Classes on Photoshop

With the digital age becoming more and more visual, the demand for image-based content that can captivate consumers is exploding. Evidence for this trend abounds. Yahoo! acquired multimedia-focused blogging network Tumblr while Facebook acquired photo- and video-sharing service Instagram for more than a billion dollars each. But even the combined cost of these acquisitions pales in comparison to the $5 billion market valuation attained by the image-heavy site, Pinterest.

Given those figures, you’d wonder how much companies today will be willing to pay professionals who are adept at creating eye-catching images, or at drawing up UI and UX designs that keep users glued to a brand. Both the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and Salary.com estimate the median annual wage for graphic designers at around $50, 000. Meanwhile, their more specialized cousins, user experience designers ($73, 000 – $110, 000) and visual designers ($60, 000 – $97, 000) generally take home much heftier salaries amid the feverish demand for digital savvy creatives for the UX segment. If you want your credentials to be in tune with the times, you’ll need to develop a fine eye for aesthetics and a basic proficiency in imaging tools. And the best way to do both is to learn Adobe’s — and the world’s — premiere imaging software. Here are five of the best free online Photoshop courses that gives you a VIP pass into the heart of the Visual Web.