Be awesome

Graphic design
made simple

The world is digital and design isn’t going anywhere. Learn a transferable skill that you can apply to work, business or personal projects.
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Learn and apply
graphic design

Start where you are

Gain a valuable skill

Graphic design is visual communication for an intended audience. It's used across almost every industry, utilized in most of the products/brands you use, and it is a key tool in branding, business, marketing and many other fields.

Start Simple

Learning a new skill isn’t always easy. We teach in a way that caters to early-stage learners like you. That means that concepts are broken down into bite-size pieces and spoken in a language that you can understand, using scenarios that you can relate to.

Be awesome

Your design goals may be large or small. Either way, we want you to be competent and confident in implementing the skills you’ve learned. Apply design skills in your job or business, learn quickly, and only retain what you need.

Let's do this

Latest Courses

Enroll and be awesome.

Graphic Design Fundamentals Course

The ultimate, self-guided beginner course to start learning graphic design
START LEARNING
Beginner

Pre-Folio Reviews
(Spring Edition)

Graphic design portfolio prep for students, recent grads, and aspiring designers.
LEARN MORE
Portfolio

Design Bigger: Command More for Your Graphic Design Work

Stop delivering one-off designs and learn how to create visual solutions that command bigger results and invoices.
Get Replay
Intermediate

Present Like a Pro:
Make Better Slide Presentations

Take your slide deck presentation skills to the next level for work, business or personal projects.
Get Replay
Intermediate

Project Pact
Logo Challenge

Complete a real project from start to finish using the design process
STAY TUNED
Intermediate
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Learners
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continents
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Awesome

Hey, I'm Shannel

I want to see you win with design

My mission is to empower learners with graphic design and branding knowledge to create a vehicle toward personal and professional development. When you understand how to use design to solve visual problems and can apply it to your own life—that’s powerful!

As a graphic designer, 2X author, professor, creative strategist, and founder of Awesome Design Academy,  my passion and purpose in design stem from my love for art as a child.  It developed from a myriad of experiences in Corporate America, startups, nonprofits, and my own business ventures over the last 15+ years. Now I want to transfer my knowledge to you because I believe you can gain awesome opportunities with design, just like I did.

1
Years of
Design Experience
Testimonials

What our awesome learners are saying

rochelle-wheeler-2021
I loved the content and format utilized for this training course. Prior to taking this course, I felt that Illustrator was a bit intimidating. The lessons taught during this course built upon one another and were easy to follow.
Rochelle Wheeler
Marketing manager and entrepreneur
Kent-sanford
I had the privilege of working with Shannel for over a year. Her knowledge of the graphic design industry is impressive; her patience with me even more! I was out of the field of design for ten years and needed to get back into it to change up my journey. Her understanding, guidance and lessons are exactly what I needed. I know am able to design again with the confidence that I can do this.
Kent Sanford
Art studio manger
etosha-manning
Thank you again for this class. It was very informative and helpful. It confirms that this is something I want to do.
Etosha Manning
Graphic design student
How it works

Choose the course that's right for you

Whether you’re a beginner, developing in your design journey or just looking for some help to boost your professional or personal skills, there’s help for you. For the designer or the non-designer, you understand that design is a desired skillset that is utilized across many professions and industries. So let’s level up!

Ready to start?

Looking for more insight about where to start? Schedule a one-on-one discovery session.

Let's Talk
Identify
Choose the course level that's right for your needs.
1
Identify
Learn
Partake in awesome learning that will help you level up professionally or personally, utilizing design and/or branding principles.
2
Learn
Execute
Put what you've learned into action through practice. Create realistic goals and complete them!
3
Execute
Grow
Continue to level up through execution, additional classes/courses or deeper consulting.
4
Grow

Learning Graphic Design

The Essential Building Blocks

When it comes to learning graphic design, what does it take? Where do you start? Download this free resource to understand what you need to be a successful designer.
FREE DOWNLOAD

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