Free Online Graphic Design Courses
- 6 courses
- 4 free
- 2 free to audit
- Certificates available
Sources: Alison, edX, Udemy · Verified
A free graphic design course teaches the principles before the software: typography, hierarchy, layout and grids, colour, imagery, and how to brief and critique a design. Tool-based courses then cover vector drawing, image editing and layout applications, and increasingly the browser-based design tools used for social media and presentations. Providers split along that same line. Universities offer design theory and history courses on edX and Coursera; on edX these are usually free to audit, with lectures open and graded projects and the certificate paid, and Coursera courses that only preview the first module are not listed here as free. Software companies run free training in their own tools, some with free badges.
Non-profit and commercial platforms have self-paced design courses free in full with an optional paid certificate. When reading a syllabus, look for project briefs you can complete and keep for a portfolio, for whether the course requires paid software or works with free alternatives, and for any critique or feedback mechanism. Graphic design suits beginners building a first portfolio, marketers and small-business owners who produce their own materials, and career changers testing the field before paying for a formal programme. The art page on this site covers the drawing and colour fundamentals many design courses assume, and digital marketing covers the channels where much design work ends up.
Filters
| # | Course | Provider | Cost | Certificate | Level | Duration | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design Basics for Educators Using Free Software Built for teachers and youth or social workers rather than aspiring professional designers, this course keeps to free… | Udemy | Free | NoneNo certificate | Beginner | 1.2 hours | |
| 2 | Introduction to Graphic Design Introduction to Graphic Design is a video-based Alison course published by Adams Academy. | Alison | Free | PaidPaid certificate | Advanced | — | |
| 3 | Introduction to Canva Introduction to Canva is a short video course on Alison, published by Lucrative Skills, for people who want to produc… | Alison | Free | PaidPaid certificate | Beginner | — | |
| 4 | Introduction To Graphic Design Anthony Isaac's Introduction To Graphic Design is a free Udemy course that teaches design basics by making things in… | Udemy | Free | NoneNo certificate | Beginner | 1.9 hours | |
| 5 | CSS Basics CSS Basics is a World Wide Web Consortium course on edX about styling web pages with CSS, taking pages, as the page p… | edX | Free to audit | PaidPaid certificate | Beginner | 5 weeks | |
| 6 | Introduction to Web Accessibility Introduction to Web Accessibility is the World Wide Web Consortium's foundation course on making websites and apps us… | edX | Free to audit | PaidPaid certificate | Beginner | 4 weeks |
Graphic Design courses by provider
Questions about free graphic design courses
Do I need expensive software for a free graphic design course?
Not always. Many courses use free or browser-based tools, and principles courses need only pencil and paper. If a course requires a paid application, the syllabus should say so before you enrol.
Do free graphic design courses come with a certificate?
Some vendor tool courses issue free badges; audit tracks charge for theirs; self-paced platforms sometimes sell one. In design, the portfolio you build during the course carries more weight than the certificate.
Should I learn theory or tools first?
Theory first, briefly, then tools with the theory in mind. Learning a tool without understanding hierarchy and typography produces work that looks unfinished, however well the software is used.