A guide to graphic design certifications

If you are looking to become a professional graphic design artist or you are looking to shift your career focus in the field of graphic design, there are quite a few ways to help make your work stand out from the others. While the most important thing you can do is build a solid portfolio of work, you can also demonstrate your skills and proficiencies by becoming certified in graphic design or the specific programs that you are working with on a professional level.

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Graphic design certificates and certifications

It should be noted that certificates and certifications are both methods of demonstrating your proficiency as a graphic designer, either in the context of your knowledge of graphic design skills broadly or your knowledge of a specific graphic design application like InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop. However, they demonstrate proficiency in different ways, and they place different requirements on the person completing the certificate or certification.

A certificate is awarded to students who complete a professional skills training course, and it is more akin to a diploma than anything else. These programs provide students with hours of practical, hands-on training, and they are likely career-focused in their curricula, making them ideal for students who aspire to work in graphic design on a professional level. They also tend to be more generalist in their structure. While you can get a certificate in individual graphic design applications, you are more likely to find a certificate program that covers multiple applications and techniques.

By contrast, a certification is awarded to students who complete a proctored, skill-focused practical exam covering the use of a specific application, like the Adobe Certified Professional program for applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign. These exams, which tend to run for less than two hours, will feature questions that focus on the use of the application and practical exercises that test your capacity to utilize the application. These exams tend to provide test-takers with minimal support since they are designed to test existing knowledge rather than providing additional training. Certifications also have a tendency to expire, requiring certification holders to occasionally renew their credentials by taking the latest version of the exam. The upside is that they are uniform across all users, so there is no question of the validity or relevance of a certification, while the value of a certificate does rely upon the reputation of the certificate-granting institution.

Key factors of graphic design certificates

Here’s an overview of the most important factors to keep in mind when considering a graphic design certificate program:

• Certificates are awarded after completing the curriculum in a training course
• These programs are ideal for beginners, as they often start with the basics and build upon more advanced topics
• Often pursued by those looking to make a career change or advance in their current role
• Typically cover Adobe Creative Cloud programs Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator
• Certificates usually do not expire, though this depends on the institution
• The value of a certificate is often based on the awarding school and its reputation
• These programs may include additional support like mentoring or job support

Key factors of graphic design certifications

Below are the main points that separate certifications from certificates. One of the most common graphic design certifications one can pursue is becoming an Adobe Certified Professional in Graphic Design & Illustration Using Adobe Illustrator, though there are several different exams available. 

• Offered by software providers like Adobe as part of their Certified Professional programs
• Certifications are usually tied to a specific Adobe application, such as Photoshop or Illustrator. 
• Designed to test students on their existing knowledge rather than teach it from the ground up
• Exams typically last a few hours and offer minimal instructional support from the proctor
• Great for validating skills and gaining proof of experience for employers
• Exams are standardized and recognized across industries
• Some certifications expire and will require recipients to retest to stay certified

Which graphic design training route is best for me?

The decision to pursue a certificate or a certification is likely to come down to how much prior experience you have with the major graphic design tools you are working with and whether or not you feel like focusing your credentials on a specific program or on a more generalized graphic design training regimen. The best path for you will also depend on your long-term goals and what kind of work you need to do to reach those goals.

If you have a background in graphic design and you feel comfortable with your ability to use the applications that you would be tested on, it is likely that a certification from Adobe as part of their Certified Professional program is your best bet. Taking one of these exams will quickly demonstrate your skills, and you’ll be able to end your day with a new line on your resume demonstrating that you are certified. However, this route requires you to have a decent amount of existing training under your belt and you are betting on your ability to pass the exam, so you should only pursue this route if you are very confident in your abilities.

If you have any doubt about your ability to pass a certification exam, you are a new student looking for a career-focused course or you want to spend time learning all there is to know about graphic design, you’re better off enrolling in a certificate-granting program that covers some or all of these skills. These immersive courses will cover all of the important skills needed to start a career in graphic design and they will give students the hands-on training they need to build a foundation for their future graphic design work (even if they have no prior experience in the field).