25 Tutorials to Build Up Your Design Skills

By on December 26, 2011 in Design Tips and Resources

One of the best ways to improve and build upon your design skills is by using tutorials — short, instructional guides that teach techniques so you can craft great designs.
We’ve collected 25 of our favorite tutorials from across the web to help you practice your skills. These skills include:
  • Programs: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
  • Logo, Web, App, Icons, Print and Packaging, Tshirt
  • Typography, Grids, 3-D, Opacity, Gradients, Masks, Patterns, Layout, Color Management, Brushes, Meshes, Textures, Bleeds and Margins, and more.
Remember – these designs aren’t for you to actually submit, but to teach you how to use tools to create your own original designs!

LOGO

Create Isometric Grid-Based 3D Lettering


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Typography, Grids, Creating 3D Objects


Simple Organic Shapes the Illustrator Way


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Beginner
Skills: Opacity, Duplication, Masks


Creating a Crazy Cool Logo


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Typography, Shading, Gradient, Transformations


Create a Clean Retro Badge in Adobe Illustrator


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Typography, Pattern Brushes, Effects, Color Management

WEB

Watercolored Design Studio Blog Layout


Programs: Photoshop
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Opacity, Typography, Buttons, Layout


Design a Warm, Cheerful Website Interface in Adobe Photoshop


Program: Photoshop
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Grids, Filters, Navigation Bars, Typography, Buttons, Masks


How to Build a Stylish Portfolio Web Design Concept


Program: Photoshop
Level: Beginner
Skills: Color Management, Buttons, Shadows


Create a Nature Inspirated Painted Backdrop in Photoshop


Programs: Photoshop
Level: Beginner
Skills: Brushes, Noise, Color Management, Texture
Remember: If you use any brushes as a stamp, remember that you MUST declare that as stock artwork when you submit your design!

APP

Photoshop Tutorial: Create a Multimedia Player


Program: Photoshop
Level: Beginner
Skills: Beveling and Embossing, Gradients, Layers, Masks


Design a Clean Launch Email for a Mobile App


Program: Photoshop
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Smart Objects, Clipping Masks, Warping Text, Buttons, Shadows, Footers


Design an IPad App UI


Program: Photoshop
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Grid Structures, Wireframes, UI/UX design, Marquee, Masking

ICON

Quick Tutorial: Create a Sleek Bevel Styled Icon


Program: Illustrator
Level: Beginner
Skills: Buttons, Depth, Shading


Icon Design Tutorial: Drawing a Pencil Icon


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Sketching, Paths, Shapes, Gradient, Color Management


Icon Tutorial: Video Projector


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Gradients, Pen Tool, Ellipse Tool


How to Illustrate a Tomato Using Adobe Illustrator


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Advanced
Skills: Meshes, Gradients, Blends, Paths, Shading

PRINT

A Tutorial for Good Typography in InDesign – Setting up a Baseline Grid


Programs: InDesign
Level: Beginner
Skills: Grids, Typography, Layout


How to Create A Professional Magazine Layout


Programs: Indesign
Level: Beginner
Skills: Alignment, Grids, Text, White Space


Design a Ready to Print Brochure in Photoshop


Program: Photoshop
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Drafting, Bleeds and Margins, Texture, Color, Shadow, Free Transform


Design a Grunge Vintage Poster in Photoshop


Program: Photoshop
Level: Beginner
Skills: Pattern, Guides, Shapes, Layers, Colorizing, Texture, Hue/Saturation

PACKAGING

Create a Zee Vintage Label on Illustrator


Programs: Illustrator, Photoshop
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Typography, Layout, Masks, Layers, Texture


Create a Stylish Coffee Cup with Smart Objects


Programs: Photoshop
Level: Advanced
Skills: Paths, Free Transform, Shadows, Gradient Overlay, Layers, Opacity, Blurs, Highlights, Masks

T-SHIRT

Create Abstract Characters


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Sketching, Color Management, Depth, Brushes


Add Textures to Vectors Using Smart Objects


Program: Illustrator, Photoshop
Level: Intermediate
Skills: Color, Smart Objects, Textures


Layer up Vectors for Unique Effects


Programs: Illustrator
Level: Advanced
Skills: Pen Tool, Color Management, Layers, Shading


Simulate Screenprint Effects


Programs: InDesign, Photoshop
Level: Beginner
Skills: Photography, Converting File Type, Bitmap, Rasters
Still want more? Check out some of 99designs original tutorials:
Do you have any great tutorials you’ve used in the past? Share them with your fellow designers in the comments below :)