Luminous Works

I highly recommend their courses! I took the 2 day Essentials of Illustrator. The course design was well structured with follow along practices. The instructor Steve was extremely knowledgeable, patient with questions, and gauged the learners needs well. My experience exceeded my expectations and I will make the commute again to take another course. Highly recommend Luminous Works to develop your graphic design skills! They additionally have implemented many covid safe practices.

Steve is a Wizard of InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Not only is he a wellspring of knowledge, but he genuinely loves teaching and the classroom environment. Steve is quick to answer questions and eager to problem-solve. The pace of the class is excellent and he doesn't mind spending more time on a subject if the interest is there. Beyond the classroom, Steve and his wife Carla are lovely people. There's no reason not to attend Luminous Works if you're in the Seattle area and are curious about the courses they offer. Do it, you won't regret it.

Well worth the money and time. Polite and serious people that work very hard to make certain subject matter is well and truly understood. Not just the how but the why (and the hot keys). Learning atmosphere was amazing too, even the finish for the walnut tables was chosen to be non reflective.

I should have posted this a long time ago, but it's better late than never! When I got a new job as a book interior designer, I knew nothing about InDesign at all. My new employer paid for me to take classes at Luminous Works. The staff was incredible accommodating to all those their classes, and their level of knowledge in their subjects is unprecedented.

Within several classes I took, I was equipped to jump into my new job and do what I needed to do. Six months later, I'm still applying the knowledge I gained from my classes at Luminous Works. Awesome staff, and awesome classes!

I can't overstate how much Steve's InDesign class helped me. I went from knowing nothing about the program to being fairly knowledgeable about it in only two days. I drove over from the Tri-Cities to take the course and it was definitely worth it. No question.

I took the Desktop Publishing Overview course last week and found it immensely useful, for the Adobe software that I've barely used and for the software that I'm familiar with! Highly recommended!

I took 2 classes here: Photoshop CC Essentials and Photoshop Level 2 for Design & Illustration and it was an absolutely great investment. Steve is extremely knowledgable, personable, and extremely patient (even when you ask a silly or stupid question). If you think that watching a couple of Photoshop tutorials will get you the same level of knowledge, you are mistaken. Steve shows you everything step by step and teaches you the most important tools of Photoshop and the ones you will use most often.

His class is tailored for everyone - newbies and experienced users. You get to actually do everything yourself, not just watch him. He makes sure everyone is on the same page and understands what to do before moving on to the next topic. At the end of each class, you get to save the files you worked on so you can go back and remember what you did.

I am the type of person who learns by doing, not just watching, so this was very beneficial to me. The price for the classes is a bit on the high side, but for the in-depth knowledge, valuable tips, and one-on-one interaction that Steve provides, it is worth it! The studio is located in ballard and there is street parking all around, you might have to circle around for a couple minutes, but you will find a spot near by.

The studio itself is very comfortable and has a great atmosphere for learning. The desks and chairs are comfortable, the computers are new, and there is free coffee and sometimes treats to snack on. The one comment I'd like to make is that I felt that going into 3D stuff in the Level 2 Photoshop class was not helpful to me. I feel that this should be a separate class taught on its own because there is SO much to cover and it is so complex.

We rushed through it and while I understand the basics of it, I don't think I would be able to work in 3D on my own without further instruction. I felt that it was not a good use of time, especially for the one day class. Overall, taking classes at Luminous Works is extremely helpful and I would recommend to anyone who is interested in Photoshop or other graphic design programs. I am not sure if other teachers teach this class, but I would highly recommend taking the Photoshop classes with Steve!

Illustrator Essentials -- clear teaching, builds skills step by step. They allow you to take the class a second time within 12 months and that helped to solidify techniques and tools that I was not using at my job.

I just completed the two day Photoshop Essentials class, and it did not disappoint. We immediately got into the software, and we covered all the essentials. Mark was knowledgeable and engaging, and he brought the material to life. I wanted to explore some more advanced techniques, but I understand the limitations of an introductory class. I definitely feel better equipped to explore the many menus and options contained within Photoshop having taken this class. I would recommend it to any photographer wanting to understand all of the post processing options available.

Just finished a 2 day premiere pro editing class. It was taught by Navin who I thought was a great teacher. Most of the class was made of of people who had careers in media already, only I and another woman who actually beginners. I have played around with editing software previously but I wanted to learn all the functions and how to get the best of Premiere Pro.

