Online Graphic Design Classes for High School Students

Key Insights

Graphic design careers provide diverse earning potentials, with average salaries ranging from $49,000 for general graphic designers to approximately $94,000 annually for digital designers, while design directors can earn roughly $139,000 per year.

High school students interested in graphic design can benefit significantly from virtual training programs like NextGen Bootcamp's Graphic Design Summer Camp, which provides hands-on projects, experience with Adobe's creative software suite, and portfolio development opportunities.

Learning graphic design early allows students to acquire skills applicable across different industries such as marketing, music, fintech, or product design, enhancing their employability and enabling them to secure internships or part-time jobs during college.

Learn More About Live Online Graphic Design Courses

Graphic design is the craft of using images to communicate a message or to accomplish a goal. A graphic designer is a person who creates these images. They use a combination of fonts, photos, and colors to communicate ideas. Graphic design is so embedded into our daily lives that you probably don’t even notice it most of the time. The box you eat your cereal from was designed with a graphic designer. All of the apps you use on your phone were designed with a graphic designer. The work of graphic designers communicates with us every time we browse the shelves in a store or look at a website.

We all care about how something functions, but we also care about what it looks like. For example, a website can function properly, but it isn't doing its job if it doesn’t look appealing. If your newsletter has excellent information but looks terrible, no one will read it. Graphic designers combine function with form to provide a compelling mix of usability and beauty.

Why High Schoolers Should Learn Graphic Design

Graphic design is more commonly associated with the medium of print. However, the internet has altered what graphic designers do as they use their skills to create images for digital media such as websites, social media, brand logos, email newsletters, and online advertisements.

The average salary for a graphic designer in the United States is $49,000 a year. Graphic designers who specialize in moving images or user experience (UI) make an average of $84,000 per year. Digital designers can make an average salary of $94,000 a year.

This career path has the potential to earn more with time and experience; graphic designers who move into management positions make an average of $139,000 as a Design Director.

If you’re interested in pursuing graphic design as a career, beginning your training in high school is a great idea. You’ll be able to explore your interest in design to more easily to uncover the right design path for you. Graphic designers are needed in almost every industry. This means you could develop your design skills while training in the industry of your choice, such as marketing, music, computer science, FinTech, or product design.

Your newfound design skills can also help you secure an internship or a part-time position as a graphic designer to help fund your college education. For example, many of your college classmates might want help building a website for themselves. Or, you could impress potential employers with a portfolio of everything you designed while still in high school. If you’re planning to attend a design college, developing your skills while still in high school will give you a valuable head start. Even if you end up switching to a different medium later, your training in graphic design will still be profitable.

Virtual Graphic Design Classes at NextGen Bootcamp

Virtual graphic design classes allow you to start studying graphic design from anywhere, and they often provide the same features as an in-person graphic design course. Your instructor will be teaching the course live, so you’ll be able to interact with them in real-time and ask questions whenever you need. You also won’t be limited to courses located in your hometown which, depending on where you live, can be challenging to find. With virtual courses you have the opportunity to study with experts who are leaders in graphic design. Virtual classes also allow you to work on group projects and receive hands-on feedback on your work via screen-sharing software. You can also choose a virtual graphic design course specially designed for high school students. Schools like this will give you a curriculum geared toward your goals and provide you with a community of other teenage graphic designers so you can share ideas.

NextGen Bootcamp offers graphic design summer courses for high schoolers live online. All of NextGen Bootcamp’s courses are designed specifically for high school students, have guaranteed small class sizes, and are taught by instructors who are experts in their field. All of NextGen Bootcamp’s courses combine micro-lectures with guided practice: students will learn about a topic in a short, interactive lecture, and then they will be immediately guided in practicing the skills from the micro-lectures through a hands-on activity. NextGen Bootcamp also has a free retake policy which allows students to retake a course within a year to continue developing their coding skills. This means that you can review the materials and create new projects using your more advanced skills.

