Graphic Design Practice Exercises to Grow as a Designer

Wondering how to get better at graphic design? Here, we’ll walk you through how to improve design skills for free with an effective graphic design practice exercise. Whether you’re a beginner designer or more advanced, this design practice will level up your skills and provide fodder for your graphic design portfolio.

How to Practice Graphic Design

An effective way to practice graphic design for free is by studying and recreating designs you like. Doing this can help you better understand design principles, techniques, and styles; improve your attention to detail; and (bonus benefit) expand your graphic design portfolio, showcasing different styles and skills!

In fact, using references and recreating them is a design practice recommended by graphic designer Graham. Check out his video guide below and see how he uses reference images and free design tools for graphic design practices. You can even create your own free account and follow along in Kittl.

Get Ready: Find Your Reference Images

1. Explore Different Sources: Start by exploring various platforms like Pinterest, Behance, Dribbble, or even Instagram. These sites are packed with stunning images and designs that can spark your creativity.
2. Choose What Speaks to You: Select designs that resonate with your style or the style you want to learn. It could be a minimalist poster, a vibrant logo, or an intricate illustration. But we recommend starting with a less intricate image.
3. Save and Organize: We recommend you save your favorite references in a dedicated folder or board. You can organize by themes or material type, such as POD designs, poster designs or maybe even marketing or sales collateral materials such as infographics. Ensure your design software has the latest software patches installed so files are not corrupted when saving them. This will make it easier to access and review them when you’re ready to start creating. Collaborating with growth marketing agencies can also help streamline your creative process, ensuring that your designs are not only visually appealing but also strategically effective.
4. Analyze the Reference: Take a close look at the design you’ve chosen. Break it down into its basic components—colors, shapes, typography, and layout. Understanding these elements is important before you start recreating. Taking the time to think about your image’s composition and how it relates to design principles is how you’ll learn design concepts and solidify them in your mind.
5. Gather Your Tools: Open Kittl and familiarize yourself with its features. Kittl is user-friendly and packed with tools that can help you replicate your reference design.

Start!: Recreate Your Reference Images with Kittl

1. Set up your workspace: Download your reference image and place it in your design editor next to your artboard. The main takeaway here is you want to be able to see your reference image as your work. With Kittl, you can use the eyedropper tool to copy your reference image colors and transfer the palette into your project.
2. Start with the Basics: Begin by creating the basic shapes and layout in Kittl. Use the shape tools to create rectangles, circles, or any other shapes present in your reference.
3. Match the Colors: Match the colors from your reference to your project as closely as possible. As mentioned above with Kittl, you can use the eyedropper tool to copy the colors from your reference image and transfer the palette into your project.
4. Add Typography: Pay attention to the fonts used in your reference. Kittl has a wide range of fonts to choose from. Find the closest match and adjust the size and spacing to replicate the original design.
5. Refine and Adjust: Once you have the basic elements in place, start refining the details. Adjust sizes, positions, and any other elements to get as close to the reference as possible.

How to Get Better at Graphic Design

Once you’ve practiced these exercises a few times you should have a stronger grasp of key design principles. And you’ll most likely see comparisons between different designs and pick up on some common themes and best practices. So when you feel confident with your recreation abilities, take it a step further! Follow along with the steps but put your own personal twist on it.

1. Adding the basics: When adding the basic shapes from your reference image, experiment with different shapes and sizes.
2. Changing colors: Instead of matching the colors from your reference to your project, start experimenting with different color combinations. Reference color theory and use your own personal design style to choose a new palette. 
3. Add Typography: Kittl’s extensive range of common and unique fonts is perfect for this next step. Don’t copy your reference’s fonts; instead, try out new font pairings.
4. Add some finishing touches: Once all your elements are in place, play around with them a bit more. Adjust sizes and positions to see if there’s a layout that suits your personal design preferences more.

Tips for Effective Design Practice

• Be Patient: Mastery doesn’t happen overnight. Take your time to understand and replicate the designs accurately.
• Experiment: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different tools and techniques within Kittl. This exploration can lead to new skills and discoveries. For example, using the right design tools will help your customers reach your contact center more easily and quickly.
• Seek Feedback: Share your recreations with fellow designers in groups such as this Reddit design critiques community or on social media. Constructive feedback can provide valuable insights and help you improve. Additionally, connecting with graphic design recruiters can open doors to professional opportunities and further refine your skills through real-world experience.

Key Takeaway

Learning from references is a powerful way to enhance your graphic design skills. Graham’s design exercise of finding and recreating designs using a free account with Kittl not only helps you practice graphic design but also allows you to create beautiful pieces to add to your design portfolio. So get going and start practicing! Remember, every design you recreate brings you one step closer to becoming an expert in graphic design.