Introduction

This Advanced Course of the Professional Diploma in Graphic Design is designed for learners who have a foundational understanding of design principles and software or experienced designers seeking to deepen their expertise. It merges intermediate and advanced concepts, focusing on advanced software proficiency, strategic design thinking, professional studio practices, and career readiness. This comprehensive training aims to equip participants with the skills to lead design projects, innovate with emerging technologies like AI, and confidently launch their careers in the global design industry.

Trainee Qualification Requirements and Prerequisites

• Completion of Beginner Course: Successful completion of the Zeleman Academy Graphic Design Beginner Course or demonstrated equivalent foundational knowledge is required.
• Proficiency in design software: Familiarity with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, and Figma is essential.
• Strong grasp of design fundamentals: A solid understanding of design elements, principles, typography, and color theory.
• Good handle of the English language: Good written and spoken English skills are a basic requirement for understanding course materials and participating in discussions.
• Portfolio Review (recommended): Submission of a preliminary design portfolio showcasing foundational skills may be beneficial for assessment of readiness.

Overall Learning Outcomes for Advanced Course

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Apply advanced editing and illustration techniques in industry-standard software.
• Understand UI/UX principles and create interactive prototypes.
• Design functional packaging solutions and motion graphics for digital platforms.
• Develop and execute visually cohesive advertising campaigns.
• Prepare design files for professional print production.
• Discuss design ethics and ensure responsible indigenous representation.
• Lead design projects, interpret creative briefs, and manage collaborative workflows.
• Utilize AI tools for design innovation and efficiency.
• Deliver effective client presentations and manage feedback professionally.
• Execute a complete, real-world design project across multiple media platforms.
• Finalize and publish a professional portfolio for career launch.

Training Delivery

The training will be delivered using a blended class format, combining:

• A lead instructor introduces advanced concepts and industry best practices through lectures and in-depth software demonstrations.
• Extensive practical exercises and hands-on projects to apply complex learnings and build a robust portfolio.
• Real-world case studies and simulated studio environments to analyze strategic decision-making and collaborative processes.
• Guest lectures from industry leaders offering insights on cutting-edge trends, creative processes, and professional challenges.
• Collaborative group projects and mock client scenarios to foster teamwork, client communication skills, and applied problem-solving.

The total duration for the Advanced Course is approximately 20 weeks (equivalent to 120 contact hours), providing in-depth specialization and career preparation.

Trainees will utilize various tools and resources, including:

• Advanced Design Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe After Effects, Figma, Adobe Dimension.
• AI Design Tools: Midjourney, DALL·E, Runway ML, Adobe Firefly.
• Presentation & Portfolio Platforms: Google Slides, Behance, LinkedIn, Adobe Portfolio, WordPress.
• Collaboration Tools: Google Docs (for studio simulation).

Training Subject Areas

Component 01 - Advanced Photoshop & Illustrator Techniques (GD-201) (Estimated 18 hours)

This component enables learners to apply non-destructive editing, masking, and compositing in Photoshop, create custom illustrations and complex vector graphics in Illustrator, and export optimized, high-quality assets for both web and print applications.

• Advanced Photoshop Techniques: This section delves into sophisticated image manipulation in Photoshop, covering non-destructive editing techniques like layer masks, clipping masks, and adjustment layers, and mastering high-end retouching and compositing.
• Advanced Illustrator Skills: Trainees will develop proficiency in creating complex vector graphics, including advanced use of the Pen Tool for precise path creation, and creating complex graphics using gradients, patterns, and custom brushes.
• Exporting Optimized Assets: This area focuses on preparing files for various output needs, understanding and exporting in advanced file formats like TIFF, SVG, and EPS, and optimizing assets for web, print, and social platforms.

Component 02 - UI/UX Design Introduction (GD-202) (Estimated 12 hours)

This component enables learners to differentiate between UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) design principles, create wireframes and interactive prototypes for mobile or web applications, and apply UI/UX best practices in a culturally relevant digital product design.

