Begin your journey as a professional graphic designer by learning the essential skills and tools used by industry experts. Gain hands-on experience in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, and create a stunning portfolio to showcase your talent to potential employers or clients.
Learn how to retouch and color correct photos, combine images, and create graphics in Photoshop. This course covers the basic and intermediate features of Photoshop such as color/contrast, photo retouching, layers, masks, filters, and saving files for web/video/print.
Learn how to design professional page layouts with text & graphics in Adobe InDesign. This course covers styling, importing, packaging, and advanced techniques like styles, master pages, and tables. Perfect for creating books, magazines, and ads.
Learn how to draw and edit vector graphics using Adobe Illustrator. This course covers the basics and advanced features, including the Pen tool, effects, layers, masks, and more. Perfect for creating logos, icons, and packaging.
Leverage the power of cutting-edge AI tools and features in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other Adobe apps in this hands-on class.
Learn the fundamentals of graphic design as you get hands-on experience and produce real-world projects. Broaden your understanding of graphic design concepts, understand the elements of design, and expand your portfolio in this comprehensive graphic design course.
Master Photoshop from the ground up and prepare for the Adobe Certified Professional exam with expert-led training, hands-on projects, and personalized tutoring. This comprehensive program is ideal for aspiring designers, photographers, and creative professionals looking to earn industry-recognized certification.
Advance your layout and design expertise while preparing for the Adobe Certified Professional exam in this hands-on InDesign Certification Program. Through expert-led classes, personalized tutoring, and real-world projects, you'll gain the skills and confidence to create polished magazines, brochures, books, and more.
Build professional-level Illustrator skills and earn your Adobe Certified Professional credential through hands-on classes, private tutoring, and real-world projects. This certification program covers everything from vector drawing to logo design, giving you the tools to succeed on the exam.
Develop high-impact motion graphics and visual effects while preparing for the Adobe After Effects Certification exam through hands-on classes and private tutoring. This in-depth program covers beginner to advanced techniques, equipping you with the skills and credentials to stand out in animation and video production.
Master the art of video editing and earn your Adobe Premiere Pro certification through expert-led training and one-on-one tutoring. This comprehensive program prepares you for the certification exam while helping you build professional-level editing skills.
The ability to craft artwork or combine images with text to create visual content for commercial, informational, educational, or online purposes can lead to working in graphic design. Graphic design has become an essential component in business, marketing, and various forms of communication. Graphic Designers create visual design concepts for use in a variety of media. Graphic design is a skill that combines elements of art with technology.
Becoming a Graphic Designer requires training in areas that can be applied to working in digital graphics, traditional commercial art, as well as marketing with website graphics and visual design. Training to work in graphic design includes learning tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Graphic Designers use these types of design software to build a career for working in several industries in a variety of capacities.
Learning to become a Graphic Designer can provide an individual with versatile design skills, enabling them to adapt to work in any number of industries. Visual design represents a central element in marketing and web design, as well as in designing physical products. Becoming a Graphic Designer provides an in-demand profession for working in several areas, but is especially central in digital marketing.
Graphic design involves using visual art to communicate with audiences or to persuade customers to purchase a product or service. Gaining skills in graphic design involves learning tools and techniques for creating engaging and appealing visual designs. Learning skills for graphic design can expand a person’s options for work in a variety of professions and industries. Therefore, exploring training options in graphic design can open opportunities to several careers that include helping organizations, from small businesses to large corporations, develop brand identities through building engaging marketing campaigns.
Training in graphic design can open doors to new careers, as well as provide individuals with creative growth through their work. Knowledge and experience in graphic design can lead to employment in a variety of industries and professions, including web design, video gaming, and online advertising.
With training in graphic design, prospective designers can develop engaging graphics that they can include in portfolios to appeal to potential employers. Tools used in graphic design include the Adobe products InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Through learning these applications, students can learn how to work with designing complex animated graphics for creating engaging digital animations and logos. Many of these design tools also help Graphic Designers and related professionals create elaborate illustrations armed with the skills needed for working in a variety of capacities.
