Learn graphic design from scratch: design principles, color, typography, layout, social media, logos, brand identity, print, Figma, freelancing, packaging, ads and motion graphics.
No sign-up needed: just start reading. Create a free account to save your progress and get your certificate.
Every lesson starts by telling you what you’ll be able to do.
Real-life cases from U.S. households and small businesses.
Check what you learned with immediate feedback.
Practice first, then compare with the solution.
4 levels · 16 lessons · 3h 36min of content
Design vs. art, career paths, the process from creative brief to delivery, and free vs. professional design software.
Point, line, shape, texture and space; hierarchy, contrast, alignment, proximity, repetition, balance and Gestalt.
Hue, saturation and lightness, color harmonies, the 60-30-10 rule, color models and accessible contrast ratios.
Type classifications, font pairing, type scales, line height, line length, kerning and font licenses.
Margins, columns and gutters, grid math for print and web, focal points, the rule of thirds and spacing systems.
Vector and raster, print resolution in inches and PPI, file formats, web image weight, licensing and basic retouching.
Sizes and safe zones, legibility on phones, scroll-stopping posts, carousels that get finished and template systems.
Logo types, the design process, building in vector, logo variations, testing, trademarks and final file delivery.
Brand platform, visual identity system, signature elements, what goes in a brand guide, templates, design tokens and rebrands.
Parent pages and styles, bleed, safety margins, CMYK, PDF/X, paper weights, finishes and a prepress checklist.
UX vs. UI, the screen design process, components, variants and auto layout, states, forms, responsive design and developer handoff.
Case studies, calculating your hourly rate, quotes and packages, client agreements, 1099 basics and AI in design.
Shelf hierarchy, dielines and box math, FDA label basics, UPC barcodes, materials and finishes.
One idea per slide, headline-style titles, grid-based templates and slide masters, clear charts and infographic structure.
Ad sizes and safe zones, the anatomy of an effective ad, A/B test variants and how to read CTR, conversion rate and cost per result.
Easing, timing, hierarchy over time, storyboards, tools, logo animation and export settings for each platform.
A complete graphic design course for total beginners and for people who already use Canva or Photoshop but want to design with professional judgment. Every example is built for the U.S. market: Letter-size flyers, 3.5 × 2 in business cards, sizes in inches and PPI, prices in dollars and real freelance math.
In 16 lessons across four levels you'll learn the fundamentals every designer uses (the design process, hierarchy, color, typography and grid-based layout), apply them to the most requested projects (images, social media posts and logos) and move up to professional work: brand identity and brand guidelines, editorial design and press-ready print files, UI design in Figma, and portfolios, pricing and client work as a 1099 freelancer. The Expert level covers packaging and labels, presentations and infographics, digital ads and motion graphics. Each lesson includes worked examples with verified measurements and calculations, interactive quizzes and a practice exercise with a solution. Along the way you'll build a complete brand identity for your portfolio.
Includes a free downloadable workbook: an Excel file with a grid calculator, print resolution (PPI) and bleed calculators in inches, a WCAG color contrast checker, a freelance rate and project price calculator, box dieline, ad metrics and on-screen reading time calculators, plus checklists for social media, logos and print files.
Templates and practice data you’ll use throughout the course. Free, no sign-up.
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