Find courses from Yonk and Gosia Herba in new training platform for Ukrainian creatives

The goal of Graphic Design Lab, a new online training platform, is two-fold. It hopes to offer training and tools to designers and illustrators in Ukraine while helping young creatives who have left the country develop careers in new European markets. The site is free, offering lectures, courses and advice from prominent designers on a range of aspects, covering questions for emerging creatives to those seeking to re-establish themselves. The project is initiated by Pictoric and Polish Graphic Design, in partnership with the Ukrainian Illustrators Association.

There are lecturers from a range of disciplines in the industry, with the likes of illustrator and bookmaker Gosia Herba, 3D studio Yonk and Dawid Gawel and Wojtek Siejak from animation studio Pigeon all offering courses. Graphic Design Lab also collates its resources into themes. So you can use the site specifically for help learning about the stages of design, for portfolio advice, or for guidance specifically on developing your own style in the industry. For those looking into logistical and career-specific issues, there are whole sections on finding an agency and pricing.

You can also find perspectives on new technology and its impact across the creative industry. For example, in a selection of three courses, Graphic Design Lab explores how AI can be used as a tool for inspiration, while exploring how to exercise caution with the technology.

Access to the platform just requires free registration; Graphic Design Lab explains that course content will continue to expand as the platform develops. The site states that users will require a “basic knowledge of English to understand the content of seminars and lectures”.