Graphic_Design_FastTrack_Course
Graphic_Design_FastTrack_Course
GRAPHIC DESIGN
FAST-TRACK COURSE
An 8-Week, Job-Ready Curriculum in Photoshop · Illustrator · InDesign · Figma
Item Detail
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
1. Course Overview
Stephen's goal is not mastery of every Adobe feature — it's becoming employable, fast. This curriculum is built around that single outcome: a compact set of high-value skills,
practiced daily, converted into real deliverables, and packaged into a portfolio a hiring manager or client will actually look at twice.
The program runs 6 days a week for 8 weeks (48 live sessions of 2 hours each), with a recorded backup for every class and an on-request doubt-clearing window in the
afternoon. Each week ends in a mini project; the course ends in a capstone that combines all four tools into one professional piece.
Guiding Principles
● Build → Break → Rebuild: every tool is taught through a real deliverable, not isolated feature demos.
● Portfolio-first: every mini project is designed to be portfolio-worthy, not throwaway practice.
● Weekly outcome, not just weekly topics: each week ships one tangible piece of work.
● Fundamentals before shortcuts: layout, hierarchy, color and type are taught before software tricks.
● Job-readiness runs in parallel: portfolio, LinkedIn, and freelancing prep start in Week 8, not as an afterthought.
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Smart objects, social media, poster, flyer, banner, mockups, product 12 hrs class + 12–15 hrs
2 Photoshop II — Production 6 days Brand social media + print kit
editing, export practice
Icons, brand identity, visiting cards, brochures, infographics, vector 12 hrs class + 12–15 hrs
4 Illustrator II — Brand & Print 6 days Complete brand identity kit
illustration practice
Master pages, styles, tables, multi-page docs, magazine, newsletter, 12 hrs class + 12–15 hrs 8-page magazine / company
5 InDesign — Layout & Publishing 6 days
company profile, print PDF practice profile
Interface, frames, auto layout, components, variants, constraints, mobile 12 hrs class + 12–15 hrs
6 Figma I — UI Foundations 6 days 5-screen mobile app
UI practice
Design systems, website UI, landing pages, dashboards, prototyping, dev 12 hrs class + 12–15 hrs Website UI + interactive
7 Figma II — Product Design 6 days
handoff practice prototype
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Flyer layouts (A5/A4), web banner Design a promo flyer + a matching Create 3 banner sizes for the 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 10 Flyer & Banner Design —
ad sizes, CTA placement web banner set same campaign practice
Packshot editing,
shadow/reflection realism, Edit a product photo and present Build a mini product catalogue 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 11 Mockups & Product Editing —
mockup placement & lighting it in 2 branded mockups page (3 products) practice
match
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Vector vs raster, artboards, Set up artboards for a logo suite Recreate 3 simple geometric 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 13 Interface & Vector Basics —
interface tour, basic drawing tools (icon, horizontal, stacked) logos using shapes only practice
Anchor points, bezier curves, Trace a hand-drawn icon or logo Trace 5 icons/logos of increasing 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 14 Pen Tool Mastery —
tracing shapes, sketch-to-vector using the Pen Tool complexity practice
Font pairing, kerning/tracking, Design a wordmark logo using Create 3 typography-only poster 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 16 Typography for Designers —
hierarchy, custom lettering basics type manipulation concepts practice
Logo Design Practice & Color variations, grid/proportion Finalize one logo with color Prepare a logo presentation WEEK 3: Logo Design for a
Day 18 2 hrs + 3 hrs project
Presentation systems, presentation mockups variants (color/black/white/mono) board Fictional Brand
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Icon grids, stroke/style Design a set of 8 consistent icons Expand set to 15 icons, export as 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 19 Icon Design —
consistency, building an icon set for an app SVG practice
Tri-fold/bi-fold layouts, grid Design a tri-fold brochure for the Refine copy hierarchy and 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 22 Brochure Design —
systems, print-ready setup fictional brand finalize the print file practice
Data-visualization basics, icons + Design a 1-page infographic from Redesign an existing infographic 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 23 Infographic Design —
charts, storytelling with layout sample data to improve clarity practice
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Workspace, Setup & Master Margins/columns/bleed, master Set up a 12-page document with a Build 2 alternate master page 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 25 —
Pages pages, page numbering, templates working master page templates practice
Table creation & styling, importing Design a pricing table and a simple Style a table to match your 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 27 Tables & Data Layout —
data, cell/table styles data sheet brand board practice
Multi-Page Docs & Magazine Grid systems, baseline grids, Lay out a 4-page magazine spread Extend the spread to 6 pages 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 28 —
Layout image/text flow across spreads with images & pull quotes with varied layouts practice
Content-heavy layouts, hierarchy Design a 2-page company Adapt the newsletter into an 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 29 Newsletter Design —
for scanability, template reuse newsletter email-friendly layout practice
Company Profile & Print- Multi-section documents, preflight Assemble a 6–8 page company Export the final file as a print- WEEK 5: 8-Page Magazine or
Day 30 2 hrs + 3 hrs project
Ready PDF checks, export for print vs digital profile using earlier assets ready PDF (bleed & marks) Company Profile
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Constraints (left/right/scale),
Constraints & Responsive Make a card component resize Test and fix constraints on 2 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 34 responsive resizing across screen —
Design correctly across 3 breakpoints previous designs practice
sizes
Color/type styles, spacing tokens, Create a shared style library Apply the style library across 3 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 35 Design Systems Basics —
building a mini design system (colors, text styles, effects) screens for consistency practice
