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
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:
- Turning Sketches into Vector Art
- How to Simplify Your Designs
- Create a Print-Ready “Cut Out” Business Card
Do you have any great tutorials you’ve used in the past? Share them with your fellow designers in the comments below :)
Thanks For voting 99designs.com a Webby Award winner
25 tutorials to build up your design skills
Designer profile: Jurgen
99designs homepage redesign contest!
What not to do: overdone and overused logos
great tricks, thanks! :)
WoW Great Collection Mr/Ms Kaitlyn
damn !, this is very cool
damn ! this is very cool, I think it would be great if you also provide a tutorial for coreldraw user
Thanks for all the positive input! We’ll definitely be working on continuing with helpful material like this in the New Year – so stay tuned :)
Thanks,these tricks are great.
hanks 99, great tutorials!
Thank you for the compilation of these great tutorials.
Great stuff! Thanks for sharing…
thank you, great tutorials
Woot, I will certialny put this to good use!
good collection if tutorials.. loved it.. thanks for the share…
Unfortunately, most designs that win in this site are actually extremely simplistic.. No actual design, but only some sort of a font. Seriously. I’m very disappointed of the intellectual capacity of the contest holders..
nice article, all good & creative designs. :)
Thanx This will be helpful
it’s inspiring me.. thanks.
thanks for sharing, it’s really insping inspiring me
GILA, keren banget…. sangat menginspirasi…
very nice, thanks.
Very impressive! The greatest tutorial
Thanks for sharing this really great list of resources, you’ve included a good variety of different design scenarios. A useful compilation of different techniques, even better that they are tutorials, as sometimes just looking at elements of design isn’t enough to be able to achieve a similar result, especially for novices. You learn best by doing, so these really are a awesome resource. Thanks!
excellent tutorials, thank you
Awe-Inspiring. I have seen some of them before but they are all just awesome and amazing inspiration. Thanks for sharing.