Skills in graphic design can lead to working in several capacities, including video editing, especially with digital technology used in today’s film and television industries. Experience in graphic design can help with finding jobs as, of course, Graphic Designers, Visual Designers, and Digital Designers working with graphics-related content. Design professionals can also work as members of a design team tasked with developing graphics, illustrations, and other visual elements involved with product design, marketing, or social media. Training in graphic design can also help with expanding any ambitious Graphic Designer’s skill set for learning new concepts like kinetic graphics.
Training in graphic design involves learning several areas of visual design, but new learners must have some native artistic talent as well as experience with using basic computer operating systems for both Windows and Macs. For training in graphic design, students should know some basic visual design and composition principles. Students must also be aware of current design trends involved in marketing and technology.
Individuals who would like to train to become Graphic Designers can enroll in a variety of in-person and live online courses. For those with little or no formal experience working in graphic design, finding beginner-level training would be helpful. By the same measure, intermediate and advanced-level training can help designers who have experience or an aptitude with graphic design software. Listed below are tools and concepts that may be helpful for becoming a Graphic Designer:
Graphic design combines elements of visual art with graphic technology. This skill can be applied to working in digital media, traditional commercial art, or online marketing with web graphics and visual design. Graphic Designers must be able to apply a range of skills in graphic design, including motion graphics for making visual elements dynamic. Motion graphics can be used for animating text, web design layouts, or video presentations with content in a variety of media.
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics design tool used by a variety of industries for creating and customizing graphics and illustrations in digital and print media, with products and clients that include creating infographics and promotional material. As the industry-standard vector graphics design tool, Illustrator can improve any new Graphic Designer’s career options. Illustrator offers time-saving features like Repeat for Patterns and Global Edits that help with creating graphics in various sizes and formats. Adobe Illustrator is among the most popular vector graphics applications in visual design, used by professionals and organizations for creating resizable illustrations, designing visual elements in videos, and developing motion graphics through its vector creation tool integrated across the Adobe Creative Cloud.
Adobe InDesign allows users to create design layouts for a variety of purposes. InDesign can be used for any type of print or digital layout, including prototyping webpages and web apps developed by Web Designers, who can use the tool to add text, color, or images to layouts that help them visualize ideas for a web design. InDesign lets users create templates or replicate pages to streamline the design process.
InDesign can also be used to create material for non-commercial and personal projects, such as creating posters, infographics, and flyers for promoting an upcoming event. Small businesses, community organizations, local churches, or even bands can use InDesign for putting together promotional material that has a more professional-looking appearance.
Adobe Photoshop is the world’s most popular photo editing software used by Photographers, Graphic Designers, and other design professionals for retouching and other design purposes, including social media graphics, web design, and app design, as well as graphics used in animation with Adobe After Effects. Learning Photoshop is a necessity for any career associated with visual design in today’s digitally saturated marketplace. This photo editing application provides hundreds of tools that Graphic Designers can use in visual projects beyond just photographs. Photoshop can be used with animation, graphic design, web design, or UX design as a tool that can be applied in any format due to its versatile functions in visual creativity.
Skills with motion graphics can be used for working in a variety of professional design areas, including web design, social media marketing, digital advertising, video game development, film, and television. Designers often use motion graphics to help attract audiences for more dynamic and informative visual engagement that can be more easily comprehended and retained. Motion graphics have become popular in several areas of media for reaching and connecting with potential customers.
Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States and one of the most desirable places to live and visit. Many consider Southern California a cultural, financial, and commercial paradise where creativity and innovation thrive. Much like other West Coast cities, LA’s economy is deeply rooted in technology-driven industries such as video gaming, medical technology, digital cinematography, and software development. Major companies—including Snap Inc., Riot Games, and SpaceX—rely on Graphic Designers to help shape their brand identities, create user interface graphics, and produce visual assets that support digital products and marketing campaigns.
Graphic design plays an even more prominent role in Los Angeles’s world-renowned entertainment industry. As the global center for film, television, streaming, and digital media, LA is home to influential companies like Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, and Universal Studios. These organizations employ Graphic Designers for film posters, title sequences, motion graphics, promotional campaigns, set graphics, and visual branding. Entertainment marketing agencies such as Trailer Park Group, BLT Communications, and Ignition Creative are also headquartered in the region, producing high-profile key art and marketing materials for major motion pictures and series. This creative infrastructure helps fuel tourism, drawing millions of visitors to events, theme parks, and iconic entertainment landmarks each year.
