Design Theory Cost

Design classes can cost anywhere from a few hundred to thousands. Most designers also need to get various design tools. However, these are less expensive, and some are even free.

What is Design Theory?

Design theory is a system that explains how a design works and why it works that way. Every choice that a designer makes has a specific effect on the audience. For instance, a design can communicate, direct, invite, entice, or excite the viewer. Design theory is a way to understand how and why this happens. It gives designers a deeper understanding of how various design choices work together to communicate a specific message. 

When studying design theory, users will learn about design's key elements, including alignment, repetition, contrast, hierarchy, and balance. These elements all have a specific effect on an audience and are an important part of communicating a message in any design. For instance, contrast emphasizes particular aspects of a design or evokes certain feelings in the viewer. Balance can create a feeling of tension or stability, both of which affect the viewer in different ways.

Designers who understand design theory can make better creative choices because they know how these choices will affect an audience. They combine a knowledge of design elements with the specific purpose a design intends to achieve. Thanks to understanding how design works, designers can create a finished product that looks the way they want it to and does what they intend.

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What Can You Do with Design Theory?

Design-related careers exist in different industries, and design theory is an essential foundation for many jobs. Designers work in fields like advertising, video editing, magazine publishing, and website creation. They create an array of different products, including advertisements, website graphics, and product packaging. Some designers work on digital designs, such as social media graphics, while others design for non-digital products, like books or business cards.

Almost every industry needs designers, so there will likely be a design job to match every interest. Web design is one popular field that involves creating and maintaining websites. Motion design is another popular design career. In this job, designers apply graphic design principles to filmmaking and video production. Augmented reality design is a newer design field. Designers who work in augmented reality enhance the real-world environment with virtual content, helping to improve the way people interact with the world.

In-Depth Review of the Cost

The cost of learning design theory varies widely depending on the class type a student selects. The most expensive option is a college design degree. Most undergraduate design degrees take about four years and cost thousands of dollars. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, for the 2020/2021 school year, the average cost of a college education was between $24,000 and $45,000 per year.

However, there are less expensive types of design classes. A certificate program is still fairly comprehensive and can cost up to $5,000. Bootcamps and workshops are generally shorter and less comprehensive than certificate programs but are often cheaper. For instance, Noble Desktop offers a number of design bootcamps for less than $1,000.

In addition to learning design theory, designers often need to acquire various design tools in order to actually create their designs. Adobe Creative Cloud is one of the most popular tools designers use and starts at about $20 per month for one application. Some other tools, like programming languages and web design templates, are free. 

Why Learn Design Theory?

By studying design theory, designers can learn to create better designs. This field of study gives students a deeper understanding of the different elements of an image and how these elements work together to influence the viewer. For instance, colors can be combined or contrasted in various ways to create certain feelings in the audience. With the knowledge of how color and all the other parts of design work, professional designers can make better creative decisions and produce designs that effectively communicate messages.

The principles of design theory can also help designers solve design problems. Every design project includes certain challenges or frustrations. Still, designers who understand why they are using various elements in their design are better equipped to solve any problems they encounter.

Designers who know design theory can talk about their designs confidently and knowledgeably because they understand how and why those designs work. This can be beneficial during a job interview because a designer can confidently explain a portfolio. It can also give designers an advantage when presenting designs to clients or employers. A strong understanding of design theory can also make designers more attractive to employers and clients because it allows them to present their work more effectively.

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Free Introductory Design Theory Course Online 

Users serious about learning design theory may want to invest in a professional training class. However, there are many free online options for those who would like a free introduction to the topic before committing to a paid course. Noble Desktop provides free tutorials and seminars on its YouTube channel. These include a seminar on typography and Get Started in Design, a tutorial that gives viewers an overview of the many different types of digital design.

Other websites also offer free design theory classes. For example, Udemy has graphic design classes that cover design theory. Coursera also teaches several different design classes, including user interface design. Some providers offer introductory courses for free but require users to pay for their premium content.

Free design classes are a valuable resource, but students must ensure that any information they access online is reliable and current. Because the internet is so accessible, designers can benefit from a wealth of free information. However, the ease of putting information online also means that not all of it is credible. Before watching a tutorial or reading an article online, students should research the source of that information to make sure that it is trustworthy.

Read about more free design theory videos and online tutorials.

Learn Design Theory with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

No matter your schedule or learning style, you can find a design theory course at Noble Desktop. The school runs many different in-person classes at its Manhattan campus, as well as a variety of online courses. Whether online or in-person, all class groups are small and feature instructors who are experts in their fields. In addition, Noble offers a free retake option, where students can choose to retake a course once within a year. Students who opt for the free retake can gain additional design skills without paying for another class.

Design classes come in many different forms. Design bootcamps are one popular way to learn design theory and other design skills and can be a good way for students to master new skills quickly. Graphic Design Portfolio Bootcamp is just one of many different design bootcamps offered by Noble Desktop. In this class, students learn graphic design theory and techniques. For students interested in other types of design, Noble provides a long list of different bootcamps, including a Sketch Bootcamp and a UI Design Bootcamp.

A design certificate can be a good option for those who want more in-depth training. These courses generally run longer than bootcamps and provide a deeper level of design education. Digital Design Certificate is one of Noble’s many certificate classes in the design field. This course is intended to create well-rounded Digital Designers and includes vital design concepts and theory. Like many other bootcamps, it also provides job support.