FAQs
Answers to your frequently asked questions, across our Graphic Design and Motion courses.
Graphic Design
Learn MoreLearn graphic design from scratch.
The original Shillington graphic design course. Join as a complete beginner, leave with an industry-ready portfolio and the skills to launch your creative career.
590 study hours over the duration of the course. It’s the same whether you study:
- Online Full-Time: 4 hours live classes + 3.5 hours independent learning per day
- Online Part-Time: 9 hours of live classes + 6 hours of homework per week
That's totally fine! Our course is run from 4 different time zones globally—Brisbane, London, New York and Los Angeles. Our courses work around your schedule, research the one that works for you in our Enrol page!
For the past 25 years, we’ve perfected an innovative approach that helps students achieve amazing results in a short amount of time. Just ask our graduates—it’s unlike any other course! Our intensive, fast-paced graphic design program isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a go-getter who wants to learn quickly and efficiently, Shillington is for you.
Design is evolving with the introduction of artificial intelligence.
At Shillington we integrate A.I into the course with a few essential caveats:
- It should be assistive rather than generative where possible
- We use it ethically within our programmes
- You still need a solid grasp of process and theory
- You must nurture fundamental design skills
Shillington's courses are not educationally accredited, and this isn't something we hide. Accreditation would put our industry relevance at risk, and wouldn't enable us to mirror what's going on in the industry as quickly as we'd like. Plus, once you graduate—you will not be asked about your qualifications but instead be asked to showcase your portfolio and website!
Absolutely. Our student work speaks for itself and Shillington graduates build incredible creative careers. Our graphic design course is expertly planned to teach technical skills, cover design theory and ingrain creative principles to help you create a well-rounded portfolio. And if you want to hear it straight from our graduates, check out 21 Unbiased Shillington Reviews.
At Shillington, our aim to ensure there aren't any barriers to studying with us. Our course is open to anybody, regardless of design or technical experience. Previously, we've had students who have never used a Mac before who have gone on to successful design careers across the world.
Students do not need to have traditional drawing skills. During the course you will need to do rough sketches in order to develop ideas, but your drawing ability will not be judged. Design is about conveying ideas effectively, not creating artistic masterpieces. We’ll guide you through what you need to know.
Online course graduates will receive a Certificate of Completion, create an industry-ready portfolio, a website showcasing their best work and get exclusive access to The Guide.
Our online graphic design course is the same across full-time and part-time and graduates leave either with high quality graphic design portfolios. It’s just about how you want to get there.
- Full-Time: 3 months, 5 days a week.
Commit yourself 100% to design for three months and start your creative career as quickly as possible. - Part-Time: 9 months, 2 live classes a week.
Study design without quitting your job and manage your own study time before embarking on your creative career.
Our course is intensive, so you’ll need to commit to missing no more than four days if studying full-time or nine nights if studying part-time to ensure you don't miss vital live guidance and feedback. Check our Terms and Conditions for more information.
No, we don’t record live classes, as they’re highly interactive and collaborative. However, we provide detailed resources, step-by-step guides, and example projects to help you catch up on missed content. Our teachers are also available during set times to offer support and answer any questions. You can learn more about our attendance and learning process here.
Shillington prepares you for a wide variety of creative careers, helping you put your best foot forward on the job hunt. You could work in digital design, publishing, or packaging design. There are also opportunities to take on freelance clients and build your own business. The possibilities are endless! Check out graduate testimonials or explore our graduates’ profiles on LinkedIn for inspiration.
We launch our Scholarship program annually. For scholarship announcements, sign up for our email list and follow us on Instagram to be the first to know!
You need to purchase a subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat). You’ll be eligible for a student discount once you enrol and receive your Confirmation of Enrolment.
You will also need to download Figma, a digital design tool, and Slack, an industry relevant communication tool. These are both free. During class time, we also utilise Google Drive to back up work—meaning you can open your work at home. This, in turn, means you’ll need to have your own Google account.
We recommend enrolling at least one month before the start date. Enrolments after the deadline will be considered based on availability.
You can enrol quickly via our Enrol Now link! Here you can select a course stream that works for your schedule.
You’re only 3 steps away from transforming your whole career, simply:
- Share your details.
- Process your deposit
- Then, wait for us to get in touch to confirm your enrolment!
There’s no prior design experience required. Basic computer skills are a must for all of our courses globally. To ensure you succeed in the course, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the tools—Zoom, Slack and Gmail (Google Drive).
Additionally, we’ll need you to confirm language proficiency since our fast-paced course is taught in English.