• UI vs. UX Fundamentals: This section clarifies the distinctions and interconnectedness of User Interface and User Experience design, covering core principles of UI and UX design, including usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction, and applying design thinking to UX challenges.
• Wireframing & User Flows: Trainees will learn to plan the structure and flow of digital products by developing user flows and sketching low-fidelity wireframes and differentiating between low-fidelity and high-fidelity mockups.
• Prototyping in Figma: This area focuses on creating interactive mockups using Figma, by building interactive prototypes with links, hover states, and screen transitions, and utilizing reusable UI components.
• Local Case Study Application: Trainees will apply UI/UX principles to culturally relevant Ethiopian contexts, designing mobile/web products for specific Ethiopian cultural events or bilingual interfaces, and presenting design logic based on usability principles.

Component 03 - Packaging Design (GD-203) (Estimated 12 hours)

This component enables learners to design functional and visually appealing packaging solutions, work with dielines to prepare designs for real-world production, and apply packaging design to culturally relevant Ethiopian products and markets.

• Packaging Design Fundamentals: This section covers the basic principles and types of packaging, understanding various packaging formats and materials, and learning about structural basics and working with dielines.
• Label and Print Design for Packaging: Trainees will focus on designing graphics for packaging, designing effective layouts for various product containers, and understanding CMYK color mode, bleed setup, and safety areas for print-ready labels.
• Mockups & Visualization: This area focuses on creating realistic representations of packaging designs, applying designs to mockups and creating 2D and 3D previews using Photoshop or Adobe Dimension, and showcasing final designs in context.
• Local Case Studies in Packaging: This section analyzes packaging for Ethiopian products, studying existing Ethiopian packaging and reimagining designs with a focus on modern or sustainable concepts.

Component 04 - Motion Graphics with After Effects (Intro) (GD-204) (Estimated 12 hours)

This component enables learners to animate logos, text, and titles using fundamental motion design principles, create motion graphics suitable for social media and digital campaigns, and export and share animations in optimized formats for different platforms.

• Animation Principles & Motion Basics: This section covers the core concepts of animation, including understanding how to use keyframes to control animation timing, easing, and rhythm, and applying principles like anticipation and follow-through.
• Introduction to After Effects: Trainees will learn the basic interface and tools of Adobe After Effects, navigating the After Effects interface, understanding the timeline, and working with layers for animation, including animating basic shapes and text.
• Logo & Title Animation: This area focuses on animating brand assets and textual elements, creating engaging animations for logos and brand assets, and animating words and titles with storytelling intent (kinetic typography).
• Motion for Social Media & Export: Trainees will learn to create and export animations for digital platforms, designing short animated loops and stories suitable for social media, and understanding render settings for exporting GIFs and MP4s.

Component 05 - Advertising & Campaign Design (GD-205) (Estimated 12 hours)

This component enables learners to design visually cohesive advertising campaigns with clear messaging, adapt visual assets across multiple platforms including print and digital, and analyze and draw insights from successful local advertising case studies.

• Campaign Messaging & Print Design: This section focuses on developing the core visual and textual elements of a campaign, defining the central message and visual consistency across all campaign assets, and designing effective posters, flyers, and banners for print media.
• Layout for Impact: Trainees will learn to arrange elements for maximum effectiveness in advertising, applying principles of visual hierarchy to guide the viewer's eye and emphasize key information, and crafting clear and compelling calls-to-action.
• Cross-Platform Campaigns: This area focuses on adapting campaign visuals for different media, designing for print, web, and mobile formats while maintaining brand consistency, and ensuring all visual assets contribute to a unified campaign message.
• Local Case Studies in Advertising: This section analyzes successful advertising campaigns within Ethiopia, studying examples of NGO, civic, and commercial campaigns to draw insights into effective local strategies, and presenting mini-campaign designs.

Component 06 - Design for Print & Production (GD-206) (Estimated 6 hours)

This component enables learners to prepare and export design files for professional print production using industry standards, understand key print concepts such as DPI, color modes, bleed, and layout accuracy, and communicate effectively with print vendors using proper terminology and production guidelines.