All in all I thought it was great. I was able to follow alone pretty well, and when you get lost the instructor was very nice about going over it again or coming to help you. He has a great speaking voice, nice and loud so we were all able to listen well. A lot of the program use was taught and I definitely feel I got my moneys worth. In just two day I've learned almost everything I wanted to know about editing film from start to finish.

He also welcomed extra questions warmly. I would suggest you really stay engaged and pay attention because you can miss a lot if you are distracted. They offer free coffee/tea and have a fridge and kitchen for lunch, also a great deck/patio right outside the class room. The work space was very clean and stylish. You had the option to use the class on a MAC or Windows program (But the windows program did lag a lot) I highly recommend MAC, its also an easy fix in class. I do hope they put in a after effects class.

As an aspiring graphic designer/novice photographer, Luminous Works has been the answer to several (if not most) of my prayers - if they offered Kool-Aid in addition to the free coffee and tea, I'd drink it. I've shopped around at various studios, schools, and with multiple teachers in an effort to find a learning style that fits, is relevant in reality, and most importantly as an adult learner - FUN.

The classes at Luminous Works by far have been my most favorite AND the most helpful on this road through the unknown. I have taken Desktop Publishing Overview, HTML & CSS Overview, and the Photoshop Overview classes so far, and while it ain't cheap (I won't gloss over this fact), let me repeat, it ain't cheap, it has been absolutely worth it.

I leave each class, only one or two days, with more material than I received in weeks worth of instruction in college or months at an internship. Most importantly, I've left each class feeling empowered and excited about my career change. From beginners to avid users, the Luminous Works environment is well worth the try. It's also important to note that you can and should email Steve and Carla if you have ANY questions regarding your skill level or which classes to take.

They will be able to steer you toward the right class a the right level, thus helping everyone avoid disappointment. Great, relevant classes, comprehensive instruction, and small classes. What's not to love? I am definitely looking forward to my next classes at Luminous Works.

I've taken classes from the owners, Steve and Carla, from time to time over many years, either at Luminous or at the Photographic Center NW where Carla used to teach color photography. So I was psyched when they opened their own place in Ballard. While it is quite a hike for me from Bellevue, it is well worth it.you will be receiving world-class instruction from a certified master who works closely with Adobe and knows pretty much everything there is to know about Adobe products, photography, physics, etc.--but doesn't flaunt it. I've had enough classes over the years from ego-maniacs. Steve's focus is on the student.

His teaching style is down-to-earth, yet professional and no-nonsense. They also offer a clean, organized, yet comfortable classroom environment. I can't recommend Luminous Works highly enough.

Just wanted to update my previous review for Luminous Works. As promised, the class has been restructured since the class I took in May and I was pleasantly surprised. I really felt like they took my feedback to heart and made some good changes. 25 minutes into the class and we were already practicing using the software. We spent approximately 50 minutes in Illustrator (yep, I tracked the time), 60 minutes in InDesign, and about 30 minutes in Photoshop.

The rest of the time we were learning about how the programs overlap and interact, etc. The class teacher, Steve, clearly knows everything about anything regarding Adobe, and was more than willing to answer questions throughout the lecture. He is very easygoing. This was a good class because we didn't spend too much time learning 'theory' and we did a lot of hands on work.

I WOULD recommend this class to anyone who is looking to learn the basics of Adobe Design Standard, or get a little more familiar with the programs. You learn a good amount of shortcuts and such as well, to help you work more efficiently. This is very helpful for me as I begin to do more design work at my job.

I'm thrilled that I discovered this place! The setting is ideal and the instructors are very knowledgeable. I learned so much in such a short amount of time. I am definitely going back for more classes.

I took my second class there this week, CSS (the initial was their advanced Flash class), and was yet again pleased. the facility is ideal for intimate (8 students max) training and the instructors are knowledgeable, friendly and patient without dwelling too long on topics. in both classes I was one of the more advanced students. while the instructors are sure to give adequate attention to the weaker students they are willing to assure the advanced students are getting everything they can from the class, even it means staying a bit after the class' conclusion.

They have a beautiful set up in Ballard, but unfortunately the teachers really like to hear themselves talk more than have you practice the skills you are supposed to be learning. Clearly knowledgeable, it's unfortunate that the teaching isn't better- we spent the day listening, rather than practicing. I felt like it was a waste of time and money, even though I liked the place, teachers and information. Spend your money elsewhere.