Our course is taught at a high level of English, so you need to be proficient in spoken and written English, we recommend a minimum of IELTS Band 6.
If you wish to speak with our team, please book a chat so we can ensure you're speaking to the right person!
Our course fees are set at £9,950 GBP globally, please research your local currency conversion.
We’ll send a list of suggested supplies a few weeks before the course begins, but students should expect to have a working computer with Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma & Google Drive installed, general creative supplies such sketchbooks & pens.
Membership to The Guide is included for all students enrolled at Shillington. After graduating, continuing access is available on a monthly subscription.
Please refer to Shillington Online Terms and Conditions.
When employing a graphic designer, most employers will look at your portfolio before they look at your qualifications. Your portfolio shows the quality of your work, level of technical skill and your practical knowledge more than a certificate ever can.
Whilst we encourage students to tackle their job hunt independently, we start from Day 1 of the course preparing our students for life after Shillington. During the course we make sure students are confident presenting their portfolio for future interviews, but we also introduce students to the industry throughout in the form of guest lectures and then on graduation—our students take part in Industry Portfolio Reviews to ensure their work gets in front of Industry straight away. After graduation, we launch brand new Graduate Showcase sites which show off our new graduates work to the world!
Shillington prepares you for a wide variety of creative careers, and upskilling in design helps you put your best foot forward on the job hunt. You could work in digital design, focus on publishing or design packaging. There’s even opportunities to take on freelance clients and build your own business. The list is endless! Check out graduate testimonials or scroll through our graduates’ profiles on LinkedIn.
Motion
Learn MoreAdvanced training in motion design.
Our new motion course for practising graphic designers. Level up your career by learning the theory and practical application of motion design.
Classes are held twice a week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) from 6:30–9:30 pm for 12 weeks. Currently the class is ran out of London's time zone.
Shillington's courses are not educationally accredited, and this isn't something we hide. Accreditation would put our industry relevance at risk, and wouldn't enable us to mirror what's going on in the industry as quickly as we'd like. Plus, once you graduate—you will not be asked about your qualifications but instead be asked to showcase your portfolio and website!
Weekly tasks will be assigned on Wednesdays to support structured learning and practice at home, with submissions due for feedback before the following Tuesday's class.
Recent graduates (Shillington Graphic Design or similar) or industry professionals seeking to animate their projects. An up-to-date portfolio is required for bringing your work to life, especially for the Major Project. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) is necessary. No prior After Effects experience needed; the course covers it from the ground up. Last of all—Figma will be used, but onboarding will be provided.
Upon your application process, you will be instructed to answer a series of proficiency questions to help you determine whether this course is the right fit for you.
Online course graduates will receive a Certificate of Completion and will create an industry-ready case study of a graphic design project from their portfolio.
Classes include live lectures, demos, practical exercises & briefs. Expect the Shillington way of doing things from the first class—hands-on teacher support, critiques, final project proposal preparation and guidance. Active participation is crucial—with opportunities to present ideas, research, and engage in group tasks.
The course is intensive, so you’ll need to commit to missing no more than four days to ensure you don't miss vital live guidance and feedback. Check our Terms and Conditions for more information.
A computer capable of running After Effects and a reliable internet connection are required. While teachers will use Macs, Windows support is also available. You will need access to Adobe After Effects through Creative Cloud (latest version recommended), as well as Illustrator and Photoshop. During the pre-course preparation module, you will be guided on how to access an educational license for Figma.
We recommend enrolling at least one month before the start date. Enrolments after the deadline will be considered based on availability.
You can enrol quickly via our Enrol Now link!
You’re only 3 steps away from transforming your whole career, simply:
- Share your details.
- Process your deposit
- Then, wait for us to get in touch to confirm your enrolment!
Absolutely! Shillington graduates can benefit from a 20% discount on our Motion for Graphic Designers course.
Definitely. Our Motion for Graphic Designers course is perfect if you're a studio or agency looking to up-skill your design team. If you wish to put 2 or more employees through this course, Shillington will provide a 20% discount.
Our course fees are set at £2,950 GBP globally, please research your local currency conversion.
Please refer to Shillington Online Terms and Conditions.
A certificate of completion for those who fulfil all course requirements. Comprehensive understanding of motion design, proficiency in After Effects, and an industry-standard case study showcasing your animated portfolio piece with a detailed process component.
Not only will you understand the tools and how to create motion assets—but also a level of understanding of how the industry communicate ideas around the subject of motion both on and off screen.