Fastrack Graphic Design Course Instructions
Getting Started
Awesome, you have registered for your course and set up payment – nearly ready to roll, here is a quick checklist, run through it, and get started!
- Download the Software (instructions below)
- Request a student letter, generally needed to download the student version of the software.
- Read through course instructions, and expiry details, (all below).
- All filter details and suggested computer specs are listed below.
- Register for an account on Design Alive’s exclusive Forum – the Jewish Design Forum. (Sign up for an account in the top right corner)
- Still facing an issue? Use our help page so we can help you.
Upon setting up payment you will be automatically directed to your course where all the course material is available to start learning. You will also have received an email with a link to your course.
Alternatively, you can log in to school.designalive.com with the login details that you received via email
Username: Email address
Password: Check your emails
You will find your course in the left menu under ‘my courses’ or on the dashboard
Teachers Details
We generally do not offer phone support unless email does not suffice.
Your teacher will be checking her email daily and will do her best to answer questions within 24 hrs. We suggest you create an email with all your questions as you listen to each class, and send it to your teacher when you finish
Course Expiration
You have 9 months to complete the course after-which your course will expire.
Course Extensions:
If you did not manage to complete the course within the time frame, there is an option to extend the course for a monthly extension fee of $25 from when the course expires. You can extend your course for up to 6 months.
To rejoin the course 6 months after the course expiry there will be a fee of $200.
Awesome, you have registered for your course and set up payment – nearly ready to roll, here is a quick checklist, run through it, and get started!
- Download the Software (instructions below)
- Request a student letter, generally needed to download the student version of the software.
- Read through course instructions, and expiry details, (all below).
- All filter details and suggested computer specs are listed below.
- Register for an account on Design Alive’s exclusive Forum – the Jewish Design Forum. (Sign up for an account in the top right corner)
- Still facing an issue? Use our help page so we can help you.
Upon setting up payment you will be automatically directed to your course where all the course material is available to start learning. You will also have received an email with a link to your course.
Alternatively, you can log in to school.designalive.com with the login details that you received via email
Username: Email address
Password: Check your emails
You will find your course in the left menu under ‘my courses’ or on the dashboard
Software Details
- You will need to have the programs, Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign working on your computer for the first class.
- The only legal way to obtain the software is via the Adobe.com subscriptions which give you to use all the Adobe software online.
- Anyone who offers to install it on your computer (for free or for a minimal charge) is likely to be installing a copied version.
Instructions:
- Sign up for a monthly subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.
- The student edition of Adobe Creative Cloud costs $19.99 per month for the first year (price will be different for subsequent years).
- Terms and conditions can be found here.
- To sign up for the student edition, you will be asked for the name and address of your school. Please note that Design Alive does not appear on the list of schools on their website, and it is usually sufficient to write Design Alive, Manchester UK.
- If Adobe requests proof of student status please request using this link.
Webex Player
To watch the recordings, you will need to install the Webex player.
Please use this link for Windows or Mac.
Course Instructions
Your class is under Graphic Design 2020-2021> Graphic Design Fastrack
Assignments:
- Each class has a recording, homework assignment, and a quiz. Some classes have images you will need to download for classwork. Please do not proceed to the next class until you have completed the homework assignment.
- You do not have to wait until the teacher replies that the homework is acceptable before proceeding to the next class.
- It is to your disadvantage to merely listen to the classes without doing the assignments, as it is the practice that will determine whether you have grasped the concepts taught in class and help you absorb the material.
- Homework files can be submitted using the ‘Upload your files here’ slot in your course. There is a separate place for each homework assignment.
Filter/Whitelist Info
Design Alive recommends the following filters as students have been very happy with these filter companies and the support they provide.
- Techloq
- Gentech
- Nativ USA
- Netfree filter has also be approved for Design Alive but please note that having a filter which blocks skin content may be frustrating at some point
Before you begin the course please ensure that all the following sites below are unblocked: You can copy the list and send it to your filtering company.
- designaliveschool.webex.com
- webex.com
- designalive.com
- school.designalive.com
- for cisco webex- exclude multiple EXE
- You will need the cisco webex app working.
- autodesk.com (for Autocad students)
For more information regarding filter issues and troubleshooting please use this link
Computer Specs
Design Alive does not assist with helping you buy a computer suitable for the course, but below are suggested computer specs and details of a computer technician/salesperson who can help you.
Students doing 3D rendering or video editing/animation will need a top-end computer whereas students doing graphics only can get away with a slightly lower spec.
Please refer to these computer specs that are appropriate for all of our courses ranging from Interior & Graphic Design to the very robust 3D modeling applications (Autocad & Revit)
- An i7 or i9 CPU
- At least 16GB of RAM & 256GB of storage
- A 64-bit operating system
- A dedicated (internal) graphics card (ex. NVIDIA) – not integrated!
- Besides being more expensive, we do not recommend Apple especially because our instructors use a PC (and Revit is not supported on Macs.)
- While a 17 inch laptop is easier to see what you are designing, it would be too heavy to carry when visiting clients. Instead; we suggest a standard 15.6 inch screen and when working from home, you can opt for a secondary & larger 27” monitor (about $200).
- An (external) SSD drive to safely hold your projects and ensure that your computer does not get overloaded.
Design Alive has partnered with B&H Photo in NYC to handle all of these technical requirements and queries. They are a well-known and established company and are up-to-date with the most current specs and performance. Our contact is Boruch Berman and he can be reached at Boruchb@bhphoto.com. Please mention Design Alive when you send an email for his personal call back to select a machine that’s right for you (please do not call).
Here is a link to the current computers he currently suggests which are priced from low to high. Bear in mind that spending more money does not necessarily mean you are getting anything better and he will discuss this. Please feel free to do your own research for comparisons. (If this link becomes invalid then please let us know)
Please be aware that all class recordings, classwork and homework assignments are the property of Design Alive. No materials may be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, transferred, sold, used to create derivative works, performed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Design Alive.
All downloads (recordings and assignments) must be deleted from your computer within 6 months of completing the course.