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Graphic Design Part-Time Learning Online Tips – Experiment with contrasting colours
A little over two years ago, if we’d told you that the vast majority of people in the workplace, and in learning institutes such as schools, colleges, and universities, would be forced to learn online from the comfort of their own homes, you’d have looked at us as if we’d lost our minds.
Yet, 2020 came and went, life as we knew it changed noticeably, and nowadays learning online is considered somewhat the norm. Over the last couple of years, online learning has taken off dramatically, with more and more people signing up for online part-time classes to learn a wide range of subjects. Out of the many subjects that people study, graphic design is definitely up there in terms of popularity.
Graphic design part-time learning courses online are in very high demand, yet if you’re new to online learning, part-time learning, or even both, there are some things you will need to consider beforehand.
To help you get more from your graphic design part-time learning online course we’ve compiled some tips which we think you’ll find useful. Check them out and see what you think.
Limit the amount of fonts you use
First and foremost, when it comes to graphic design learning, one thing you need to remember is to limit the amount of fonts that you use.
Too many people new to graphic design get carried away and find themselves using different fonts on one design, leaving an end result that looks untidy and cluttered.
When you sign up for graphic design part-time learning online courses, your tutor will quickly teach you that, when it comes to using fonts for your text, less if most definitely more. By all means experiment with different fonts and get used to each one, but when you’re making a design, unless it is very unique, try to stick with just the one font, or two at an absolute push.
Use short cuts
Hang on, before you get too carried away, when we say use shortcuts, we don’t mean with your graphic design. A good graphic design takes their time with their creations and pays a great deal of attention to detail.
The shortcuts we’re referring to are on your desktop and are designed to save you a few seconds and make life easier.
Add a shortcut by bookmarking the access page to your course and creating shortcuts on the desktop for various pieces of software and applications you know you’re going to have to use, like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator for example.
This might not sound like a big deal, but it will save you seconds, which all add up, and make your life as a graphic design student much easier.
Use your time wisely
Of course, when you sign up for a graphic design part-time learning course, you’ll have one-on-one lessons with your very own private tutor, who can teach you anything and everything regarding graphic design.
As you’re paying for these classes, you know what time they begin and so of course you’ll be learning then. To get more from your graphic design learning experience however, you should use your spare time wisely, and by this, we mean you should learn by yourself.
Your tutor will provide you with useful links and resources, so use these, and be sure to make use of YouTube tutorials and blogs created by professional designers. We aren’t saying you need to spend every spare waking minute learning graphic design, but if you do have a spare 30 – 60 minutes, instead of scrolling social media, why not learn about fonts, typefaces, colour schemes, palettes, and graphic design in general?
Play around with the size and height of your text
We’ve mentioned how important it is to stick with just one of two fonts when dealing with text on your designs, but another thing to consider is the size and height of your text.
Different designs will require different sized fonts so play around with these and see what fits best, and where. Don’t be afraid to go XL and really blow your text up if you feel it will benefit your design, but at the same time, make sure you’re not going too big or too small, just for the sake of it.
Experiment with contrasting colours
We’ve focussed a lot on text so far, but we’ve not really spoke about colours, so allow us to put that right now.
As a graphic designer, you’ll be making all kinds of designs for all kinds of clients, and chances are that the majority of them are going to want colours on their designs, rather than just plain black and white.
One thing you’ll learn on your graphic design part-time learning course fairly early on, is that in the world of graphic design – opposites attract.
When using colours, don’t be afraid to use contrasting colours as these will draw the viewer’s eye right from the outset, and they will also allow you to create something unique and different.
Create the right learning environment
If you’re serious about your graphic design part-time learning online course, you’re going to have to create a learning environment that benefits you.
When you sit down at your computer, phone, or tablet for your online lesson with your tutor, don’t just sit down on the sofa with your device on your lap as the TV plays in the background as this will be distracting for you and your tutor. Instead, find somewhere quiet, comfortable, and away from distractions so you can hear your tutor properly and learn in peace.
Make sure you’ve eaten
It may sound dramatic, but we need food to function, both in terms of the body and the mind too. If you’re sat starving hungry because you’ve not eaten, you won’t listen and take in what your tutor is telling you, you’ll instead be sat suffering with hunger pains and waiting for the lesson to end so you can get some food.
Before you sit down for your graphic design part-time learning online lesson, be sure to have eaten something first, oh, and make sure you go to the toilet too. Remember, you’re learning, and when you learn you don’t want any distractions.
