Digital Portfolio for Design Short Course
Course description
Course overview
This short course combines practical exercises, tasks, and discussions to help students refine their digital portfolios and presentations in preparation for interviews and entrepreneurial ventures. Participants will revisit past work, make improvements, and develop new promotional materials to align with their creative direction.
Students will gain valuable insights into transitioning from university to professional life. They will create a personalised brand, logo, and business cards while exploring the fundamentals of setting up a successful business.
The design component of the course will reinforce key principles such as image manipulation, alignment, and hierarchy, serving as a refresher on Adobe Creative Cloud software.
This course will also address common mindset challenges, providing guidance on industry opportunities, networking strategies, and building confidence in professional settings and events. Students are encouraged to form positive relationships and engage in professional, collaborative discussions.
Who this course is for
This course is designed for designers and creatives looking to gain a competitive edge, secure the roles they aspire to, or navigate self-employment within their industry. Basic experience with Adobe Creative Cloud is preferred.
Key information
Topics covered
- Portfolio and presentation reviews
- Adobe Creative Cloud including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign
- Principles of design
- Networking confidence
- Business name planning
Learning outcomes
- Acquire entrepreneurial skills to prepare students for setting up and managing a creative business with confidence, including writing, practising and pitching a brief and client communication
- Develop proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud to refresh and elevate design work
- Portfolio enhancement, adapting and refining past layouts for professional presentations and interviews
- Create personal branding materials including a logo and business cards and tools to support artistic and professional goals
- Acquire skills in business and career readiness and learning the practical steps of setting up a business in the UK such as:
- Locating HMRC registration details and setting up a free business bank account
- Developing a simple pricing breakdown to estimate project rates and articulate “minimum worth” when discussing freelance or employment opportunities. Build confidence in decision-making and career planning
- Digital badge and a certificate of attendance
Materials
- Notebook and pen
- Laptop with access to the Adobe Photoshop, InDesign & Illustrator.
- Mouse for drawing in illustrator (optional)
- USB stick or equivalent cloud storage to save your work
Please note: If you do not already have Adobe Creative Cloud, please sign up for a free 7-day trial for the duration of the course (to coincide with the start of your course)
IMPORTANT - Adobe ID Login for Short Course Students
Students will need to create an account with Adobe (unless you already have one) to access the Adobe suite at the college – instructions are included below. You'll need to use a personal email address to create this. If you already have an account with Adobe, please make sure you bring your login details with you on the first day of the course.
Please note:
- Creating an Adobe account is free
- The software will only be accessible when logged into a UAL networked computer
- The same account can be used outside of the University, but software will only be accessible through a personal paid subscription that students will need to set up independently
- You can still create an account on the day but doing this beforehand will save time and avoid delays to the start of the class
- If you already have an Adobe ID/subscription you can use this on your short course rather than setting up a new account
To create an account students will need to:
- Go to Adobe Sign in page
- Select 'Create an account'
- Enter your details and select 'Create account'
Book a course
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