, you’ll need to get your Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Reader ready at hand. 

Course description

This course will teach you some basic branding techniques and how to use color for a branded logo design. And it’s not just going to be about the ABCs of logo creation, you’re also going into an artist’s headspace when designing. 

The course spans just shy of 2 hours. But, you’ll learn about types, building vectors, and adding color to your logo!

 

3. Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design

For our next recommendation, we think you’ll like the Graphic Design Basics course by Ellen Lipton. Lipton is the director of the MFA Graphic Design program at the Maryland Institute College of Art.  

Course description

 Even if you don’t have fancy Adobe tools on your device, you can still join this class! Just use Google Slides or even Powerpoint. You’ll touch on some core principles of graphic design, like symmetry, scale, framing, grids, and hierarchy. 

The whole course just takes about 30 minutes to complete. We recommend beginner artists take some supplementary classes about typography and posters.  

                                                  

4. Figma to Webflow 

This is for artists who specifically want to go into web design. This Figma to Webflow course by Webflow University. With their in-depth course, you can create and launch your own website in a day!

Course description

Ever wonder what is the nitty-gritty behind web design work? You don’t have to stay in the dark! Learn how to create a landing page that has animations and interaction effects. They’ll even teach you how to access a custom domain and launch your very own site. 

The course is a little over 6 hours long, but you’ll get an end-to-end tutorial on how to use tools like Figma, Cinema 4D, Octane, and Webflow.

 

5. Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts

This in-depth course Graphic Design Specialization course from Calarts lets you in on the secrets to creating a compelling brand project. 

Course description

Design isn’t just about combining elements together and calling it a day. More than that, it’s actually about finding the most cohesive way to marry different elements together. This course really gets into the details of typography, image-making, and brand design. 

There are five separate courses in their package, but you can totally watch them for free–you can even get a certificate after! The recommended pace to finish this course is 6 months.  

 

6. Unity and Rhythm Master Class

Are you looking for something more advanced? You can get an in-depth class from this Unity and Rhythm Master Class by Howard  Find out how to master underrated aspects of the design workflow: editing your own design process.  

Course description

This unity and rhythm master class can help bring your designs from cluttered to focused. By knowing how to integrate these two principles into your work, you can express your creativity with skill and technique. 

The course is just over 50 minutes, but we guarantee that you’ll be a better designer after. 

 

7. Canva Design School: Graphic Design Basics

Canva’s already a pretty intuitive platform, but you can make learning a thing from two of their Graphic Design Basics course. With this, you’ll be able to be a more effective communicator that puts your audience first. 

Course description

Even if you’re not an artistic person, you can tap into that skill with this course. You can learn the basics of color theories, find out how to emphasize designs and choose fonts that will take your projects to the next level. 

The course is just shy of 30 minutes long, but it’s highly recommended for beginners or students. 

 

[Bonus] How to Become a Professional (Deaf) Web Designer

One of the great things about graphic design is that it can be accessible. This web design course is specifically designed for deaf designers who want to learn web design.

This course was designed by resident Web Yeti, Marvin Velasco, who has designed over 100 clients from all over the world. 

Learn how to master UI/UX design today!

DotYeti provides the fastest and most cost-effective alternative to agencies and freelancers by providing quick turnaround times, unlimited revisions, and comprehensive services. Get to know our scalable unlimited graphic design model today. 

Share your story with us so we can create a customized plan for you.

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