Having even basic graphic design skills can help you communicate with other people and grab their attention, whether that’s by creating a poster for a work event or going viral on social media. Whatever you want to design, knowing a few basic concepts can really help you produce professional and attractive-looking media. There are a range of different tools, from beginner-friendly to expert-level, where you can learn these concepts. This section explores Adobe Illustrator, an industry standard graphic design tool.

An introduction to graphics

How to access Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator can be accessed for free on campus via AppsAnywhere.

Linkedin Learning course

This course will give you a short introduction to Adobe Illustrator. It covers setting up your document, drawing shapes, adding text and more to get you started with this professional program.

Please note: The version of Illustrator you use may affect the button placement on screen, therefore videos might not always accurately reflect your use of the software.

If any of the categories don’t show on your side panel, you can find them in ‘Windows’ on the top ribbon and drag them in. For example, the Pathfinders and the Gradient tool can both be found in the Windows tab.

If you are using Illustrator 2017, the properties panel and text type toolbar is at the top of the screen. Some of the type referred to in this video is unavailable on Illustrator 2017.

Additional training

For a more in-depth tutorial of Illustrator 2017, you can take the Illustrator CC 2017 Essential Training course.