Coding and Design Tips & Tutorials

In this free class you’ll learn the basics of After Effects so you can get started with video editing. Adobe After Effects is a powerful tool for motion graphics and visual effects. It can be used on its own to create stand-alone videos and animations or integrated into video editing programs like Premiere Pro.

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Continue learning in our comprehensive After Effects classes (attend Live Online or in New York City):
After Effects Classes
Video Editing & Motion Graphics Classes
Motion Graphics Certificate

In this free class you’ll learn the basics of Premiere Pro so you can get started with video editing. Adobe Premiere Pro is a video editing application that lets you combine video, music, voice overs, graphics, sound FX and more to create compelling videos. Video continues to gain in popularity on social media apps, in ads, and through sites like YouTube and Vimeo, making video editing one of the most in-demand skills you can have.

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Continue learning in our comprehensive Premiere Pro classes (attend Live Online or in New York City):
Premiere Pro Classes
Video Editing & Motion Graphics Classes
Motion Graphics Certificate

In this free class we’ll cover the basics of InDesign so you can get started using it to create ads, books, magazines, and more! InDesign is the industry standard page layout app, primary focused on print design. InDesign is used to create ads, books, magazines, and much more. In this free class we’ll get you up and running with the fundamentals of InDesign. We’ll create some layouts from scratch showing you how to work with graphics, text, and how to output your design by printing or creating a PDF.

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Continue learning in our comprehensive InDesign classes (attend Live Online or in New York City):
InDesign Classes
Graphic Design Certificate

In this seminar you'll learn the basics of Illustrator so you can get started using it to create graphics for logos, icons, and more! Adobe Illustrator can be insanely useful for creating graphics for web, print, signage, or anything! Unfortunately it’s not very intuitive for beginners to learn. In this seminar we’ll show you the fundamentals of Illustrator in a way that makes them approachable for someone who’s just getting started. Experience with another Adobe graphics app will help, but is not required.

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Continue to learn more in our comprehensive Illustrator classes (attend Live Online or in New York City):
Illustrator Classes
Graphic Design Certificate

When designing digital products such as websites and apps. there are many apps to choose from. Which one is right for you? In this article we’ll talk about Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch, and Adobe Photoshop.

Adobe XD

XD is the newest of these apps, and Adobe is putting a lot of effort into developing it quickly. Updates are released every 1–2 months, and XD has come a long way since the first beta versions.

XD aims to be the all-in-one solution for UX/UI design from wireframes to visual design, visual prototyping, voice prototyping, animation, and more. Despite XD being a relatively young app, it has some features (such as voice prototyping and repeat grid) that are not found in its competitors. While it is more advanced in some ways, it does lack some essential features. For example, there is no color management so on Display P3 monitors (like iMacs and Mac laptops use) the colors are not accurate, you can’t add multiple fills/strokes, and text styles are merely a find/change for formatting, just to name a few. Not having true styles severely limits their use because you’ll accidentally change things you didn’t intend to. There are no graphic/object styles, and exporting features are poorly implemented. Keep in mind that each app in this list has pros and cons, so none of them are perfect (Sketch and Figma also have their own set of limitations with styles for example).

Because XD came later to the game, it can open up Sketch, Photoshop, and Illustrator files and convert them into fully editable XD files. This makes it easier to switch to XD from those other apps. Being an Adobe app, it also integrates better, allowing you to edit photos in Photoshop and send an XD file to After Effects (if you need something beyond the animations you can create within XD).

XD has gained enough features that designers and companies are now starting to use it. Especially on small projects, some of the missing/poorly implemented features won't be much of an issue. However, on larger projects, those limitations might become a bigger issue. Adobe has been rapidly fixing things and adding features, so we’re seeing more and more people choosing Adobe XD.

Overall XD is quick and easy to use. We like the integrated design approach Adobe is going for, and we look forward to seeing XD continue to improve. It’s especially strong in UX design, prototyping, and animation when compared to the other apps.

You can use XD for free to see if you like it. The free version of XD gives you the full app, but with some limitations such as only one shared link (for prototypes and design specs) and no ability to save local files. If you need any of the premium features (such as multiple shared links or the ability to work with local files), you can get XD for $9.99/month (USD) or XD with all the CC apps for $52.99 (USD).

Learn more in our Adobe XD Bootcamp or another one of our Adobe XD classes.

User experience is how a person feels when interfacing with a system, product, or service. What makes User Experience Design (UX) different from User Interface (UI) design? It’s a design process which relies heavily on user research, prototyping, and user testing, among other things to identify important issues, develop solutions, and verify those solutions.

In this free introduction to UX design, we’ll discuss the main concepts involved in the UX design process and how to move into the field of user experience design. This is a great way to get started before diving into a hands-on class such as our UX & UI Design Certificate or UX Design Bootcamp.

In this live streamed seminar we explain the appropriate classes and certificate programs so you’ll know the next steps to get started in each area of design.

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UX Design Classes
UX & UI Design Certificate
UX Design Bootcamp

Thinking about learning design? Learn about the different types of digital design (graphic design, web design, UX design, UI design, and motion design) so you can better understand what designers do and which apps they use.

In this online seminar we explain the appropriate classes and certificate programs so you’ll know the next steps to get started in each area of design.

Learn More (Attend Live Online or in New York City)

Graphic Design Classes
Web Design Classes
UX Design Classes
UI & Visual Design Classes
Video Editing & Motion Design Classes

With COVID-19 leaving many unemployed or underemployed, millions of Americans are left looking for new jobs. Hopefully, many of these workers will be able to return to their jobs soon, but some will be left looking for new opportunities. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best skills to pick up and how you can go about learning them. 

With COVID-19 leading to camp cancellations across the country, many parents and students are looking for fun and productive options for the summer. NextGen Bootcamp, an education company for high school and college students, is expanding its “live online” summer programs for attendees to develop their technical skills, boost their resumes, and create exciting projects. 

Free Class Recordings

See all of our free class recordings from our seminars over the past month. Learn about data science, motion graphics, design, digital marketing, and more with these free classes.