Slightly less than all the designers I know are self-taught. Courses and schools can be helpful and can help a little, push and speed things up, but basically you have to learn everything yourself. The only way to learn design is to practice design. Try to do something. Copy the greats. Study, disassemble and try to reproduce strong works. Trying to come up with and bring something new.

So, what courses or schools will make you a designer? None. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And yet, I’ll tell you briefly about 6 schools and courses that I’m familiar with and that I can recommend.

1. British Higher School of Design

"British" remains one of the most sane design schools in the country.

2. Arrow

Strelka brings cool speakers and arranges some of the best free summer lectures. While I lived in Moscow, I enjoyed going there. This summer's program hasn't ended yet, by the way.

Strelka specializes more in urbanism and architecture, but there is also a lot of interesting stuff there for product designers. Now Strelka is launching an interesting program “New Normal”.

3. Gorbunov Bureau Design School

4. Yandex Design School

Yandex summer design schools are more suitable for those who already know and can do something and want more. I even took some part in the creation of the first school in 2015. All lectures from that season are posted on YouTube.

5. Interface designer. Introduction to the specialty

Video course on interface design from the guys from Mail.Ru on Coursera. I haven’t watched these lectures, to be honest, but I know the authors well and therefore have no doubt that the course should be worthy.

RealTime School was founded in 1999, and over the years of work we have trained thousands of specialists from Russia and countries near and far abroad. Many of them successfully work in Russian and foreign companies related to the film industry, video production, architectural and technical visualization, and the gaming industry. The list of organizations that have entrusted us with training their employees begins with the Cosmonaut Training Center, the Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, various government agencies and organizations and ends with film studios, television channels and private firms.

Our motto is “Don’t waste your time”! School of Computer Graphics uses a unique method of complete immersion, with a separation from everyday worries and problems: students study from ten in the morning to ten in the evening for several days. In combination with full board, meals and accommodation, this approach allows you to make training as effective as possible and provide comprehensive knowledge in various areas of computer graphics in a short time.

Programs offered at the School include:

• Autodesk 3ds Max (3D Studio Max) courses
• Autodesk Maya courses
• Zbrush courses
• Adobe courses
• Adobe courses
• Adobe courses
• courses on rendering V-Ray, Corona Renderer

As well as programming courses for the iPhone, programming, editing courses, classical and digital drawing courses (Photoshop for), layout courses in Adobe InDesign, VFX courses - Cinema 4D, Nuke, courses for game developers - location creation and others.

The list of courses is constantly expanding and changing in accordance with new trends and industry needs. Each package offers several computer graphics training courses: from introductory for beginners to specialized for more experienced listeners. The School conducts courses, seminars and master classes in specific specialties: courses for designers and architects, character animation courses, special effects programming courses, etc. The step-by-step learning method allows you to take several related courses and become a highly qualified certified specialist.

RealTime School ensures that students receive useful skills and up-to-date information. School Instructors not only talented teachers, but, above all, highly qualified specialists who actively and successfully work in areas related to computer graphics. Most courses are proprietary and are largely based on the personal experience of the instructors. This allows us to constantly modernize training programs, making them relevant and keeping up with the times.

School is Authorized training center for Autodesk and Adobe- leading manufacturers of software for creating and processing graphic content. Long-term close mutually beneficial cooperation between the School and the representative offices of these companies in Russia allows the use of the latest versions of software products in training. Instructors regularly undergo training on new versions of graphics packages. Support from such computer equipment manufacturers as Intel, NVIDIA, Wacom, Apple makes it possible to equip classrooms with the most modern workstations, which speeds up the learning process and makes it not only useful, but also enjoyable.

Outside the educational process, the School is also active. Regularly held free lessons and events, the program of which includes reports from leading companies and studios and master classes from famous experts in the field of computer graphics. Our School of Computer Graphics regularly participates in specialized exhibitions. Also, as part of cooperation with the First Game channel, a series of programs on educational topics was created.

The list of courses taught at RealTime is constantly expanding, however, if you have suggestions for new areas of study, we will be happy to listen to you. 70% of the courses were organized by the School at the request of students: we teach what is interesting to our students. You can write a letter to the address , and we will definitely consider your proposal.

The goal of the program is to prepare creative professionals with a wide range of skills who, in addition to performing practical design work, can manage the process of generating ideas, assign tasks to a team, work with outsourcers in the field of communication design, offering their clients effective turnkey solutions.

This course is universal. The structure of the program does not imply a focus on narrow specialization, but coverage of the widest possible range of topics and professional knowledge. During their studies, specific projects are worked on in different genres of the profession, but the main goal is to master universal methods and skills for independently solving any communication problems. Design is taught not as a set of techniques, but as a method of thinking that determines their effectiveness.

Curator's message

What makes the program unique?

What makes the program unique?

The best teachers

The program is taught by practicing and successful professionals: art directors of design studios, creators with many years of experience in the industry, experts in their field. They are united by ambition and a level of requirements that always exceeds customer expectations.

"Basic" does not mean beginner

The structure of the program implies the widest possible range of topics and professional knowledge in a wide variety of areas of graphic design. During their studies, special projects and different genres within the profession are worked on, but most importantly, students are taught to think and independently solve any problems. Basic is “general” and universal, that is, not highly specialized.

Design as a method of thinking

The program's ambitions are broader than just job training: priority is given to creative self-discovery. Design is taught not as a set of useful skills and techniques, but as a method of thinking that determines their applicability. We teach you to think like an artist, and speak and act like an art director.

Printing workshops

To transfer students' ideas onto a plane and look at them in a new way, the School has the first Roland DG Printing Academy in Russia, providing access to large-format printers and a plotter. The workshop for working with etching and silk-screen printing allows you to use linocut, silk-screen printing, monotype, calligraphy, and the drypoint technique.

Modern IT technologies

More than 600 Apple Macintosh and PC computers with access to Adobe Creative Cloud, an HP computer laboratory, licensed software products, printers and scanners - everything you need to bring your boldest visual ideas to life in the digital space.

Extensive library

Throughout the entire period of study, students have at their disposal an impressive collection of books and albums on graphic design, typography, lettering, packaging, identity, etc.

Photo studios

Digital and analogue photography studios have the most advanced equipment: a table for subject photography, a film scanner, infrared and radio synchronizers, flash meters, backgrounds and lighting equipment.

Duration of training

Level for admission

Cost of education

345,000 rubles per year (Payment in installments is possible)

Start date

Language of instruction

Training mode

TWO OR THREE EVENINGS ON WEEKDAYS AND ONE WEEKEND

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

Program structure

Additional expenses for students during the study period

During your training, you may need art and office supplies, project supplies, printing and copying services, and other types of services and supplies. Their list, degree of compulsoryness and cost depend on the requirements of the program and the specifics of the training assignments. Also, during your studies, you may be recommended to visit museums, art galleries, and paid professional events, so it is advisable to plan the costs of purchasing tickets.

An approximate list of art materials most often used by our students: sketchbook, A2 zip folder, soft and medium hard pencils, black bold pencil, sharpener, charcoal, eraser, kneaded eraser, colored markers, black markers, black ink, brushes synthetic, adhesive tape, scissors, palette, set of acrylic paints, sketchbook, set of capillary pens, liners, colored tape, glue stick, foam roller, A4 watercolor paper, A4 colored paper, dry pastel, colored stickers, craft paper and others .

Any developments and finished projects in such areas as graphics, drawing, painting, fashion and textiles, photography, decorative arts, industrial design, web design, animation, interior design, etc. are accepted as a portfolio for consideration. presented both in digital format and as works on paper.

Career trajectory of graduates