Discover the YouTube channels, brands and designers offering the best online lessons and tutorials.
Web designers and developers are on a constant journey of discovery. Whatever framework, tool or technology is used, you can guarantee there will be a new version or update in the pipeline. Or there might be an alternative on the market being adopted by the creative masses that will improve your job prospects if you can add it to your CV.
Want to learn React, JavaScript, Illustrator, UX and more? Or perhaps you have always wanted to improve your illustration skills so you can finally finish the personal project that has been sitting on your desktop for the last two years. Whatever the reason, there is no better way than to learn from those in the know. For instant access to some top-class training, YouTube is the perfect platform.
Why YouTube? First up it’s free (most of the time) and the best YouTube channels and tutors engage with you and make you want to learn. They leave you wanting more. With this in mind, we’ve put together a host of the best design and development YouTube channels that offer something for everyone (design channels are on this page, jump to page 2 here).
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This channel is run by a chap called Gary who has worked for some of the big names in video learning including Pluralsight, LinkedIn Learning and Lynda.com. He teaches full-stack development, which in this case means you get a mix of design and development tutorials including UI/UX, front end dev, back end dev and graphic design. With new videos coming weekly, it’s always worth checking out what’s new. And if the latest addition isn’t for you, you can always dive into the channel’s extensive back catalogue.
If flat-design illustration and 2D animation is on your learning radar then this channel has plenty to offer. There are lots of tutorials that demonstrate how to create/illustrate cartoon characters that look amazing. Beyond character design there are videos on logo design and After Effects, along with helpful and useful advice – check out the video Overcoming Creative Blocks (above). There’s a ridiculous number of high-quality videos on offer and if you like what you see make sure you check out the Gigantic store.
You may be wondering what a dev channel is doing in the design section. Well, the reason is that this channel offers dev tips for designers. If you’ve always been too scared to jump into the world of JavaScript, you should start here. Once the hosts David and MPJ have you hooked, you can go back every week and get something new. There is plenty of variety and levels: you could learn how to get started with Adobe CC (get Adobe Creative Cloud here), try some React prototyping and discover animation with CSS. If you are a designer, give it a go.
This channel is run by Mozilla designer and developer advocate Jen Simmons. You may already be aware of her and if you know who she is or have heard her speak you will know how good she is. If you haven’t, now is the time to find out who she is. There is plenty on offer here for those looking to get to grips with layouts and CSS Grid. Looking past Grid, there are videos on cool new CSS properties you really need to know about. Make sure you subscribe.
Mike Locke is a passionate and enthusiastic presenter who is a senior UI/UX designer with a wide skill set. He knows all about visual UI design, user experience, usability, interaction design, information architecture, research and analytics, XHTML/CSS and strategy and planning. His channel is very much a reflection of what he knows. Locke concentrates on UI/UX design and offers plenty of sensible and reasoned thoughts and advice. Plus, if you need career advice make sure you take a look.
This channel comes from the good people at Mozilla and delves into the many areas of the web the company is involved in. You can take a look at the talks from Mozilla’s own View Source conference, which again covers a wide cross section of web design and development. Elsewhere you can look at layouts and Grid. Mozilla is heavily involved in AR/VR/MR, so find out what it’s doing here and learn about the tools it is bringing to the table.
There’s a good chance you know of prototyping experts InVision and this is the company’s official channel. So what’s it got to offer? As you might expect there are InVision Studio tips, InVision tutorials and training and Sketch tips and tutorials. Plus, you can find over 60 design talks from InVision users that cover user research, ethics, how to be a UX consultant, design sprints, feedback and much more.
Sketch Together is a channel dedicated to all user experience and user interface design. Need to learn Sketch quickly? Then check out the Sketch App Crash Course. Ever heard of the interactive design tool Framer? Check out the Framer Crash Course to get up to speed. Elsewhere, get design opinions, the channel's late night design show and live streams and sessions.
There is nothing like learning from someone who has already been there and done it. Their experiences can help you avoid falling into the common traps and this is what Flux is about. The channel is the personal vlog of designer and entrepreneur Ran Segall and he reveals the lessons he has learnt while building his career as a designer. He provides design case studies, as well as showing how to start freelancing, build a design portfolio, work with budgets and clients and plenty more besides. (Remember to keep your design files safe in cloud storage).
With his channel, Mayfield brings you a wide variety of Adobe Illustrator tutorials, graphic design inspiration and a whole host of creative projects to follow. His flamboyant personality and natural presentation will keep you engaged and – of course – learning. For more on Illustrator, see our list of the best Illustrator tutorials.
Next page: YouTube channels for development
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Steven Jenkins is a freelance content creator who has worked in the creative industry for over 20 years. The web and design are in his blood. He started out as a web designer before becoming the editor of Web Designer magazine and later net magazine. Loud guitars, AFC Bournemouth, Photoshop, CSS, and trying to save the world take up the rest of this time.
