Graphic Design for Social Media
March 20, 2024 3:00 PM   Subscribe

I'm looking for some resources on the basics of graphic design and how to use Photoshop or a similar program, specifically to make social media info posts. I'm also looking for any particularly good examples to model after.

I'm a part of a political group, and we're gearing up for a battle with the relevant business interests over "reforms" (actually ruthless gutting) to a very progressive and powerful law. Most people in my city have never heard of this law because it's so unique, but the way it's being threatened means that tens of thousands could lose these rights.

It's looking like this will be brought to council in September. I'd like to take this opportunity to try my hand at graphic design and make some informational social media decks/posts. (And if I fail at this, it's not a huge loss because we do have a couple volunteers with graphic design experience who could fix what I made or just make something better.)

I have this book for inspiration, but I'm looking for some resources on the basics of graphic design and how to use Photoshop (or a similarly powerful and pirate-able program.)

I'm not looking for Canva; I'm trying to dig deeper and have more creative control. And I've tried searching for resources, but there is SO much out there that it's overwhelming and difficult to get a sense of relative quality or relevance to the specific project I have in mind. Part of me just wants to skip all of it to noodle around on Photoshop and let my taste and influences lead the way.

Also, if you have examples of social media posts/accounts that you consider particularly good at informing people, I would love to see them.
posted by myelin sheath to Media & Arts (4 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
It’s been a while, but I think you’ll find some useful courses on Skillshare. I used it to learn Illustrator a bit better. I think you can probably find a 30 day fee trial out there.
posted by backwards guitar at 3:57 PM on March 20, 2024


Best answer: The Non-Designer's Design book is great for the basics of design itself.

In some library systems your library card might give you free access to LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) - I've always used their courses when I needed to brush up/ start from scratch with a particular piece of software and found their courses helpful, in-depth, and up-to-date. In addition to courses on Photoshop, they have courses on the elements of design like typography or color.
posted by matcha action at 4:46 AM on March 21, 2024


Best answer: Speaking as a professional designer, I'd actually say give Canva another look — the majority of the nonprofit comms folks I know use Canva as their primary or only design tool for social and web graphics. It works surprisingly well as a standalone graphics editor without using any of the templates, and they also have some decent "design 101" type courses like Graphic Design Basics and Typography and Layout.

If you do want a professional-grade power tool that's not Adobe, take a look at the Affinity suite.

On the learning side, Accessible Social has some really good material about designing effective, accessible graphics for social media.
posted by fifthpocket at 2:28 PM on March 21, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I agree with fifthpocket that Canva is more useful than you think. But Adobe Express might be your sweet spot. It's sort of Adobe's answer to Canva but more feature-rich. It's also integrated with Adobe Stock which has ready-to-use photos, videos, and graphic elements. It has a free tier and the paid plans to access more features are pretty cheap.
Feature comparison & pricing here.
Templates and assets here.
If you search YouTube for “Adobe Express basics” or similar terms, you'll find a bunch of walkthroughs for beginners.

Don't hesitate to use pre-designed templates as a starting point! If you are new to design, leverage the work done by people who do it professionally. You'll inevitably develop more of an eye for design decisions the more you engage with the designs, but more importantly, you'll get effective messaging out sooner.
(Like, if my car breaks down on the way to a wedding, I'm going to call a mechanic even though I've been wanting to learn more about my car's engine. Sure I can watch them work and pick up some things, but time is a factor!)
posted by D.Billy at 6:32 PM on March 21, 2024


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