Mobile design patterns, Design 3 mobile app screens Add 2 more screens to complete WEEK 6: Mobile App Screen
Day 36 Mobile UI Design 2 hrs + 3 hrs project
navigation, touch-target sizing (onboarding, home, profile) a 5-screen flow Set (5 screens)
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Website grid systems, above-the- Design a homepage for a fictional Design the mobile version of the 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 37 Website UI Design —
fold design, responsive web layout business (desktop) same homepage practice
Data-dense layouts, cards, charts, Design an analytics dashboard Add a settings screen to the 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 39 Dashboard UI Design —
navigation patterns screen with cards & charts dashboard flow practice
Prototype connections,
Prototype a 5-screen user flow Add micro-interactions 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 40 Interactive Prototyping transitions, overlays, Smart —
with transitions (hover/press states) practice
Animate
Inspect panel, redlines, exporting Prepare a handoff doc for one Handoff-document 2 more 2 hrs + 2 hrs
Day 41 Developer Handoff —
assets, writing dev-friendly specs screen (spacing, colors, assets) screens from the website project practice
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Adobe Photoshop
Topic What Stephen Will Be Able to Do Week(s)
Layers Structure designs with layers, groups, blend modes and layer styles 1
Color Correction Correct exposure, color cast, and grade images consistently 1
Export Settings Export correctly for web, social, and print every time 2
Adobe Illustrator
Topic What Stephen Will Be Able to Do Week(s)
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Adobe InDesign
Topic What Stephen Will Be Able to Do Week(s)
Figma
Topic What Stephen Will Be Able to Do Week(s)
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Social Media Campaign Photoshop Week 2 / 8 Brand consistency, content planning, export for multiple platforms
Event Banner Photoshop Week 2 / 8 Web ad sizing, CTA design, quick turnaround
Brochure Illustrator / InDesign Week 4 / 8 Grid layout, folding mechanics, print prep
Brand Identity Illustrator Week 4 Logo systems, color & type systems, guidelines
Restaurant Menu Illustrator / InDesign Week 8 Legibility, pricing layout, brand tone
Website Landing Page Figma Week 7 Conversion design, responsive layout, prototyping
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
6. Portfolio Building
Behance Portfolio 5–6 published projects, each with a cover image and 10–20 process/final images First-impression discoverability with recruiters & clients
LinkedIn Profile Keyword-rich headline, About section with proof of work, Featured section linking to Behance Passive job/freelance discovery + credibility signal
Resume One-page, visually designed resume highlighting tools, projects, and measurable outcomes Passes both human and ATS screening for design roles
Portfolio PDF Compiled 6–8 project deck with a cover page, case studies, and contact details Sendable directly to clients or recruiters via email
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Finding Work Behance & Dribbble discovery, LinkedIn outreach, Fiverr/Upwork/Truelancer profiles, local business cold-outreach, Instagram DMs to small brands
Writing Proposals Structure: acknowledge the brief → show you understand the goal → outline approach & timeline → price → 2–3 relevant portfolio links
Pricing Projects Start with per-project pricing (not hourly) for junior work; research 3 comparable freelancers before quoting; raise rates every 3–5 projects
Client Communication Set expectations upfront (timeline, revision limit, payment terms); respond professionally even to vague or difficult feedback
Building Confidence Practice a 60-second portfolio pitch; treat early rejections as data, not verdicts; track small wins weekly
Interview Preparation Be ready to walk through 2–3 projects end-to-end (problem, process, decisions, outcome) — not just show final visuals
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Brand Foundation Illustrator Logo, color palette, typography system, brand board
Marketing Collateral Photoshop Social media kit + one printed piece (poster or flyer)
Print Document InDesign A brochure or company profile using the brand system
Digital Product Figma A mobile app or website UI with a working interactive prototype
Presentation Behance + PDF Full case study: problem, process, decisions, final outcome
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Self-Practice 12–15 hrs/week 2–2.5 hrs/day reinforcing that day's skill immediately after class
Doubt Session (as needed) 0–4 hrs/week Use when stuck — don't let a blocker sit for more than a day
Weekly Total 24–30 hrs/week Realistic pace for a 2-month, job-ready outcome
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Ignoring color modes (RGB vs CMYK) Files look right on screen but print incorrectly Set the correct color mode before starting any print project
Inconsistent typography & spacing No grid or style system in place Use style guides, grids, and reusable styles from day one
Poor file organization No naming or folder convention Adopt a consistent naming/versioning system from Week 1
No backups or version history Working in a single file with no saves Save incrementally (v1, v2…) and back up to cloud storage
Overcomplicating early designs Trying to use every feature at once Master contrast, hierarchy, and alignment before adding complexity
Not seeking feedback Working in isolation until the end Share work weekly for critique — even unfinished work
Copying without understanding why Focus on the result, not the reasoning Analyze the 'why' behind designs you admire before recreating them
Underpricing freelance work Fear of losing the client Research 3 comparable rates before quoting any project
Skipping export/print checks Rushing the final step Always verify resolution, bleed, and color profile before delivery
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Graphic Design Fast-Track Course — Stephen
Photoshop Adobe's official Photoshop tutorials ([Link]) Feature reference & official workflows
Illustrator "Satori Graphics" and "Chris Spooner" on YouTube Logo & brand design tutorials
InDesign Adobe's official InDesign tutorials ([Link]) Layout & publishing fundamentals
Figma Figma's official YouTube channel & Figma Academy UI/UX and product design fundamentals
Figma Figma Community ([Link]) Free templates & components to study and remix
Design Theory "The Futur" on YouTube Business + design thinking for freelancers
Stock Assets Unsplash & Pexels Free high-quality photography for practice projects
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