In addition to entertainment and tech, graphic design supports a wide range of industries across Los Angeles—including healthcare, fashion, hospitality, and advertising. Organizations such as Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, and UCLA Health rely on designers to produce patient-facing materials, digital interfaces, and brand communications. LA’s vibrant fashion and lifestyle scene, represented by companies like Guess, Revolve, and Forever 21, depends on Graphic Designers for lookbooks, brand assets, packaging, and social media content. With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noting that Los Angeles offers some of the highest salaries in the nation for media and design roles, the city continues to attract creative talent seeking opportunities in diverse, visually driven industries.
While graphic design training can prepare a person for working as a Graphic Designer, those skills can also open up opportunities for working in other areas that include visual design, user experience and user interface, video editing, and motion graphics. While graphic design focuses on working with images, the skills are flexible enough to find work in other professions.
For people looking for graphic design work in Los Angeles, there are several paths that can be taken, including digital marketing. One place to search would be digital marketing agencies throughout Southern California for connecting with companies looking for Graphic Designers, who provide a key element for any effective marketing campaign by designing appealing and engaging graphics for brands and logos.
A Graphic Designer working in L.A. can earn an annual income ranging from $71,000 to $88,000. Other career options include becoming a Visual Designer, making a yearly salary between $121,000 and $167,000. A UI Designer can earn from $93,000 to $160,000 a year. Another option is working as a Digital Designer, which can bring in an annual salary between $97,000 and $163,000.
This live online program will train you in design applications like InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator for a comprehensive understanding of graphic design concepts and processes for creating modern designs through expanding your skills. Lessons will cover composition, typography, color, and design theory. Through this certificate program, you will be able to compile a portfolio from projects that include social media graphics or cover art that you can use to impress potential employers. This program offers 1-on-1 mentoring outside of class as well as an opportunity to retake the course for free within one year. This live online certificate program can be taken in a one-month full-time format or as a three-month part-time course.
This course focuses on training you in graphic design as it relates to the user experience and user interface in web design, with designing, developing, and prototyping websites and smartphone apps. Lessons cover professional design concepts for building websites and applications through learning about compositing, typography, color, interactivity, user interface elements, and best practices for designing and testing apps and webpages. Upon completing this course, you have compiled a portfolio filled with projects that showcase your skills to potential employers. This course offers additional 1-on-1 mentoring outside of class as well as an opportunity to retake this course for free within one year. This live online certificate program can be taken in a six-week full-time format or a 24-week part-time format.
For high school and middle school students who are considering a career in graphic design, NextGen Bootcamp offers live online graphic design classes aimed at high school students and young adults. Lessons focus on training participants in graphic design tools like Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, or Photoshop through hands-on, interactive, real-world projects. This program helps in preparing young people for college-level learning to get them ready for their next level of education. This is a 50-hour live online program.
This course aims to train you in comprehensive skills for working with Adobe Photoshop. Lessons include learning about retouching photographs, correcting color, and combining images, as well as preparing graphics for online, print, or digital presentations, starting with the basics before moving on to learning advanced techniques. Upon completing this program, you will possess a thorough understanding of composition, typography, color, and design theory. Additionally, at the end of this course, you will have a portfolio loaded with your projects, including social media graphics and cover art that should impress potential employers. This program offers 1-on-1 mentoring outside of class as well as an opportunity to retake the course for free within one year.
This course trains you to work with Adobe Illustrator. Lessons will train you for a comprehensive understanding of graphic design concepts and processes that allow you to create modern designs, along with expanding your skill set in visual design. Upon completing this course, you will possess a better understanding of composition, typography, color, and design theory, which can help with compiling a portfolio from projects on social media graphics or cover art, for example, that can be used to impress potential employers. This program offers 1-on-1 mentoring outside of class as well as an opportunity to retake the course for free within one year.
Anyone thinking about a career in graphic design should consider certificate training or getting certification related to visual design. Enrolling in a certificate program or passing a certification exam provides an individual with not only skills for finding work in today’s competitive job market but may also put them ahead of others vying for the same positions. Prospective Graphic Designers can improve their skill sets through learning graphic design tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other design software, along with skills in visual design, illustration, and motion graphics.
