One of the greatest things about having access to the Internet, is the educational opportunities that it affords the public. People in all professions have the ability to expand their knowledge base through the wealth of information being shared via the Internet, and the same holds true for those who are studying graphic design.
The Internet is positively bursting with tutorials and resources that can help one advance through the various stages of becoming a successful graphic designer. All the way, from a newbie to an experienced pro. Today, that is our purpose here. Gaining knowledge about graphic design so that we can advance our skills and blossom in our chosen fields.
Here is a collection of invaluable educational resources on graphic design that have been broken down into different categories depending on your preferred methods of consumption. Each one of us has their own approach of learning, either learning visually, auditory or through repetitious means. It was in that vein in which the resources were collected.
We have tutorials for your hands-on approach, podcasts for a more auditory take and an assortment of PDFs and articles to read through.
PDFs
The first category of resources that we have gathered are some assorted graphic design PDFs that will freely add to the educational foundation on which you are building. These community supplied supplements cover a range of graphic design elements and areas. So take a look through and begin downloading your new skill builders from the list below.
Design Your Imagination is a valuable graphic design ebook that should be in any beginners toolbox. Deconstruct website design and learn to hone your creative skills with this comprehensive guide to the web:
As with any good learning experience, you need someplace to start, and some choose to start at the beginning. With The History of Graphic Design you can do just that. This informative PDF offers a brief rundown of the history of graphic design:
Graphic Design Teaching and Learning is a helpful learning tool that takes on both the approach of teaching graphic design as well as learning it. Definitely an interesting and a worthwhile read:
PDFoo is a large collection of ebooks and PDFs all related to the field of graphic design. This resource provides a full download and will keep your nose to the grindstone for days:
Pictorial composition and the critical judgment of pictures is a wonderfully informative ebook that will allow anyone, no matter their level of expertise, to dive in and learn the basics about the composition and overall aesthetics of images:
Just Creative Design’s Type Classification eBook is a fantastic educational resource for those wish to learn more about the fine art of typographical design. Whether type is to be your specialty or not, this ebook is worth a read:
A theory of pure design; harmony, balance, rhythm is another learning library must add. This ebook explores in great depth the fundamentals of design theory. It is an artistic exploration into the very principles which lie at the foundation of illustration and painting as fine art:
An Introduction to Graphic Design is another useful ebook to be stocked in any graphic designer’s learning library. It offers a look at the basic fundamentals of graphic design to build a more solid foundation:
The Q&A E-book : Interviews With 25 Popular Bloggers pretty much tells you all you need to know about it in the title. Gain insight into the processes of the big names in the design field through this interview filled ebook and learn tricks that you can implement in your own:
The final PDF we have for you is the Graphic Design Wikibook. Think of the Wikibook as an open-content collection of textbooks, in this case specifically focused on the graphic design world. Do not let its position fool you, it is definitely worth a gander:
Articles;
This second section of resources is an array of great articles all geared specifically towards graphic design education. Combing through the archives of some of the best known sites for assisting the growth of the community, we have pulled some must-read posts from their pasts just in case you missed them. Even if you do not read another post from any of the sites they have come from, these articles you should not let pass you by!
Earlier, we mentioned needing someplace to start, well Teach Yourself Graphic Design: A Self-Study Course Outline is one of those places. This article is absolutely filled with resources that will help you begin your self directed graphic design studies:
Want to know how to design? Learn The Basics. is a fantastic article from Just Creative Design that gets at the heart of design through the very basic elements of design. These are the fundamentals that you cannot get by without:
The Difference Between Art and Design is an extremely insightful discussion about the difference between art and design. This is a long running debate in the design community, and if you are going to be a designer, you should certainly familiarize yourself with the ongoing dialog:
Art vs Design is another pertinent and well thought out dissection of the art vs. design issue. Part of a solid foundation of learning comes from having a firm understanding of the field you are working in, through this evolving dialog, any designer can gain better footing in this design landscape:
Graphic designers are often wondering What Skills Will I Learn as a Graphic Designer?especially when they are starting out. This article examines this very query in specific details:
Underneath all of the fundamentals of graphic design lies the theory that drives it. In the article 50 Totally Free Lessons in Graphic Design Theory the TutsPlus family definitely delivers with a bevy of knowledge building lessons in theory:
For more on theory, Noupe’s Graphic Design Theory: 50 Resources and Articles is another wonderful collection of graphic design theory based resources from our sister site. Help expand your design horizons even more with this educational article:
Learn the Basics: 25+ Sites And Resources To Learn Typography is a great article from 1st Web Designer that will serve to enhance your typographical knowledge base. Typography is an important element in design and understanding it is key in your design growth:
As far as useful articles on design go, David Airey put together a post on the communities favorite books about graphic design. What ’s your favourite graphic design book? opens up the comments to the community and the post evolves from there as the replies pour in:
In your quest for graphic design knowledge you can even turn to About.com whose courseIntroduction to the Elements of Design will give you a grasp of the basics of graphic design. Another article that serves as a good starting point:
Speaking of graphic design books, this site has a brilliant article on them. 30 Delightful Graphic Design Books spans the various arenas of graphic design to find some of the industries most useful books that will aid you in your thirst for knowledge:
The Design Cubicle offers this insightful article Tips to improve as a graphic designer for anyone on an educational journey through the field of graphic design. It is certainly worth a look for new and old designers alike:
Finally, when it comes to growing as a designer and learning to hone your skills, the blogosphere is an invaluable tool. The following article 100 Must Read Design Blogs helps you to maximize your surfing by pointing you in the direction of some great sources for educating yourself:
Podcasts
In this category, we move into the auditory section of our graphic design learning experience with some selected podcasts. These informative online broadcasts take on the task of offering an educational outlet for the masses over the virtual airwaves with a different approach than you can get most anywhere else. Especially if you are more inclined towards audio forms of learning the podcasts are for you, but they are truly for anyone interested in learning more about this field.
For Graphic Designers Only is a business minded graphic design focused broadcast which talks with industry experts to gain insight and give advice to the community. From building an individual freelance business to a more business firm oriented perspective this is a useful podcast:
Rookie Designer‘s The Podcast for the Not-So-Accomplished Designer is a look at the graphic design landscape with a beginner’s gaze. This is a great place to start in the podcast pool, whether you are a newb or in need of a little refresher course:
Design Guy takes a simpler approach to the design principles, taking the time to explain them in laid-back basic ways that should be easy to wrap your head around. Get your new design projects off the ground in no time with a little help from the Design Guy:
Art a GoGo Podcast is certainly useful to anyone looking to solidify the base of their design work through an exploration of art. The Art a GoGo podcast features discussions about art news and the overall world of art in an educational and entertaining way:
There have not been many logo specific resources, but Logo Design is an informative podcast that does help balance the scales a bit. Learning about logos through tips and in-depth discussions has a new face, the “Logo Design” podcast:
