Start Your 12 week creative journey today

to kickstart your career as a Graphic Designer.

Start Your 12 week creative journey today to kickstart your career as a Graphic Designer.

In our students' words: "Outstanding!"

Our students rate us 4.8 on Trustpilot

Our Promise to you

Start using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Adobe XD with strong foundations in Graphic Design principles, practices and workflows.

Start using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Adobe XD with strong foundations in Graphic Design principles, practices and workflows.

Learn new skills and creative workflows each week

The Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp is our most hands-on, self-paced training with tons of creative exercises. Instead of overwhelming you with hundreds of hours of video lessons at once, you will progress the Bootcamp week by week, so you only need to dedicate a few hours each week to study. Each week will cover a different topic and a creative project to help you put everything you learn into practice.

Work on real, creative projects using Adobe applications

Most courses concentrate on a single application or tool, while in the Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp, you will learn to work with all of them simultaneously. It is a crucial skill for every Graphic Designer to be able to identify how to utilize all the Adobe applications for a project and use them in a seamless, integrated workflow.

Completing the creative projects each week will significantly improve your understanding of everything you learn throughout this Bootcamp. You are encouraged to share your final designs with fellow students in our private Starter Community and even showcase them in your creative Portfolio.

Take part in a hands-on training guided by a professional instructor

Martin Perhiniak, the founder and lead instructor of Yes I'm a Designer compressed his 15+ years of training experience into the Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp. Most students choose to to learn from him as he explains everything clearly and to the point without wasting your time. Students voted him to be one of the Top 10 Adobe Instructors in the World for a reason.

Be part of a community of fellow creators and gain confidence

The Starter Community is the best place to get feedback on your work. Your fellow students and the instructor will be able to give you helpful advice on how to improve your work. It is also motivating to see how other students approached the creative projects, and you can pick up some valuable techniques simply by asking them some questions.

Liam C. Kelley

I've taken courses from Lynda, Skillshare, etc. and know my way around the various Adobe products. However, I am really learning a ton from Martin. Even when I watch basic videos like "drawing" in Illustrator, I find myself saying "Oh! I did not know that!!" This course is very well designed, and Martin is an excellent educator.

Whether you are starting out or want to make sure that you are really getting everything you can out of Adobe products, this is a great place to do it. Yes, Martin has a lot of stuff on YouTube, but the information in the bootcamp is structured and organized, so you can clearly progress and learn skills in an efficient manner.

What is included?

Getting Started

We will cover what it takes to become a Graphic Designer, what tools you will need, and most importantly, where to start?

Creative Project - Leaflet Design Project

Core Concepts

Learn about essential features like handling Documents, Artboards, Pages, working with Layers, Selections and so much more!

Creative Project - Magazine Cover Design

Working with Images

Work with images of all types across multiple applications with confidence and ease. Learn about Resolution, Cropping, Image Frames, Tracing as well as various ways to Transform your images.

Creative Project - Static and Animated Web Banners

Working with Type

Beyond covering the fundamental rules of using type, we'll learn professional character- and paragraph formatting and advanced typographic techniques.

Creative Project - Trifold Brochure Design

Working with Shapes

Shapes are just as crucial elements of most compositions as images and text. Learn how to work with vector shapes and the Pen Tool effectively and precisely.

Creative Project - Logo and Business Card Design

Color and Contrast

Understanding Color and Contrast will allow you to establish harmony between all the various elements of your composition. You will learn how to utilize Swatches, Gradients, Transparency and other features to enhance visual hierarchy and emotional effect on your viewers.

Creative Project - T-shirt Design

Composition and Layout

Learn how Negative Space, Symmetry, Grids, Movement, Framing and other compositional techniques can help you create engaging designs.

Creative Project - Editorial Design

Smart Workflows

Master crucial, non-destructive features like Masking, Adjustments and Smart Objects and achieve complete control over your designs.

Creative Project - Creative Retouching

Drawing

Gain true creative freedom and the ability to create stunning and unique illustrations by mastering the drawing tools as well as creating and using custom brushes. You don't need to be good at drawing to make the most of this week's lessons and exercises.

Creative Project - Animal Illustrations

Specialisation Part 1

Learn about some of the most in-demand areas in Graphic Design, including Identity Design/Branding, Print Design and Illustration.

Creative Project - Movie Poster Design

Specialisation Part 2

Explore additional, lucrative fields in Graphic Design and learn about UX and Web Design using Adobe XD and Interior Design and Retouching using Photoshop.

Creative Project - Web and App Design

Your Career as a Designer

The final week of the Bootcamp is about preparing you for finding your feet and making a living as a Graphic Designer. Find out how much can you expect to earn, the pros and cons of freelancing and full-time employment, how to prepare your online and offline portfolio, and how to successfully apply for internships and design jobs.

Creative Project - Portfolio and CV Design

Start the Bootcamp by joining our

Starter

Membership

MONTHLY

subscription

  • Access to the Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp (both a weekly released, and an 'instant' version)
  • Each week concludes with a guided creative project, to help you put everything you learn into practice
  • Master design principles on color, contrast, composition, hierarchy etc.
  • Build solid technical skills in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign and Adobe XD
  • Join the exclusive Starter Community Group on Facebook and share your work to get feedback

Want to dive deeper in each application? Access all our MasterClasses in the Plus Membership for just $35/month!

Nunzia Terminiello

When I started this Bootcamp three months ago, I had no experience in Graphic Design but thanks to Martin’s lessons and his advice, I’ve really learnt a lot. All the lessons are well organised and clearly explained and this has definitely given me confidence of developing the skills I needed. 

Besides, I love the fact that he dedicates his time to review our works and gives a lot of precious insights. I’m really happy to be part of this group!

Who is the Starter Membership for?

Those, who often spend hours in bookshops looking at well designed book covers.

And more importantly, lovingly stroking the embossed and varnished titles.

Anyone who bookmarks websites just because of their cool parallax scrolling elements.

And those who spend way too much time choosing their wallpapers on their phone and laptop.

Those, who buy cereals and shower gel based on their packaging design.

The same people tend to also organize their books based on the color of the covers.

Anyone who gets freaked out when a well-known company changes (and messes up) their logo design.

They also silently judge font choices on invitation cards.


What do you need before you join?

  • No prior experience of Adobe applications or Graphic Design theory is required
  • Having the motivation to learn and being able to dedicate a couple of hours each week to study
  • A computer (PC or Mac) and an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription (not included)
  • Optional: iPad and Apple Pencil

What can you gain by joining?

  • Rock-solid foundation of Graphic Design theories
  • Impressive technical skills in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Adobe XD
  • A portfolio full of awesome design projects you will be proud to present to anyone
  • A supportive, creative community of like-minded students eager to give you feedback on your work

Starter Membership

Unlimited access to Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp

Start to use Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Adobe XD with strong foundations in Graphic Design principles, practices and workflows.

Monthly Payment Plan

$19 / month

*If you need to complete the Bootcamp in less than 12 weeks, you will also find an 'instant' version with access to all Chapters.

What is Included

  • Access to the Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp (2 versions*)
  • Guided creative projects to help you put everything you learn into practice
  • Downloadable exercise files, creative assets and guides
  • Access to our New Starter Community Group

30 Days Money Back Guarantee

We want you to get the most from your learning experience with Yes I'm a Designer. However if you change your mind for whatever reason we offer a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Just get in touch with us so we can either help you out until you get the results you need or give you a swift refund.

(We cannot process refund to students completing more than 10% of any selected course.)

Which Membership is right for you?

Features

Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp

12-weeks-long guided learning program for beginner students or hobbyist designers with fun projects and a supportive community of like-minded students.

Certification for each completed course

Get a downloadable digital certificate for each course you complete signed by our certified instructors.

Quizzes, exercise files & resources

Test your knowledge by taking quizzes and practice everything you learn with structured exercises and useful training materials.

Creative community

Be inspired by joining a thriving community of creative spirits. Share your work to get valuable feedback from fellow students.

MasterClass courses

Learn industry-standard design applications like Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro or Cinema 4D.

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Fast-Track courses

Master Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign with our revolutionary workflow-based learning experience!

