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What Are Some Good Free Resources For Learning Graphic Design?
Every day, we witness graphic design in action. Everything from logos to posters, publications, product packaging, and advertisement falls under graphic design. It is a constantly in-demand industry. Why? Because companies will always require designers, whether they are creating branding materials or designing a flyer for an upcoming event.
Learn design basics and how to develop simple designs by enrolling in our graphic design course. Blue Sky Graphics website has free videos that you can watch to learn more about design. If this is a field that interests you, read about the actions you can take today to begin learning graphic design and what you should keep in mind as you begin your career.
Acquaint yourself with fundamental design concepts
Graphic design is a form of visual communication that uses graphics, typography, colour, and illustration to convey a message. And, while there is an infinite number of methods to express a message (this is where creativity comes into play), there are certain fundamental rules that every graphic designer must adhere to:
- Hierarchy
- Alignment
- Contrast
- Space
- Colour
- Proximity
- Repetition
- Balance
These essential principles contribute to the coherence, impact, and clarity of a design. Along with these concepts, additional factors like typography and colour theory come into play.
The former is concerned with the arrangement of your content (i.e., text), whereas the latter is concerned with how people perceive colour and how it affects messaging. Once you have grasped these fundamental principles, you may delve a little further.
Find a course
Contrary to common perception, having an eye for design is a taught talent, not an inherited quality. After gaining a general understanding of graphic design, it is time to dig in with an intensive course. A course will educate you about the history of graphic design, the many subfields within the subject, the psychology of design principles, and the tools necessary to succeed.
Master’s degree programmes in design
It is difficult to conceive about graphic design without instantly conjuring up images of the tools used. Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Sketch are all technologies used extensively in graphic design.
All these programmes are quite strong and enable you to create everything from logos and drawings to website designs. While they are not free to use, they should be viewed as investments in your career since you will very certainly utilise them on every project you do.
Develop relationships with other designers
Along with the knowledge gained through your courses, it is critical to speak with designers currently employed in the field. This will enable you to gain a holistic understanding of what it is like to work as a graphic designer and become successful. Begin with social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn. There are numerous design communities and organisations that share information and opportunities.
Additionally, you can use sites to connect with other designers in your area and to find fun events to attend. Networking across industries is just as critical as networking up. As you develop your skills, make sure you rely on your community for support and advice.
Keep Practicing
Now that you have acquired the necessary knowledge, it is time to put it to use. When it comes to learning something new, practice is critical. It is not sufficient for you to absorb knowledge; you must use it and discover how it works in real life.
Now that you have understood design concepts and gained knowledge from professionals, it is time to gain your own experience. You may begin by conducting an online search for graphic design exercises.
Once you are confident in your abilities, consider undertaking your own design project. It might be a self-motivated endeavour or one that you seek out. This will provide you with real-world experience of what it takes to initiate and complete a project, as well as all of the non-design consequences that must be considered.
Collect works of inspiration
Compile a portfolio of work that you believe is successful. This may be as easy as adding photos to your browser’s bookmarks, creating a Pinterest board, or storing stuff in a folder on your PC. Sifting through a catalogue of inspirational work may assist you in identifying patterns – both historical and contemporary – and can shape your distinctive style.
Maintain control of the typography
For non-designers, the art of font selection has a poor reputation in the field of design. It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the variety of accessible typefaces online. Not only that, but you must also understand how to combine fonts in a design to create a coherent and attractive aesthetic.
Utilising tried and true pairings is an excellent approach to save the stress of trying out a million combinations. Professional designers also like fresh and attractive typefaces, but they will tell you that they rely on a small number of traditional fonts most of the time.
If you want to create pairs with various fonts, a simple tip to follow is to use one novelty font for headings and a normal classic font for the body text. Below is an excellent resource for saving time when matching typefaces, including selecting tried-and-true pairings for various circumstances.
You may even utilise a single font family and couple its various weights. For instance, a Montserrat bold might be used for the header, a Montserrat regular could be used for text blocks, and italics could be used for subheadings.
Utilise social media templates to save time
Social media is where visuals must be generated on a continuous and consistent basis. There is no more efficient method to save time than by utilising pre-designed templates. Social media managers must handle various channels, each with its own unique set of requirements. Fortunately, templates are accessible for every channel and size.
Always incorporate white space
White area is not always “white.” White space refers to an area that is devoid of writing or other features. Studying minimalist design is an excellent approach to learn how to use white space effectively. This is a trend centred on the concept that “less is more” and that a graphic should only contain the minimal essentials.
Negative space is another way of referring to white space. This is a strategy in which empty spaces convey greater information than those in the background or between other elements.