• Print Design & File Preparation: This section covers the technical aspects of preparing files for print, understanding DPI, CMYK vs. RGB color modes, and their importance for print quality, along with learning about bleed, trim marks, and safe zones.
• Working with Print Vendors: Trainees will learn how to interact effectively with printing services, understand the checklist for preparing files for prepress, and learning proper terminology and communication practices when working with local print vendors.
• Print Formats & Layouts: This area explores different types of print media and their design considerations, designing for various formats such as posters, flyers, brochures, and magazines, and understanding factors affecting final output quality.
• Print Vendor Collaboration: This section focuses on the practical aspects of working with printers, learning best practices for sending design files to printers and managing proofing processes, and creating detailed print specification sheets.

Component 07 - Design Ethics & Indigenous Representation (GD-207) (Estimated 6 hours)

This component enables learners to discuss cultural appropriation in design, celebrate Ethiopian motifs responsibly, and analyze visual stereotypes while creating respectful and inclusive work, adhering to global design ethics.

• Introduction to Design Ethics: This section covers fundamental ethical considerations in graphic design, understanding how design can perpetuate biases and the importance of creating inclusive visual work, and recognizing and avoiding harmful design choices.
• Indigenous Motifs & Ethiopian Iconography: This area focuses on the responsible use of cultural elements in design, discussing the difference between respectful cultural appreciation and harmful cultural appropriation, and exploring Ethiopian iconography and its appropriate use.
• Ethics in Client Work: Trainees will learn ethical practices in professional design projects, understanding issues of consent, intellectual property, and copyright in design projects, and emphasizing community respect.
• Ethical Reflection & Cultural Motif-Based Projects: The module encourages critical thinking and practical application of ethical principles, conducting visual audits of design works with ethical considerations, and creating projects that responsibly incorporate Ethiopian cultural motifs.

Component 08 - Creative Direction & Studio Simulation (GD-301) (Estimated 12 hours)

This component enables learners to interpret creative briefs and lead design ideation sessions, manage feedback loops and iteration cycles, and simulate real-world studio roles, timelines, and team collaboration.

• Creative Brief Interpretation: This section focuses on understanding and analyzing design project requirements, interpreting creative briefs to grasp project objectives, target audience, and deliverables, and identifying potential issues.
• Ideation and Concept Development: Trainees will learn to generate and refine design concepts, utilizing brainstorming frameworks like SCAMPER and mind maps for comprehensive ideation, and developing mood boards and concept sketches.
• Running Studio Reviews: This area focuses on managing feedback and iteration in a collaborative environment, learning constructive critique methods for design reviews, and implementing strategies for iterative design and presenting revisions.
• Team Roles and Project Timelines: Trainees will simulate real-world studio workflows, understanding and managing different studio roles, and practicing time-blocking, deadline management, and collaborative workflow in simulated design sprints.

Component 09 - AI in Graphic Design – Innovation & Efficiency (GD-302) (Estimated 6 hours)

This component enables learners to utilize AI tools for idea generation, visual enhancement, and automation, balance AI assistance with originality and ethics, and experiment with generative art and text-to-image workflows.

• Introduction to Generative AI Tools: This section provides an overview of AI tools transforming graphic design, familiarizing with tools like Midjourney, DALL·E, and Runway ML for image and video generation, and learning basic prompt crafting.
• AI for Design Productivity: Trainees will explore how AI can enhance design workflows and efficiency, utilizing AI for tasks such as layout suggestions, background removal, image upscaling, and auto-color/type matching, and understanding how AI automates repetitive tasks.
• Creative Collaboration with AI: This area focuses on integrating AI outputs with human creativity, learning techniques for combining and refining AI-generated elements with original creative work, and creating hybrid projects.
• Ethics of AI in Design: Trainees will analyze the ethical implications of AI in design, discussing issues of copyright for AI-generated art, potential biases in AI outputs, and the importance of human originality, and reflecting on ethical considerations.

Component 10 - Client Communication & Presentation (GD-303) (Estimated 6 hours)

This component enables learners to deliver effective design presentations and pitches, handle client feedback professionally, and build communication confidence through storytelling.