N/A

Graphic Design Theory series

Master visual communication with the most comprehensive online training series of 12 courses
covering over 500 design principles, rules and terms.

N/A

Access to entire course library

Access to project-based courses such as the Character Design course or the 365 Days of Creativity series. These help more experienced students improve their portfolios and create stunning designs.

N/A

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Creative projects with feedback

Choose from various Career Paths like (Graphic Design, Illustration, UX & Web Design, Logo etc.) and get monthly feedback and guidance on your work from our instructors.

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Interactive webinars and workshops

Webinars: Live reviews of designs submitted by students. Get feedback personally from your mentors.
Workshops: Join interactive, collaborative projects and learn about the latest cutting-edge tools and features for creative professionals.

N/A

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Personal skill evaluation & coaching

Get a personal assessment of your skills and portfolio. This annual review can provide you invaluable insight and guidance on: 

- How to improve your hireability in the creative industry?

- Which sectors, niches are best suited for you?

- How to make your work look more professional?

N/A

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Start Your Membership now  ❯

$19/month

$35/month

$67/month or $670/year

This was such a clear and well paced course. I appreciated that the instructor would always say the shortcuts he used as a reminder of what was learned in previous lessons. It definitely helped me remember and I’m excited to start using the program instead of feeling intimidated by it.

Sarah C

I've completed 2 Martin's big courses this year - Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop Masterclass and I really enjoyed them. I've learned many new things and got excellent explanations on how certain things work. I would recommend to anyone interested in the design to check out I'm a Designer website and find suitable courses for them. Thank you Martin

Juri No987

Hello (Ciao !) I have taken many online courses from Udemy to Domestika from Lynda to Plurasight but I find your courses to be the first. Everything is explained in a simple way. Martin is great ! and his voice guides the student in an excellent way; the voice of the teacher in online course is very important as well as the examples provided during the lesson. Everything is really well done!

 

Pierfrancesco Valgimigli

They are also learning from us

logo for tfl
logo_for_ben-and-jerrys-2018

Choose quality in learning

so you can show quality in your work!

Your Choices  >

(or other reputable instructors)

A classroom training near you

Cheap online marketplace courses

Free YouTube & Google tutorials

Value & Experience

(for students just starting out)

Great Beginner program, A-Z MasterClasses, student community 

More personal experience, with higher accountability, but you can't go at your own pace

Some really good instructors, but there is an overwhelming selection and no guidance whatsoever

No curation, learning good things in the wrong time may hurt your progress and motivation 

Value & Experience

(for more advanced students)

Pro community, advanced webinars, creative projects 

Much fewer advanced trainings, high chance of no added value

No real progression here just an endless library of promising course titles

If you find a good channel and already have solid grounds you may find great inspiration 

Total cost in a Year

You can tie your fee to your XP level paying month-to-month

$ - $$

Live, classroom-based training is the most expensive option by far

$$$ - $$$$

Marketplaces are cheap but there is little quality control

$

Nothing is really free, you pay in time of searching pieces of info

Depth of knowledge you gain

(beyond how-to skills)

Insider tips, design principles covered in great detail, by a highly accomplished designer and veteran instructor

Progress at the pace of the group, little time to cover more than how-to-do skills, 

Anyone can upload a course on any subject, there are some really good teachers, but most keep their prime content to their own site

There is so much content it is hard to tell, you need to know exactly what you are looking for to find the gems

Finding exactly what you need

Some niche application or exotic subjects are not covered, but all that a graphic- or motion designer needs 

There is far less variety and levels, depending on where you live there might be none

These marketplaces have a huge library favor courses you might find exotic subjects also but it's not easy to spot bad quality 

The opposite, you will be shown a great lot of distractions and click-baits that you don't need

Getting help when you are stuck

Great engaged student community, fast email support 

Live help during the training with some follow up, but you can't hold the class for long

Usually at this price there is little help in short answers if any at all

The search algorithm is your best bet, in smaller channels you may get short answers

Career advancement

Insider tips, career advice, portfolio friendly project briefs and exercises, student collaborations 

For working in-house, sometimes the certificate from a reputable training center is enough 

For freelancing there is little help

You might find tips or content on the subject in general, but beyond that you are on your own

No credibility of a formal training, no curation or expiry date on content, very high risk of finding bad advice that take you off track

Faq

What are the requirements for the Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp?

