Graphic Design Courses for Those with Day Jobs

By Sarah Clark
Sarah.clark@graphicdesignschoolreview.com
Graphic Design School Review Columnist

If you want to expand your graphic design skills or begin taking courses in graphic design in preparation of a career transition, you'll want to consider the following design courses that introduce newcomers to graphic design and those that cement the knowledge of more experienced practitioners.

If you're reading this column, you've probably got a job that you want to continue performing as you pick up additional skills. That's no problem as increasing numbers of community colleges, universities, and art institutes are offering courses designed to accommodate students with full-time day jobs. This means you may be able to take a graphic design course online, during the evening, or on the weekend.

Graphic Design Courses

Introductory courses in graphic design are created to orient students to the fundamentals of graphic design, such as color, proportion, scale, and line. You might learn about the role graphic design plays in society in selling products, promoting ideas, and crafting images.

More advanced graphic design courses may involve putting the fundamentals to the test with real life graphic design projects. You might develop a logo for a real or fictitious company, devise a design for a web site, or create the typography for a multimedia production.

If you're looking to pick up discreet skills, such as expertise in a given software package used by graphic designers, you can do that too. Courses are available in QuarkXpress, Flash animation, and Photoshop, one of the most often used software packages among graphic designers.

Getting the Right Skills to Support Your Job Goals

If you're currently working in graphic design in a junior position, ask a trusted boss or senior colleague about what courses might best serve to advance your job growth. Talk to other graphic designers and read graphic design career journals and magazines to learn about what tools and skills are edgy and in high demand.

Let your potential reach its limit by benefiting from opportunities that can enrich your growth and development as a graphic designer. Find out today how ongoing education can bring you to the next level of design expertise.

About the Author

Sarah Clark is a freelance writer who lives in Arlington, Virginia.