--- url: /school/ title: "Our School | The Graphic Design School" template: school priority: 3 wordCount: 1030 lastModified: 2026-05-22T23:31:52.290Z category: about site: "The Graphic Design School" tokenCount: 1488 --- # Our School | The Graphic Design School > An Australian online-only design school offering a nationally recognised Certificate IV in Design taught by working designers since 2008. **Keywords:** online graphic design school, Australian-registered design school, CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design, Nationally-recognised qualifications, Registered Training Organisation, ASQA accredited, Australian Qualifications Framework, graphic design education, working designers as teachers, 850+ graduates, freelance graphic design careers, design business Australia, 4.9 star Google reviews, first solely online graphic design school, since 2008 School The Graphic Design School is an Australian-registered, online-only design school, running since 2008. Nationally-recognised CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design, taught at your own pace by working designers. The first solely online graphic design school in the world. 850+ graduates since 2010. 4.9★ across 101 Google reviews. Zero formal ASQA complaints since 2008. By The Numbers 18 years running Founded in 2008. The first solely online graphic design school in the world — and still going. RTO #91706 Registered Training Organisation with ASQA. Our qualifications are recognised nationally under the Australian Qualifications Framework. 850+ graduates Real students, real qualifications, real careers — working in studios, freelancing, and running their own design businesses across Australia and internationally. 4.9★ / 101 reviews Google reviews, scraped and dated. No cherry-picking, no paid-for testimonials. You can read every one of them. Zero ASQA complaints No formal complaints lodged with the regulator since 2008. We take quality seriously because we don’t have the option not to. About The School Designed To Be Different The Graphic Design School was the first solely online graphic design school in the world. In 2008, we started our adventure to share our love for design and educational philosophy via the web. Learn From Designers We got a lot more than we bargained for. An intelligent student body, a teaching team of working designers, support from our design peers, and an energy that has created the best community. A community that we love. So why choose us? We teach a mixture of what we call “old school” meets “new school” techniques that get to the core of what it means to be a real designer: an understanding of the culture of design combined with the techniques of a solid design process, from design brief to idea generation, sketching, layout, comp and finishing in the Adobe Suite. We see the world differently. We are designers. We are committed to providing a safe, equitable environment that promotes confidence and productivity. Flexible Courses Created for you. Our courses work around your life, study on your own terms at your own pace. Government Accredited Design is all about skills, but sometimes you need a qual. Check out our CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design course. Continuous Support Our students are our bread & butter, and support is our jam. Our Tutors and Support Angels are there to guide you. Meet the TGDS Tutors Paloma is a Senior Designer and Art Director who started her career in London working with international and European brands. Her experience spans branding, corporate identities, advertising campaigns, packaging, illustration and B2B marketing materials. Paloma is an experienced designer. She would describe herself as busy exploring, collaborating and experimenting in the Creative Industries. As a Senior Designer and Art Director with a BVA in Graphic Design, a large amount of her experience was gained in London. She worked with international and European brands on a daily basis and has a passion for conceptual design that she shares with students. Her design experience includes branding and corporate identities, developing advertising campaigns, packaging, viral communications, illustration and B2B marketing materials. Danny has over 15 years’ experience in advertising, visual communication and filmmaking. He has been Art Director of Surfing World Magazine and is the Creative Director of Three Crowns Media, Australia’s largest sports media company. Danny has worked through the ranks as Art Director of Surfing World Magazine to end up in his current role as Creative Director of Three Crowns Media, Australia’s largest sports media company. If you ask Danny about being a designer he will tell you — working as a graphic designer doesn’t feel like work, it’s a big part of every aspect of my life and I have fun doing it. Danny’s portfolio boasts identity design for M/SF/T, Waves Magazine and Goodcheer, illustration and design for some of the most iconic surfing magazine covers, as well as photography and film direction. I am fortunate to be in a field where I can evolve with the changing philosophies and new technologies, and look ahead excitedly for what the field and its many opportunities will bring. Danny is an inspiring tutor with a relatable voice and a wealth of experience. Lee-Anne worked for top advertising agencies including TBWA before being headhunted by Virgin in London, where she spent 7 years as an in-house designer. Her portfolio includes campaign work for Dove, Maybelline, Siemens, Sky UK and GlaxoSmithKline. Lee-Anne studied Art and Graphic Design at the AAA School of Advertising in Cape Town, South Africa. She worked for some of the top advertising agencies, including TBWA, before being headhunted by Virgin to work in London as an in-house designer. She spent 7 years in London working for Virgin and as a successful freelance designer. Her portfolio includes campaign work for Dove, Maybelline, Siemens, Sky UK and GlaxoSmithKline, covering print, web and packaging design, as well as experiential marketing. Now located in Sydney, Australia, she continues working as a freelance graphic designer for her international clients, as well as in-house designer for The Graphic Design School. With her industry experience and keen eye for design, she strives to use her knowledge to inspire students to reach their full potential. When not in front of her Mac, you’ll find her on the yoga mat, seeking divine inspiration! Toni has three decades of experience in design and communications. She has run her own practice, worked in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare sector, and taught typography and graphic design at several Australian universities. Toni is returning to TGDS after designing in the health sector. She finds inspiration everywhere, from leaf shapes to nudibranch colours to gum tree textures. What keeps her passionate about teaching is working with students and their original ideas and enthusiasm. With three decades of experience in the design and communications industry, Toni has run her own practice, worked as a graphic designer in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare sector and taught typography, advertising, visual communication and graphic design at several universities throughout Australia. Toni studied Typography in London and Graphic Design in Victoria. Toni’s passion for teaching and learning, as well as inspiring her students, is what drives her motivation.