NextGen Bootcamp’s Graphic Design Summer Camp is designed to help high school students increase their graphic design skills. Students practice design thinking through a series of hands-on projects that provide a comprehensive understanding of Adobe’s graphic design software tools: Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. First, students will learn to edit and create photos using Adobe Photoshop. Next, students will gain proficiency in creating page layouts using Adobe InDesign. Finally, students master digital drawing and vector graphics with Adobe Illustrator. Graduates have projects to include in a design portfolio and a certificate of completion to use for internships or applications to design colleges.

In their Web Design Summer Camp, NextGen Bootcamp combines design skills with coding skills. High school students receive hands-on instruction in designing websites in Sketch and then coding the site they designed in HTML and CSS. Students will learn to code by hand in HTML and CSS, using HTML to mark up web content and CSS for adding style to the website’s content. Graduates will have a portfolio website and a certificate of completion to use for internships or on college applications. They will also have a good foundation for pursuing web design professionally or working part-time in web design while in college.

If you can’t decide if graphic or web design is right for you, you can dip your toes into both at the same time with NextGen Bootcamp’s Graphic & Web Design Summer Program. Students in this course learn a diverse array of design and coding topics such as design thinking, app design, HTML, CSS, and using the Adobe graphic design applications InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. These concepts become the basis for creating two projects: a graphic design portfolio and a usable website. Students can display these portfolio projects for potential internships or on college applications. Students can also use their skills to land part-time work or attract clients.

Other Live Online Graphic Design Classes for High Schoolers

If you’re interested in taking virtual graphic design classes for high schoolers, there are more options that you can choose from.

Digital Media Academy offers several career pathways that include groups of courses on that topic. One of their career pathways is creative design which includes courses such as Graphic Design with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, 3D Printing & Product Design, 3D Character Animation with Maya, Classical Animation with Adobe Animate & Premiere Pro. Their Digital Storytelling career pathway includes training in Digital Photography with Adobe Photoshop and Stop Motion & Computer Animation with Toon Boom Harmony.

Several colleges also offer pre-college programs in graphic design. UMass Amherst’s Summer Design Academy gives high school students the chance to develop design skills using the same tools as professional architects and interior designers. Tufts offers a Graphic Design Bootcamp geared toward students interested in design, marketing, and visual communications.

Designer Camp Digital is a boutique design camp based in Los Angeles. They’ve recently begun offering the camp as a digital camp experience. Campers learn in hands-on design workshops with professionals from the design industry and participate in virtual tours of studios, showrooms, design houses, and design businesses. Campers receive a design industry mentor and a digital portfolio upon graduation.

Animation Summer Bootcamp NYC

Animation Summer Bootcamp NYC offers the ideal opportunity for students fascinated by the world of animation and eager to dive into the realm of 2D animation. Throughout the first week, participants embark on a captivating exploration of animation history, uncovering the evolution of this vibrant art form and delving into influential figures and pivotal moments that have shaped the industry. Following this solid foundation, students delve into the principles of design and animation. Through interactive sketching exercises and practical demonstrations, they learn to apply these principles to their own projects, refining their skills and nurturing their creativity with each session.

In the second week, the program elevates the animation journey with advanced concepts and final projects. From mastering cutting-edge animation techniques to honing sound design and timing skills, participants expand their toolkit and refine their craft under the guidance of experienced instructors. The course culminates with the production of a final animation project where students apply their newfound knowledge and skills. Finally, participants have the opportunity to showcase their creations and receive constructive feedback from peers, celebrating their achievements and reflecting on their learning journey. Upon completion of the bootcamp, students will have newfound creativity and confidence, along with a certificate of completion that serves as a valuable credential for college applications and future career endeavors.