  • It is recommended to have an active Creative Cloud account to be able to use the latest version of Adobe Illustrator CC while studying from this course.
  • You will also need a PC or Mac computer that is strong enough to run Adobe Illustrator CC.
  • A pen tablet is NOT required, a mouse is sufficient enough.
  • You will also need a stable Internet connection as the video lessons can only be watched online (they are NOT available to download.)
  • Is this course only available in the Starter Membership?

    No, all three Membership tiers grants you access to the Starter Bootcamp. Some students may choose to stay in the Starter Membership even after completing the Bootcamp, solely because of the Community, while most upgrade to the Plus or Pro Membership afterwards. It depends on your personal goals. If you only need good understanding of Graphic Design with solid skills in Ps, Ai, Id and XD for leisure, or as a complement to your profession, then the Bootcamp and the Starter Membership is perfectly enough for you.

    Can I start with the Plus Membership?

    In the (Starter) Plus Membership you have access to all our MasterClass level courses, as well as the Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp. The MasterClasses cover each Adobe application in depth, not only Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, but Lightroom and Motion Graphics courses as well. While the Bootcamp gives you solid, work-ready foundations, the MasterClasses help you to master these tools to a greater level. As a beginner it is more beneficial to start with the Bootcamp, and then expand your knowledge further.

    You can learn more on our 3 Memberships and all our courses here in our FAQ page.

    Can I download the course content?

    This course includes exercise files, which are available to download from the ‘Introduction’ chapter. They are organised into folders based on the chapters in the course and they are great for practising all the techniques demonstrated in this course. Most files are backward compatible and will work in older version of Adobe Illustrator.

    Can I access the Bootcamp from my mobile?

    Yes, you can! This course can be accessed on any desktop and mobile device as long as you have a stable Internet connection. Video lessons are only available online, while exercise files can be downloaded and used offline (downloads will only work on desktop PC or Mac computers).

    Do I get feedback on my projects & assignments?

    In the Starter Membership you can ask for feedback in the Starter Community from fellow students.
    Bespoke instructor feedback is only part of the Pro Membership.
    With this being said I will occasionally host webinars for Starter students and review some of the interesting designs shared on the Starter Community Facebook page.

    Is there a certificate for the bootcamp?

    Upon completing the Foundations Program you will receive a certificate to mark your achievement. The course certificate will include your name, the date of completion and the instructor's name, qualifications and signature.

    What if I cancel my Membership?

    The benefit of the monthly payment is that you don't have to blindly invest a high fee, but only a small amount each month, and you can cancel any time. The Graphic Design Starter Bootcamp is a 3 months long program with its content released weekly. You have access to to everything that has already been released to you, as long as you have an active Membership (any tier). If you chose to cancel you lose your access to both the Bootcamp and the Starter Community. 

    It was a very good masterclass of Illustrator. It was for me very good experience In the future I use it as productdesigner (fashiondesigner, for the product for my familycompany)

    Ellen D'hoedt

    The courses are comprehensive and easy to follow. I feel incident with illustrator and I plan to learn other Adobe programs with you.

    Sandra

    or find out more about our other Membership options:

    Want to learn for free first?

    Sign up to our Free Graphic Design Survival Kit email newsletter, and we will drop you a weekly email with industry tips, design tutorials, resources and everything you need to know about getting started as a Designer!

    Martin hosting a Behance Portfolio Review

    Meet Your Lead Instructor...

    Martin Perhiniak

    Martin is a graphic designer, illustrator and an Adobe Certified Instructor. He was recently voted one of the Top 10 Adobe Instructors in the World.

    Before launching Yes I'm a Designer, Martin worked as a designer for Pixar, BBC, Mattel and Accenture, and taught teams at Transport for London, Google, Ben & Jerry's and Oxford University Press.

    Martin regularly speaks at industry events; most recently Adobe MAX, the ultimate creative conference.