• Presentation Fundamentals: This section covers the essential elements of a compelling design presentation, learning how to organize a presentation to effectively convey design concepts and solutions, and applying visual hierarchy to slides.
• Storytelling Techniques: Trainees will learn to narrate the "why" behind their design decisions, explaining the rationale and problem-solving approach behind design solutions, and structuring presentations to highlight client challenges.
• Handling Feedback & Revisions: This area focuses on professional client interaction, practicing active listening skills to understand client feedback thoroughly, and learning strategies for negotiating revisions and managing expectations.
• Cross-Cultural Presentation Skills: Trainees will learn to adapt their communication for diverse audiences, tailoring presentation tone and format for diverse clients, and building confidence in presenting design work and engaging in design diplomacy.

Component 11 - Capstone Project – Real-World Design Brief (GD-304) (Estimated 18 hours)

This module involves executing a complete design project across media platforms, integrating all prior skills into a unified campaign or identity, and collaborating with a real or simulated client to present work professionally.

• Choosing or Receiving a Brief: This section focuses on the initial phase of a real-world project, conducting thorough research on the client, their industry, and target audience, and clearly defining project goals, timelines, and deliverables.
• Conceptualizing and Planning: Trainees will develop the strategic foundation for their capstone project, creating comprehensive mood boards to establish the visual direction and aesthetic, and developing detailed project timelines and task division.
• Design Execution: This area involves producing all required design assets across various platforms, creating a full range of deliverables, including logos, social media graphics, web elements, and print materials, ensuring consistency and iterative refinement.
• Final Presentation & Peer Review: The module culminates in presenting the completed project, preparing a professional slide deck and delivering a compelling verbal presentation of the project to peers and faculty, and participating in peer review sessions.

Component 12 - Portfolio & Career Launch (GD-305) (Estimated 12 hours)

This component enables learners to finalize and publish a professional portfolio, explore and prepare for career opportunities in Ethiopia and globally, and build an online presence through Behance, LinkedIn, and personal branding.

• Finalizing Portfolio Pieces: This section focuses on polishing past design work for professional presentation, refining and optimizing previous projects to meet professional portfolio standards, and crafting concise and impactful captions.
• Digital Platforms & Personal Website: Trainees will learn to showcase their work online, setting up and utilizing platforms like Behance, Dribbble, and Adobe Portfolio for online visibility, and understanding options for hosting a basic personal portfolio site.
• Career Preparation: This area focuses on preparing for job applications and interviews, designing professional and impactful resumes/CVs tailored to design roles, developing freelance proposal templates, and practicing interview skills.
• Launching in the Ethiopian Context: This section focuses on career opportunities within Ethiopia, identifying local design agencies and freelancing platforms, and engaging with local design communities for networking and opportunities.

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessments will include a combination of methods, where trainees submit exercises for evaluation to receive feedback or qualification.

• Reading and implementation exercises.
• Quizzes: formal and informal pop-up quizzes to gauge knowledge acquisition.
• Case studies: real-world design scenarios with proposed solutions and strategies presented by students.
• Assignments: individual take-home or in-class practical assignments to solidify understanding and develop design solutions.
• Group projects: challenging students to develop graphic design campaigns or brand identities for a specific client or product, enabling application and collaboration.
• Periodic digital assessments: through relevant design assessment modules to measure trainee comprehension and qualify them for certification.
• Follow-ups and feedback will be the main aspects to help trainees improve their understanding.

A minimum of 90% attendance is required for certification. Graduation requires passing all modules with a minimum 70% average.

Reference Resources

• Industry publications: Include articles from reputable sources like Smashing Magazine, Communication Arts, AIGA Eye on Design, and Print Magazine.
• Design software tutorials: Official tutorials and comprehensive guides from Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), Canva, and Figma.
• Online courses (with certification):
• "Advanced Graphic Design Concepts" by California Institute of the Arts (Coursera)
• "UI/UX Design Specialization" by Google (Coursera)
• "Motion Graphics Basics" by School of Motion
• Additionally, PDF resources such as:
• Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team by Alina Wheeler
• The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst
• Don't Make Me Think, Revisited by Steve Krug (for UX principles)
• Other essential resources will be provided by the trainer.