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Graphic Design Courses

Graphic design courses can help you learn how to create visual content using layout, typography, and imagery to communicate ideas and tell stories.

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Find the best Graphic Design course for your goals

  • C

    Coursera Project Network

    Create and Design Digital Products using Canva

    Skills you'll gain: Canva (Software), Design, Digital Design, Product Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Creative Design, Color Theory, Graphic Design, Intellectual Property, E-Commerce, Direct Selling, Digital Content, Digital Assets, Marketing, Marketing Materials

    4.4
    Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
    ·
    1.3K reviews

    Advanced · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

  • C

    Coursera Project Network

    Use Canva to Design Digital Course Collateral

    Skills you'll gain: Canva (Software), Color Theory, Developing Training Materials, Digital Design, Design Elements And Principles, Graphic Design, Creative Design, Marketing, Social Media

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    1.5K reviews

    Advanced · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    G

    Google

    Google Business Intelligence

    Skills you'll gain: Data Modeling, Stakeholder Engagement, Database Design, Dashboard, Business Intelligence, Extract, Transform, Load, Tableau Software, Data Warehousing, Data Pipelines, Data Integrity, Data Validation, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Data Visualization, Interviewing Skills, Business Process, Business Analysis, Professional Development, Google Gemini, Data Analysis, SQL

    Build toward a degree

    4.8
    Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
    ·
    5.5K reviews

    Advanced · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • C

    Coursera Project Network

    Build a Full Website using WordPress

    Skills you'll gain: WordPress, Content Management Systems, Web Content, Web Design and Development, Web Design, Web Development, Blogs, Social Media, Content Management, Marketing, Design, Computer Science

    4.4
    Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
    ·
    4.3K reviews

    Advanced · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    G

    Google

    Google Advanced Data Analytics

    Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Visualization, Data Ethics, Exploratory Data Analysis, Sampling (Statistics), Data Presentation, Data Visualization Software, Feature Engineering, Regression Analysis, Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Advanced Analytics, Data Analysis, Tableau Software, Data Science, Statistical Analysis, Machine Learning, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Interviewing Skills, Python Programming

    Build toward a degree

    4.7
    Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
    ·
    9.3K reviews

    Advanced · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

  • C

    Coursera Project Network

    Increase SEO Traffic with WordPress

    Skills you'll gain: WordPress, Search Engine Optimization, Blogs, Web Analytics, Web Content, Keyword Research, Information Architecture, Content Management, Marketing, Analytics, Web Design, Web Development

    4.5
    Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
    ·
    791 reviews

    Advanced · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

What brings you to Coursera today?

  • C

    Coursera Project Network

    Design Online Course Printables using Canva

    Skills you'll gain: Marketing Collateral, Marketing Materials, Canva (Software), Promotional Materials, Business Marketing, Marketing Design, Marketing, Creative Design, Business, Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Graphic Design, Design Elements And Principles

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    229 reviews

    Advanced · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

  • Status: Preview
    Preview
    I

    Illinois Tech

    Digital Marketing

    Skills you'll gain: Pay Per Click Advertising, Digital Marketing, Web Analytics, Email Marketing, Paid media, Digital Advertising, Google Ads, Social Media Campaigns, Marketing Strategies, Online Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Google Analytics, Web Analytics and SEO, Web Design and Development, Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Campaign Management, Search Engine Marketing

    Build toward a degree

    4.5
    Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
    ·
    56 reviews

    Advanced · Course · 1 - 3 Months

  • Status: New
    New
    Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    E

    Edureka

    Advanced API Technologies

    Skills you'll gain: API Gateway, GraphQL, Application Programming Interface (API), API Design, Microservices, CI/CD, Restful API, Cloud API, Node.JS, Scalability, Secure Coding, Authentications, Containerization, Software Architecture, Real Time Data, Kubernetes, Event-Driven Programming

    Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

  • Status: New
    New
    Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    W

    Whizlabs

    Exam Prep: Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect

    Skills you'll gain: Cloud Computing Architecture, Google Cloud Platform, Load Balancing, Dataflow, Kubernetes, Network Architecture, Data Migration, Data Architecture, Network Troubleshooting, Cloud Security, Network Monitoring, Cloud Applications, Cloud Computing, Cloud Solutions, Cloud Storage, Cloud Infrastructure, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Scalability, Key Management, Looker (Software)

    Advanced · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

  • Status: New
    New
    Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    S

    Skillshare

    Create a Stylized Character with Nomad Sculpt

    Skills you'll gain: 3D Assets, 3D Modeling, Animation and Game Design, Computer Graphics, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Computer Graphic Techniques, Storytelling, Graphical Tools, Creativity, Color Theory

    Advanced · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

  • Status: Free Trial
    Free Trial
    U

    University of Colorado Boulder

    Foundations of Data Structures and Algorithms

    Skills you'll gain: Theoretical Computer Science, Algorithms, Data Structures, Graph Theory, Operations Research, Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS), Computational Thinking, Computer Programming, Programming Principles, Cryptography, Computer Science, Pseudocode, Applied Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, Mathematical Theory & Analysis, Tree Maps, Encryption, Combinatorics, Python Programming, Analysis