For example, certificate training in motion graphics can provide skills for animating text and graphics to attract eyes to content, along with combining visual elements with music or voice-over audio in TV commercials or online ads using applications like Adobe After Effects or Premiere Pro.
However, it must be noted that certificate programs are not the same as certifications, which authenticate expertise in a specific skill that an individual achieves through passing industry-recognized exams. While certificate training is not the same as gaining certification, enrolling in a certificate program can help with eventually passing a certification exam.
Certificate programs offer completion-based training provided through in-person and live online courses that can last from weeks to months. By completing a certificate program, students may gain a solid foundation in graphic design for working with a variety of design software.
Would the staff of your organization benefit from graphic design training to help with developing or maintaining your company’s image and brand? Noble Desktop provides onsite and corporate training in graphic design to get your employees the skills for creating your own graphics team. For organizations in Los Angeles, Noble Desktop instructors can conduct training through videoconferencing platforms like WebEx or Zoom. In addition, you have the option to purchase vouchers for Noble Desktop’s public enrollment graphic design courses.
If you are ready for your employees to support your company with skills in graphic design, contact corporate@nobledesktop.com for more information or to discuss a free consultation.
Those seeking a chance to sharpen their skills in tech, design, business, or data can look no further than the opportunities in Los Angeles. The city is more than just Hollywood; it’s a collection of professional services and companies that stretch from the innovative companies in Silicon Beach to the more corporate areas of downtown L.A. Learning graphic design is one skill that can take you far in L.A., as many industries need someone to help with markeing materials and digital media. By creating visual content through imagery, typography, and layout design, you can establish a brand presence for a startup or assist large companies with their social media campaigns. For those interested, Noble Desktop’s partner school, VDCI, offers classes taught by industry experts who are passionate, willing, and ready to impart their knowledge to students and professionals alike. They offer insight based on their real-world experience, which makes all the difference when learning a new skill from scratch or while looking to advance in your field.
Los Angeles-based learners can take advantage of the training at 3904 Groton Street, San Diego, California, located directly in the Point Loma neighborhood. Driving from Los Angeles, you’ll take I-5 South all the way. Those who prefer public transportation can hop on the Amtrak and commuter rail services connecting to San Diego from L.A., making it a quick way to access the campus. The facility is designed for interaction, offering students access to top-rated instructors and modern workstations.
With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Deanne Larson has built a reputation as a pioneer in the Los Angeles data science and analytics world. As the founder of Larson & Associates LLC, she has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and FinTech firms to help shape AI strategies and implement solutions through machine learning. She’s worked with global enterprises, particularly in designing their data systems. Her accomplishments go beyond the norm, however, as she’s also been part of projects that serve 225 million customers worldwide and others that require developing cutting-edge data governance frameworks for cloud and blockchain technologies. She’s a seasoned instructor as well, having taught at City University of Seattle, where she mentored doctoral candidates and designed data analytics programs. She holds several doctoral degrees that, paired with her extensive experience, position her to teach subjects like AI, Python, data, machine learning, and project management.
Michael Wilson is a Licensed Architect in the State of California and an Autodesk Certified Platinum Revit Instructor, one of only 20 professionals worldwide to hold this title. With over 25 years of experience in architecture, Michael has contributed to award-winning commercial and municipal projects, including facilities for pharmaceutical companies and landmarks such as the El Cajon Animal Shelter and the Mission Hills Library. Michael teaches and develops Revit courses that emphasize real-world application through project-based learning. Over the past decade, he has trained thousands of students in the Los Angeles AEC community, helping them master workflows. Michael is also an Autodesk Certified AutoCAD and Revit Professional, specializing in Revit certification and interior design software.
John O’Malley is a Registered Architect with more than a decade of experience leading Los Angeles teams through all stages of design and construction. His professional background spans different sectors, where he has earned recognition for his technical precision and leadership. A licensed architect in California, John also holds LEED AP BD+C certification and is an Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI Silver). Most recently, he teaches AutoCAD courses that prepare students to apply drafting and design principles in real-world settings. John is passionate about mentoring the next generation of design professionals, contributing to the ACE Mentor Program.