What is digital design?

Digital design is the process of creating content and graphics that end-users will view on a screen rather than on paper or another physical medium. As we move further into a digital world, chances are you read and view items on a phone, tablet, or computer screen far more often than you do on paper. When you use digital design, you're putting the rules and guidelines of design into digital formats. Digital design is a field that's growing rapidly.

Why is it important to learn digital design?

Digital design is different from traditional graphic design, so even if you have experience designing a logo or graphic for a printed page, you need different skills and knowledge tools. Digital design items aren't just meant to be read—they're meant for people to use. Digital media is often interactive, so you need to know how to create interactive graphics and website elements. If you work in design or want to work in design, it's important to be able to design for digital media. The fact that digital design is everywhere these days means that it's helpful have some familiarity with its concepts and terminology even if you're not designing digitally yourself.

What are some careers that use digital design?

You can find a host of careers in the digital design field, and they include web designers, digital graphic designers, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) specialists, and app designers. Digital design is crucial to many different sectors of the business world. You can find jobs as a digital designer working in a corporate environment, designing for a specific brand or project, or you can work for a company that specializes in digital design for various clients. You can also strike out on your own with your design business or consultancy.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn digital design?

Whether you're looking to learn digital design as a springboard to a new career or to advance yourself in your current workplace, you can benefit from learning online. Our courses rely on instruction from some of the best minds and talents in the business, so you'll learn more than just the basics. You'll be able to take what you've learned and apply it where you work now or on your search for a new job.

What are the benefits of taking an online Digital Design course?

Online Digital Design courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Digital Design skills. Choose from a wide range of Digital Design courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Digital Design courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Digital Design, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Digital Design Courses - Learn Digital Design Online

Explore the Digital Design Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
L&T EduTech
Fundamentals of Digital Design for VLSI Chip Design
Skills you'll gain: Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Hardware Design, Computational Logic, Computer Architecture, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electronic Systems, Semiconductors, Systems Design, Electronic Components, Data Storage
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
100 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Coursera Project Network
Create and Design Digital Products using Canva
Skills you'll gain: Canva (Software), Digital Design, Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Product Design, Color Theory, Marketing Design, Journals, Digital Publishing, Graphic Design, Design Elements And Principles, Marketing, Asset Protection
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
1.2K reviews
Advanced · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Google
Google UX Design
Skills you'll gain: UI/UX Research, User Research, Responsive Web Design, Wireframing, Usability Testing, Storyboarding, User Experience Design, Information Architecture, Design Research, Figma (Design Software), Sprint Retrospectives, Mockups, Cross Platform Development, Prototyping, User Experience, Usability, Persona (User Experience), Design Thinking, Interviewing Skills, Applicant Tracking Systems
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
93K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Epic Games
Epic Games Game Design
Skills you'll gain: Game Design, Video Game Development, Unreal Engine, User Interface (UI), Animation and Game Design, Usability, Version Control, 3D Modeling, User Interface (UI) Design, Visualization (Computer Graphics), User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, UI Components, Ideation, Computer Graphics, User Experience, Virtual Environment, Software Design, Software Design Documents, User Experience Design, Prototyping
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
429 reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
California Institute of the Arts
Graphic Design
Skills you'll gain: Typography, Graphic Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Design Elements And Principles, Logo Design, Visual Design, Design, Digital Design, Creative Design, Branding, Photography, Style Guides, Art History, Photo Editing, Color Theory, Adobe InDesign, Storytelling, Design Strategies, Aesthetics, Writing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
22K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Adobe
Adobe Graphic Designer
Skills you'll gain: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Digital Design, Generative AI, Visual Design, Graphic Design, File Management, Presentations, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Design Software, Communication, Image Analysis, Version Control, Prompt Engineering, Project Documentation, Logo Design, Project Management, Artificial Intelligence, Branding, Storytelling
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
1.2K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

What brings you to Coursera today?

Start my career

Change my career

Grow in my current role

Explore topics outside of work

Status: Free Trial
Adobe
Design Fundamentals with AI
Skills you'll gain: Typography, Creative Design, Digital Design, Color Theory, Visual Design, Graphic Design, Logo Design, Data Ethics, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Design Software, AI Personalization, Content Creation, Creativity, Generative AI Agents
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
934 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of California San Diego
Interaction Design
Skills you'll gain: Usability Testing, Design Research, User Experience Design, Interaction Design, Ideation, Experimentation, Design Elements And Principles, User Centered Design, Prototyping, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Usability, Wireframing, Human Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Statistical Analysis, Collaborative Software, A/B Testing, Telecommuting, R Programming, Storyboarding
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
4K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Preview
The University of Sydney
Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat
Skills you'll gain: Design Thinking, Human Centered Design, Product Design, Innovation, Service Design, User Experience Design, Design, Ideation, Prototyping, Creativity, Usability Testing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
2.2K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Coursera Project Network
Use Canva to Design Digital Course Collateral
Skills you'll gain: Canva (Software), Design Elements And Principles, Digital Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Creative Design, Graphic Design, Color Theory, Course Development, Developing Training Materials, Marketing, Social Media
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.5K reviews
Advanced · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
University of Virginia
Design Thinking
Skills you'll gain: Design Thinking, Ideation, Brainstorming, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Prioritization, Innovation, Prioritization, Project Design, User Feedback, Human Centered Design, Product Design, Open Mindset, Creative Problem-Solving, Design and Product, User Research, Growth Mindedness, User Experience, Strategic Thinking, Systems Thinking, Creativity
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
246 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Meta
Principles of UX/UI Design
Skills you'll gain: User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, User Research, UI/UX Research, Usability Testing, User Experience Design, Interaction Design, Usability, User Interface (UI) Design, Design Research, User Centered Design, Persona (User Experience), Figma (Design Software), Web Design, Wireframing, Design Thinking, Prototyping, Design Elements And Principles, Front-End Web Development
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.1K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months