Animation Summer Bootcamp Live Online

In Animation Summer Bootcamp Live Online, experienced instructors teach animation in a live, interactive course. This is the ideal bootcamp for students who can’t attend a summer course in NYC. All the cutting-edge content covered in the NYC bootcamp is included in this online experience, from tracing the origins of animation to the forefront of contemporary techniques. Students immerse themselves in design and animation principles with hands-on sketching exercises, state-of-the-art animation techniques, sound design applications, and narrative-driven storyboards. They’ll discover how timing is used to create lifelike projects that convey mood, weight, and power. By the end of the online course, students will be crafting projects with professional polish.

Remote setup assistance is available, and students work on all the same hands-on projects as in-person classes. Using Zoom, participants can watch and hear the instructor’s screen in real time, speak to the instructor using computer audio, phone, or external microphone, and share their screen with the instructor. Students can even allow the instructor to take control of their computer to provide hands-on assistance temporarily. The culminating project is an online showcase of the skills acquired throughout the course and provides a chance to receive feedback from peers and instructors.

How to Choose a Graphic Design Class

Choosing the best graphic design class for you can be tricky. You’ll want to consider your interests and goals first. What kind of design interests you most: graphic design? Web design? Interior design? Architecture? Are you preparing for college, or do you want to gain more practical professional skills? You should also consider factors such as cost, length, difficulty, and the ages allowed in the course.

Live Online Graphic Design Courses by School

Here are some of the top Live Online schools offering Graphic Design training, including NextGen Bootcamp (8 courses), UMass Summer Pre-College (2 courses), and Designer Camp (1 course).

NextGen Bootcamp

NextGen Bootcamp, a subsidiary of Noble Desktop, is a computer science education company dedicated to providing middle and high school students with a state-of-the-art education in coding and digital design. Its courses are available live online or in-person in New York and New Jersey. NextGen's programs include hands-on, immersive summer camps as well as both in-school and after-school courses that are customized to meet student needs.
- UX & UI Design Summer Program Online
  - 25 Hours
  - $1,299
- Graphic Design Summer Program
  - 30 Hours
  - $1,299
- Graphic Design Summer Program Online
  - 30 Hours
  - $1,299
- UX & UI Design Summer Program
  - 25 Hours
  - $1,699
Designer Camp

Designer Camp provides design summer camps to preteens and teenagers in locations around California and via live online classes.
- Digital Designer Camp 101
  - 1 Week
  - $495
UMass Summer Pre-College

UMass Amherst offers pre-college education for high school students as part of its University Without Walls (UWW) programming.
- Summer Design Academy
  - 3 Weeks
  - $1,877
Tufts Pre-College Program

Boston location: 108 Packard Ave, Medford, MA

Tufts University provides pre-college education for high school students as part of its University College programming.
- Graphic Design Bootcamp
  - 1 Week
  - $2,000
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes

Stanford University's Pre-Collegiate Summer Institues prepare students in grades 8 through 11 to enter college with small, intensive classes.
- Product Design
  - 2 Weeks
  - $2,700
Digital Media Academy

Originally known as the Academy for New Media, the high school training provider Digital Media Academy started in 1999 on the campus of Stanford University. It has since expanded to other university campuses and runs online courses as well.
- Drawing & Design
  - 1 Week
  - $2,278

Showing 6 of 6 schools

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Key Insights

Learn More About Live Online Graphic Design Courses

Why High Schoolers Should Learn Graphic Design

Virtual Graphic Design Classes at NextGen Bootcamp

Other Live Online Graphic Design Classes for High Schoolers

How to Choose a Graphic Design Class

Live Online Graphic Design Courses by School

UX & UI Design Summer Program Online

Graphic Design Summer Program

Graphic Design Summer Program Online

UX & UI Design Summer Program

Digital Designer Camp 101

Summer Design Academy

Graphic Design Bootcamp

Product Design

Digital Media Academy

Drawing & Design

Live Online Graphic Design Corporate & Onsite Training Noble Desktop

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NextGen Bootcamp UX & UI Design Summer Program Online
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Live Online Graphic Design
Corporate & Onsite Training