Beginning a career in graphic design is very lucrative and essential to the development of businesses today. In a creative field as progressive as graphic design, new resources appear more frequently. As technology advances and AI (artificial intelligence) art improves, graphic design seemingly becomes more accessible. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be really difficult to figure out where to start, despite having all the necessary tools at your disposal. Instead of being overwhelmed by the vastness of the online art world, these five Free resources are sure to help you achieve your graphic design goals in 2023.
1. Behance.com & Pinterest.com
If you’re an aspiring designer of any kind, you might want to prioritize gathering some inspiration. You can get inspired by stepping outside for fresh air or exploring local art galleries, but in 2023 you can simply scroll through social media and observe work that reflects your tastes or interests as a designer. If you aren’t in a hurry to leave your home for inspiration, try browsing websites like Behance.com or Pinterest.com. Both of these sites show a variety of different artistic outcomes and processes from creators. Pinterest even allows you to save images and posts to custom folders within the app for later use. Come up with your ideas directly inspired by all the great work you’ve previewed and develop something original and unique. It takes time to become a master graphic designer, and motivating yourself is essential to the creative process.
2. Mockupworld.co, Free-Mockup.com & FreeDesignResources.net
Do you want to save some time on drawing every single element in your graphic design project? Websites like Mockupworld.co, Free-Mockup.com, and FreeDesignResources.net provide thousands of free images that can be utilized for both creative and commercial projects. Mockups are extremely beneficial for business branding, merchandising, outlining plans, and creating website copy. Depending on the project and the amount of time you have to finish it, hand-drawing every single element can be tedious and can cause more stress in approaching deadlines. Take an image that suits your needs, and edit and modify it to create something completely original.
3. Google Fonts
Deciding on a font to use can take hours, especially if it’s for commercial use. Type families and fonts can make a huge difference in how certain projects are conveyed. You can choose amongst serif, sans serif, script fonts, and a bunch more using Google Fonts’ extensive number of common typefaces.
Fonts.Google.com
4. Unsplash.com & Pexels.com
When you are unable to take an in-person photo of the rainforest tree line or you can’t find enough golden retrievers to round up and snap a picture of, websites like Unsplash.com and Pexels.com can come to your rescue. These sites provide you with a wide range of free professional-grade photos to download and save to personal files. You can also upload your own royalty-free images for others to utilize. Great to browse and look for fair-use images and prevent copyright violations and lawsuits.
5. YouTube
Browse all kinds of tutorials by content creators to help you learn the basics of mainstream design programs. Any tutorial can be found on YouTube when starting your graphic design journey. It’s important to learn simple design basics such as color theory, composition, space, etc. Also, the basics for starting a new drawing or design program are things that can be found as well. Guides to programs, specific tutorials, and advice are always a bonus to have when starting.