Wondering what to teach on Skillshare? Read more about topics that our members most frequently search for to help inform your future classes.
In this article:
- What categories and topics can I teach on Skillshare? lists the top level subcategories (what we call content areas) that we actively source content for.
- Class Content & Topic Restrictions outlines what topics are not permitted on Skillshare. Classes that focus or touch on restricted topics may be removed by our Moderation team.
How to Use This Data
New and existing teachers frequently reach out to us and ask what they should teach. We’ve put together a list of the most in-demand and most frequently searched-for topics on Skillshare, broken down by our top subcategories.
There are two ways you can use this list:
- Pair this information about in-demand topics with the Choose Your Class Topic article. Start by identifying what you’re passionate about teaching, and then review this list to see which keywords or topic areas can further refine that and point you in a specific direction.
- Plan Your Class first, and then return to this list to pull out relevant keywords. Include these in your class title, class description, and class skills tags to help your class get discovered by students who are searching for something like it!
Where applicable, we’ve also included Areas of Opportunity: specific class topics that we want to grow in our catalog — we are actively sourcing for these!
In-Demand Topics List
Last updated: May 15, 2023
This data represents the top search terms in English by our member community for the period January 1 to March 31, 2023, organized alphabetically within each subcategory.
Illustration
Top Search Terms: Adobe Illustrator, anime, calligraphy, character design, digital illustration, digital painting, hand lettering and lettering, Maya, Midjourney, Procreate, ZBrush.
Areas of Opportunity:
- Procreate continues to trend high in search, though more intermediate- and advanced-level classes are needed to complement beginner-level content.
- Anime-style character design is a particular focus area we’re excited about.
Fine Art
Top Search Terms: acrylic painting, drawing, drawing for beginners, figure drawing, gouache, lettering, oil painting, sketching, watercolor, watercolor for beginners.
Graphic Design
Top Search Terms: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Designer, Canva, logo design, surface pattern design, typography.
Areas of Opportunity:
- Advanced-level classes on Canva — niche topics welcome!
UI/UX Design
Top Search Terms: Adobe XD, Figma, Flutter, web design, Webflow.
Areas of Opportunity:
- Intermediate- and advanced-level classes in Figma and Adobe XD.
Animation
Top Search Terms: 2D animation, Adobe Animate, AutoCAD, Blender, Cinema 4D, Krita, Maya, Unity, Unity 3D, Unreal Engine, Unreal Engine 5.
Areas of Opportunity:
- Blender continues to trend high across search! Seeking Blender classes at all levels, particularly advanced-level classes.
- Unreal Engine is an emerging topic; there is opportunity for new, high-quality classes at all levels.
- More advanced-level Cinema 4D classes would be a complement to our existing catalog.
Photography
Top Search Terms: food photography, iPhone photography, Lightroom, photo editing, portraits, product photography.
Areas of Opportunity:
- iPhone photography continues to be a popular topic, but there is more demand for new or updated classes focused on the latest software and apps.
Film & Video
Top Search Terms: Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, cinematography, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, motion graphics, VFX, video editing, videography, YouTube.
Areas of Opportunity:
- Advanced classes on lighting in cinematography would be an asset.
- More advanced classes skills, tips, and techniques for YouTube, particularly around scaling, creating for a larger audience, and making the most of the platform’s style and voice.
Marketing
Top Search Terms: blogging, copywriting, digital marketing, Google ads, Instagram and Instagram marketing, SEO, social media and social media marketing, TikTok.
Areas of Opportunity:
- More high-quality content on TikTok will help keep up with demand for this topic in search.
Freelance & Entrepreneurship
Top Search Terms: branding, Etsy, Fiverr, LinkedIn, podcasting, Shopify.
Crafts & Lifestyle
Top Search Terms: crochet, embroidery, fashion, fashion design, knitting, sewing, woodworking.
Areas of Opportunity:
- Classes teaching specific and more advanced techniques in sewing, such as smocking and darts, are an ongoing need. In addition, classes on the following topics would be welcomed: following patterns and pattern design; tailoring; and alterations.
- More classes in knitting and crochet at intermediate- and advanced-levels would be a great complement to our existing content.
Music
Top Search Terms: Ableton, FL studio, guitar, music production, music theory, piano, singing.
Areas of Opportunity:
- Intermediate- and advanced-level classes in any of the following topics: guitar, piano, singing, and music theory.
Creative Writing
Top Search Terms: content writing, creative writing, storytelling.
Productivity / Health & Wellness
Top Search Terms: Airtable, bullet journal, ChatGPT, journaling, meditation, Notion, personal development, project management, time management.
Additional Search Insights
Here are some additional search insights for the period January 1 to March 31, 2023.
- Our members are increasingly searching for content in generative AI programs for productivity and illustration (Chat GPT, Midjourney, AI), catching up to external demand elsewhere.
- Searches for video editing and music creation tools, such as Capcut, DaVinci, and Ableton, are also on the rise.
- Searches for the free 3D graphics program Blender have also continued to rise. Some of the top searches related to Blender are Blender animation, Blender modeling and Blender character.