Design Alive

The Worldwide School for Creative Design

How it works

General FAQ

Q&A about Design Alive, our courses and policies

Comparing Courses

How to pick the right course for you

General FAQ

  Will I need to buy any software for the course?

The graphic design, computer graphics and motion graphics courses will require access to the Adobe programs. Adobe.com now only offer a subscription based use of all software with a monthly fee of $19.99 with a year commitment.  Design Alive students can take advantage of this student rate.

AutoCad and Revit are available as a free student download.

  Do your vacations follow a regular school calendar?
The course is built around the Jewish year with a winter (Chanukah) vacation and vacation during the month of Nissan. A course calendar will be emailed to all students after registration.
  Will I receive a qualification?

Yes. Upon successful completion of all projects and program tests (including regular attendance), students will be presented with a certificate of completion from Design Alive.

There is also an option to gain accreditation for courses completed that can be put towards a degree.

  What happens if I miss a class?
In general, students will be expected to participate in all lessons. There is however, a facility to view the recording of a missed classes in your own time.
  Can I have a full-time job while doing the courses?
All courses involve a considerable amount of out-of-class time to be spent on homework assignments and projects and will probably be a strain for the serious student with a full-time job.
The staff at Design Alive will be happy to advise you, based on your choice of course and your personal schedule and life situation.
  How many students will be able to participate in the course?

Each course accommodates between 5-15 students although this depends on each course.

  Do I have to be creative or know how to draw to do these courses?

No, but it helps. Some students are more technical and others more creative. We aim to bring out the best in all students according to their individual skills.

  I am not a total beginner as I have done design jobs before. Will this course be on my level?
Each student will produce a portfolio on their level based on their experience and creativity. Even students with a background in art and design will find themselves benefiting, as their knowledge and skills are developed to a higher level.
  Do I need to have any background to join Web Design or Motion Graphics?

Yes, prior knowledge of Photoshop or better still, a design background, is necessary for entry to the Web Design course. The combination of the Fastrack courses (Computer Graphics Fastrack and Graphic Design Fastrack) followed by Web Design has proved an winning combination for those with little or no background.

If you are looking to study Motion Graphics then you will need to have knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop which can be learned by enrolling on Design Alive’s Fastrack Computer Graphics course.

  Can I enroll in more than one course?
Yes. Computer Graphics is run parallel to Graphic Design to enable students to enroll in both courses. You can, however, only join the Graphic Design course if you are joining Computer Graphics or if you have previously learned the Graphic programs before joining the course.
Students have the option of learning any of the programs individually. We do not advise learning both Graphic and Web Design simultaneously, although we have had some very capable students who have done so.
  Do I have to be a computer wizard to join Design Alive?
No. You will be expected to have a basic degree of computer proficiency and an understanding of how to use the internet. There will be clear guidance to help set up any technical aspects.
  Does Design Alive help graduates find employment at the end of the course?
Design Alive puts a lot of effort into referring jobs to our students after they have completed the course and we have an excellent track record in this area.
Design Alive has a sterling reputation in the design field and employers and business owners are constantly in touch with us to offer our students work.
We advertise our students services and sponsor an online alumni forum that allows students to be aware of jobs as they become available.
  How do your courses compare to other courses being offered?

Design Alive creates a live classroom atmosphere where students benefit from the structure and discipline of scheduled classes and gain tremendously from the interchange of feedback from instructor and other students during class. Given by highly-trained frum designers who are sensitive to the suitability of the course material, each class is a masterpiece in its own right. Structured around the Jewish calendar, Design Alive relieves pressure at the busy times of the year.

Students who graduate our programs are not expected to have to study further as we try to offer complete in depth training in each field of expertise.

We often have students who come to us after having attended other quicker /shorter courses who feel they dont have the tools to go out and work in their field as their courses were not comprehensive enough.

  Can you tell me more about how the courses are run?
The course uses web conferencing facilities via the internet. Simply log-in to class and you will be able to see and hear the instructor live as she is speaking to the class.
She will share her computer so that each student can see what is being displayed on her screen. You will be able to ask questions during class, hear other participant comments, join the class discussion and view other student’s work.
See our video link on the home page of this site to see (from a simple viewpoint) how this works.

Which course is right for me?

What can you do after completing the Motion Graphics course?

You can edit and produce videos, create web banners and animations, product demos, audio visual presentations for fund raising events and advertising, 3d animation and more.

What is the difference between the Fastrack course and the full courses?

The Fastrack courses are taught at a faster pace, have less hours and are less comprehensive than the full courses. They do NOT cover the same amount of  material as the comprehensive course and the instructor is speaking at the same pace.  The computer graphics fastrack course, for example,  is is perfect for people who have had previous background in using the Adobe software yet could benefit from a refresher course, or is suitable for the independent learner who will feel confident exploring the software further on his/her own.

The Fastrack Graphic Design course covers the complete theory of design, but in a less thorough manner and produces a much smaller portfolio than the full course.

Students who want to continue to Web Design are advised to do the Fastrack courses as a prerequisite.

I want a career in Interior Design

The Interior Design is an intensive full-year course that provides the models, the practical application, and the tools needed to become professional interior designers.

The course consists of 3 classes per week, 2 focusing on Interior Design and Construction, and 1 teaching AutoCad (followed by Revit). The course includes Interior Decorating although it is not solely an Interior Decorating course and there is alot of emphasis on space planning and the technical side of construction.

It is necessary to enroll in all 3 classes simultaneously, although it is possible to learn AutoCad in the first year and continue to the other 2 classes the following year. One can also choose to join AutoCad or Revit as a standalone course for those interested in learning drafting and how to create construction documents.

I am interested in learning Web Design

The Web Design course is suited for students with background in Photoshop/Figma as a minimum, although a design background is advised. For those with no background, the winning combination of the Fastrack courses followed by the Web Design course has proved very successful.

The Design Alive Web Design course trains students from the basics (HTML/CSS) to the advanced (WordPress), enabling them to independently design complete dynamic websites, create responsive websites, understand email marketing, social media, analytics, jQuery and much more. This is a demanding course which requires a lot of practice outside class time.

I already know the Adobe programs, but I would like to learn design theory

Students with previous experience with the Adobe software can either join the Graphic Design and Portfolio course (live or self paced), or if they need a less thorough learning route, they can join the Fastrack course (Self paced). The Fastrack course is generally not advised for those looking to make their career in graphic design.

I just want to learn the Adobe programs (Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign)
Students who only wish to master the graphics design programs can join the Computer Graphics course only. This course is offered either live, self paced and as a shorter less-thorough track in our fastrack computer graphics course. One can choose to learn individual programs (such as Illustrator only) in our comprehensive track. We don’t offer the option of taking part of the Fastrack courses as a general rule.
I want a career in Graphic Design:

Students interested in a graphic design career can best get started with simultaneous enrollment in both Computer Graphics (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign). and Graphic Design & Portfolio (Design Theory with multiple graphic projects). One can also learn the Adobe programs first (live or self-paced) and continue to Graphic Design & Portfolio the following year.

Design Alive’s Fastrack courses, (Computer Graphics Fastrack and Graphic Design Fastrack) offers the opportunity to gain a good familiarity with the programs used by graphic designers and to become acquainted with the main concepts of graphic design, without the need to commit to a full year’s worth of study. These are recommended for those who want to continue to web design and don’t have a design background.