Does pursuing graphic design classes in the most diverse Southern city with food, music, and activities sound compelling? Then consider attending graphic design classes in Atlanta, Georgia. Students in the A-Town can discover its abundance of art galleries, like the Hammonds House Museum and the Atlanta Beltline graffiti, to find design inspiration.
Enjoy a stroll in the city’s huge Piedmont Park or grab a coffee and work in the middle of a forest at the Chattahoochee River. You can even visit the Dr. Martin Luther King National Historical Park and visit Dr. King’s childhood home.
Studying in Atlanta will bring you the thrill of a bustling city amid elegant natural surroundings. If you are interested in exploring the best graphic design classes Atlanta has to offer, then read on. Career Karma explores what graphic design work entails and lists the top courses you can choose from to start pursuing a career in this exciting field.
What Does a Graphic Designer Do?
The career combines art and technology to solve an array of visual problems. If you pay close attention, you will notice that a graphic designer’s work is around you. Graphic design is present on the billboards in your city, the menu at your favorite cafe, and the brochures you receive in your mailbox.
Design Projects
A graphic designer uses visuals to communicate an idea or emotion. Depending on their industry, a graphic designer may create web designs, branding, posters, billboards, food packaging, logos, marketing materials, and visual features in magazines.
Graphic Design Fundamentals
The basic structures of graphic design are lines, shapes, and colors. Graphic designers are experts at conveying an idea with visuals like images, color theory, HEX color codes, RGB color codes, fonts, typography, and layout.
Graphic designers also use photography, illustrations, and computer software to make their work pop. Some examples of software that a graphic designer uses are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, and InDesign.
Types of Digital Design
There is a range of different industries students can go into after their Atlanta classes. Browse the list below to see what you can do with real-world digital graphics skills.
Brand Identity Graphics
Brand identity involves everything to do with promoting a business, such as logo designs, business cards, packages, brochures, and pamphlets.
Information Graphics
In this type, graphics present data aesthetically and so they are easy to follow. It, therefore, involves creating graphs, charts, and vector graphics. Vector graphics use geometric and mathematic calculations to create more geometric shapes rather than freehand illustration designs.
Art and Illustration
This is the most creative form of graphic design there is. Artists use technology devices to create illustrations on anything in their minds. The art and illustration side for graphic designers can be a large part of the process, as it is a visual medium.
Web Developer or Designer
This is where the UX/UI design meets graphic design, as the two share certain skills. These are graphics applied to websites and applications. Although UX/ UI design is a separate career, there are many crossovers as websites and Apps use graphics to make them more striking or user friendly.
Top Atlanta Graphic Design Classes
Regardless if you decide to attend an online community college, coding bootcamp, on-campus class, online courses, or a university degree programs, you will have the opportunity to gain exceptional graphic design skills. Browse our list below to determine which graphic design classes in Atlanta, GA, await you.
Ernest G Welch School of Art and Design
Where: Atlanta, GA
Course: Graphic Design
Level: Undergraduate Program
This Atlanta art and design program offers students a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. This program is three to four years long and requires an art pre-requisite. Here, students learn the history of graphics, typography, print design, and interactive design.
The Art Institute of Atlanta
Where: Atlanta, GA
Courses:
Associate of Arts in Graphic and Web Design
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic & Web Design
Level: Undergraduate
Students who want to obtain a degree in graphic and web design have these combined courses. Double-degree students learn color fundamentals, traditional typography, layout design, web page scripting, package design, digital illustration, motion graphics, and advertising concepts.
New Horizons – Computer Learning Centres
Where: Seattle, WA
Classes:
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
Level: Beginner-intermediate
Time and Price: 2 days, $790
New Horizons offers graphic design software classes for beginners and intermediates. These classes are great for anyone looking to learn or brush up on their skills. Career Karma recommends learning the basics of the various software on YouTube, then paying the fee to attend Part 2 of the course.
Emory University
Where: Atlanta, GA
Courses:
Level: Beginner
Time and Price: 4-6 months, $695-$3,475
Emory University has great courses for continuing education students. Students learn about raster graphics, vector graphics, color, composition, typography, InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop in just a short few months.
New Horizons Atlanta
Where: Atlanta, GA
Classes:
Level: Beginner-intermediate
Price: $790 each.
For students searching for individual software training certifications, these classes are perfect. New Horizons Atlanta offers hands-on training in graphic design software, web design software, photographer software, and more.
Skillshare
Where: Online
Course:
Creating Brand Systems: Combining Logos & Type
A Comprehensive Adobe Photoshop course
Level: Beginner-intermediate
Time and Price: Free
Skillshare is a renowned platform for online learners. If students want to gain some extra knowledge on a creative topic, Skillshare is likely to have video tutorials on it. This short course on logos and typography is a great beginners taster class on graphic design. The other three are slightly more in-depth, and they are all completely free.
General Assembly
Where: Atlanta, GA or Online
Courses and Bootcamps:
Visual Design Course in Atlanta
Visual Design Bootcamp: Atlanta
UX Design Immersive in Atlanta
Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Time & Price: Varies
General Assembly has great visual design courses and Bootcamps. You will learn how to use Photoshop, InDesign, and Sketch while studying the concepts of composition, color theory, typography, and UX/UI design. These courses are great for those who want to gain diverse skills in just one workshop.
Are Graphic Design Courses in Atlanta Right for You?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a graphic designer is $52,110 per year. Students learning graphic design in Atlanta can expect to gain valuable skills in a lively and cultural city.
Contemplate if you are interested in spending your free time hiking and appreciating Atlanta’s quirks like the Krog Street Market. The Atlanta graphic design classes will boost your skills and kickstart your career.
We hope this article has helped you understand the entertainment and learning opportunities that Atlanta, Georgia, offers. The Career Karma team wishes you all the best in finding the graphic design class in Atlanta at your disposal.
For more on graphic design careers, read up on online graphic design degrees, how to become a graphic designer, or differentiate between graphic design vs UX design.
Lastly, we had to quote the great Martin Luther King Jr: “If you can’t fly then run – if you can’t run then walk – if you can’t walk then crawl – but whatever you do you have to keep moving forwards.”
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