    Build toward a degree

    4.6
    Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
    ·
    869 reviews

    Advanced · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Graphic Design learners also search

advanced graphic design
graphic design projects
beginner graphic design
visual design
computer graphics
computer design
design
game design
1234…23

In summary, here are 10 of our most popular graphic design courses

  • Create and Design Digital Products using Canva: Coursera Project Network
  • Use Canva to Design Digital Course Collateral: Coursera Project Network
  • Google Business Intelligence: Google
  • Build a Full Website using WordPress: Coursera Project Network
  • Google Advanced Data Analytics: Google
  • Increase SEO Traffic with WordPress: Coursera Project Network
  • Design Online Course Printables using Canva: Coursera Project Network
  • Digital Marketing: Illinois Tech
  • Advanced API Technologies: Edureka
  • Exam Prep: Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect: Whizlabs

Skills you can learn in Business Essentials

Analytics (37)
Presentation (33)
Modeling (29)
Business Analytics (27)
Language (26)
Microsoft Excel (26)
Writing (26)
Speech (18)
Plan (17)
Business Communication (16)
Decision-making (16)
Leadership (15)

Frequently Asked Questions about Graphic Design

Browse the graphic design courses below—popular starting points on Coursera.

  • Graphic Design: Adobe
  • Fundamentals of Graphic Design: California Institute of the Arts
  • Graphic Design: University of Colorado Boulder
  • Graphic Design Theory - Web & Digital Design: Skillshare‎

If you're new to graphic design, these beginner-friendly options offer foundational skills and hands-on experience:

  • Fundamentals of Graphic Design by CalArts – A strong entry point that introduces core design principles and visual literacy.
  • Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers by the University of Colorado – Great for learning layout, color, and typography basics.
  • Create a Business Marketing Brand Kit Using Canva – A quick Guided Project to build a design portfolio piece with beginner-friendly tools.‎

The Graphic Design Specialization from California Institute of the Arts takes 2 months, focusing on:

  • Color theory
  • Design research
  • Creative design

It uses tools like Adobe InDesign and photo editing software.

Conversely, the Adobe Graphic Designer Professional Certificate lasts 4 months and emphasizes:

  • Image analysis
  • UI/UX design
  • Content creation

It uses tools like Adobe Photoshop.

Both courses are beginner-friendly and target essentials of graphic design but differ in duration and specific areas of focus. Choose based on whether you prefer:

  • A shorter course with a strong emphasis on foundational design principles
  • A longer program with a focus on practical design applications and marketing.‎

Consider whether you're starting from scratch, building a portfolio, or learning tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Figma.

  • For a comprehensive design foundation, explore the Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts—it covers design principles, typography, and branding.
  • If you're focused on tools and technical skills, try Adobe Illustrator for Beginners or Getting Started with Figma.
  • For branding and real-world application, consider Brand New Brand from CalArts. ‎
  • A course focuses on a single skill such as Fundamentals of Graphic Design.
  • A Specialization builds creative and technical depth across multiple areas—like the Graphic Design Specialization from CalArts.
  • A Professional Certificate prepares you for creative roles through hands-on work and career-focused content—such as Adobe Graphic Designer Certificate or the Xbox Graphic Designer Certificate, which includes UI and visual design skills relevant to graphic designers.‎

Take a quick quiz to discover which graphic design course best aligns with your interests—whether you’re learning the basics, building a portfolio, or diving into tools like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. Take the quiz to find your ideal starting point.

Want to compare top options first? Use ChatGPT to explore and compare courses before you dive in.‎

Yes. You can start learning graphic design on Coursera for free in two ways:

  • Preview the first module of many graphic design courses at no cost. This includes video lessons, readings, graded assignments, and Coursera Coach (where available).
  • Start a 7-day free trial for Specializations or Coursera Plus. This gives you full access to all course content across eligible programs within the timeframe of your trial.

If you want to keep learning, earn a certificate in graphic design, or unlock full course access after the preview or trial, you can upgrade or apply for financial aid.‎

You can learn design basics like color, typography, layout, and composition, as well as how to use tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Canva. Some courses also cover portfolio design, branding, and working with real-world client briefs.‎

No experience is needed to get started. Many Coursera courses are made for beginners and walk you through the core principles and tools at your own pace.‎

Yes. Graphic design is a skill used in many creative and marketing roles. Taking a course on Coursera can help you learn how to design professional visuals, build a portfolio, and show employers that you’ve developed real, practical skills.‎

Color theory is the study of how colors interact and the visual effects they create when combined. It includes principles like the color wheel, complementary colors, and color harmony, and is essential in art, design, and branding. Courses like Fundamentals of Graphic Design from CalArts on Coursera cover color theory as part of visual communication skills.‎

This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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