How to become a graphic designer without going back to school

Sharpen your digital design skills.
By TEAM COMMERCE  on 
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How to become a graphic designer without going back to school
Three skills and a certification for under $40? We'll take it. Credit: pexels

In 2017, it's safe to say tech has seeped into virtually every industry the job market has to offer. Take art, for example. Today, you'll likely find fewer Picassos and Pollocks and more graphic designers.

At the intersection between computers and art, graphic designers are responsible for creating strong images that will ultimately shape a brand. 

But being a graphic designer is easier said than done. In addition to having a strong point of view, you need to be well-versed in top design software. Whether you want to dip your toe into the world of graphics, bolster your résumé, or buy the perfect holiday present for your art-obsessed friend, you might want to consider the "Graphic Design Certification School."

With some 40 hours of content, this series of online courses will teach you how to use three key Adobe programs: Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. 

If you want to learn how to manipulate photos — whether it's cropping, boosting the saturation, or adding layers to one image —  you'll want to have a look at Photoshop. With InDesign, you'll be able to create impressive, tangible designs, like brochures and flyers. Or if you want to add some flair to your résumé, InDesign will let you do that, too. Ready to take your graphic design skills to the next level? Illustrator will help you turn your haphazardly drawn doodles into polished logos. 

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This bundle is valued at $1,197, but for a limited time only, you can buy it for $39.

Topics Photoshop

Leah Stodart
Leah Stodart
Senior Shopping Reporter

Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.

The robot vacuum beat in particular has cemented itself as Leah's main ~thing~ across the past few years. Since 2019, her expertise has been perpetually bolstered by the meticulous eye she keeps on robot vacuum deals and new releases, but more importantly, her hands-on experience with more than 25 robot vacuums tested in her own home. (This number has probably gone up by the time you're reading this.) That at-home testing is standardized through Mashable's robot testing guide — a granular scoring rubric for assessing all aspects of owning and using a robot vacuum on the daily — that Leah created herself.

Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she's not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she's almost definitely watching a horror movie, "RuPaul's Drag Race," or "The Office." You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].


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