9th Grade 32 lessons
Unit 0: CTE Onboarding & Career Readiness 3
Unit 1: The Client & The Designer 4
Unit 2: Understanding Digital Images 4
Unit 3: Elements & Principles of Design Studio 13
- Lesson 12: How to Talk About Design: Critique Language & the Growth Mindset 2 Days
- Lesson 13: Elements & Principles of Design: Line 2 Days
- Lesson 14: Elements & Principles of Design: Shape & Form 2 Days
- Lesson 15: Elements & Principles of Design: Color 2 Days
- Lesson 16: Elements & Principles of Design: Value 2 Days
- Lesson 17: Elements & Principles of Design: Texture 2 Days
- Lesson 18: Elements & Principles of Design: Space & Perspective 2 Days
- Lesson 19: Elements & Principles of Design: Pattern 2 Days
- Lesson 20: Elements & Principles of Design: Rhythm & Movement 2 Days
- Lesson 21: Elements & Principles of Design: Proportion & Scale 2 Days
- Lesson 22: Elements & Principles of Design: Balance 2 Days
- Lesson 23: Elements & Principles of Design: Emphasis 2 Days
- Lesson 24: Elements & Principles of Design: Unity 2 Days
Unit 3.5: Extension & Enrichment (Optional) 6
- Lesson 25: Typography Deep-Dive: Hand-Lettering & Poster Design 2 Days
- Lesson 26: Design & History: How Ancient Civilizations Used Symbols and Design 2 Days
- Lesson 27: Redesign Challenge: Applying Peer Feedback 2 Days
- Lesson 28: Client Simulation: A Full Mini-Project 2 Days
- Lesson 29: Vocabulary & Concept Review Game Day 2 Days
- Lesson 30: Designing for Everyone: An Intro to Accessibility 2 Days
Unit 4: Bringing It Together 2
10th Grade 27 lessons
Unit 5: Welcome to Year Two 1
Unit 6: Intro to 3D Design 1
Unit 7: Meet Photoshop (Before You Touch It) 1
Unit 8: Getting Comfortable in Photoshop 1
Unit 9: Photoshop Production Projects 5
Unit 9.5: Extension & Enrichment (Optional) 6
- Lesson 10: Photo Manipulation Challenge: Surreal Composite 2 Days
- Lesson 11: Typography Poster Remix 2 Days
- Lesson 12: Intro to Illustrator: Getting Started 2 Days
- Lesson 13: Peer Critique & Revision Sprint 2 Days
- Lesson 14: Career Connections: Meet a Working Designer 2 Days
- Lesson 15: Intro to Motion: Animated GIFs in Photoshop 2 Days
Unit 10: Sharing Your Work 1
Unit 11: Certification Prep 1
Unit 12: Going Further 10
- Lesson 18: The ACP Exam: Take It For Real 1 Day
- Lesson 19: Intro to Video: Your First Timeline Edit 4 Days
- Lesson 20: Deeper Illustrator: A Personal Mark or Logo 3 Days
- Lesson 21: Passion Project: Design Something You Actually Want 5 Days
- Lesson 22: Passion Project Critique & Revision 2 Days
- Lesson 23: Career Deep-Dive: Matching Yourself to a Path 2 Days
- Lesson 24: Expanding Your Portfolio Website 3 Days
- Lesson 25: Design History Preview: One Movement, One Reinterpretation 3 Days
- Lesson 26: Adding Motion: Your First Keyframe Animation 2 Days
- Lesson 27: Second-Year Send-Off: Portfolio Review & Summer Plan 3 Days
11th Grade 44 lessons
Unit A: Foundations β The Design Process & Purpose 5
- Lesson 1: Design Is Art With a Purpose 1 Day
- Lesson 2: The Design Process: A Tool You'll Use Again and Again 2 Days
- Lesson 3: Understanding Your Audience: Research Methods & Personas 2 Days
- Lesson 4: Copyright & Licensing for Professionals 2 Days
- Lesson 5: Color Theory Deep-Dive: Psychology, Culture & Accessibility 2 Days
Unit B: A Brief History of Design 7
- Lesson 6: Before Print: Symbols, Seals & the Golden Ratio 2 Days
- Lesson 7: The Printing Press & the Birth of Typography 2 Days
- Lesson 8: The Industrial Revolution & the Birth of Advertising 2 Days
- Lesson 9: Art Nouveau & the War Poster 2 Days
- Lesson 10: Bauhaus & Modernism: Form Follows Function 2 Days
- Lesson 11: The Swiss Style & the Grid System 2 Days
- Lesson 12: Counterculture to Today: Psychedelia, Punk & Current Trends 2 Days
Unit C: Typography Mastery 3
Unit D: Photoshop Mastery & ACP Exam Prep 6
- Lesson 16: Non-Destructive Editing: Smart Objects & Adjustment Layers 2 Days
- Lesson 17: Advanced Selections & Compositing 2 Days
- Lesson 18: Vector Shapes & the Pen Tool, Round 2 2 Days
- Lesson 19: Filters, Retouching & Photo Restoration 2 Days
- Lesson 20: Preparing Files for Print, Web & Video Export 2 Days
- Lesson 21: ACP Practice Exam & Personal Review Plan 2 Days
Unit E: Client Projects 3
Unit E.5: Extension & Enrichment (Optional) 7
- Lesson 25: Design Trend Spotlight: Researching Today's Design World 2 Days
- Lesson 26: Illustrator Deep-Dive: Building a Vector Icon Set 2 Days
- Lesson 27: Client Simulation: Rebranding Challenge 2 Days
- Lesson 28: Running a Focus Group: Testing Design on a Real Audience 2 Days
- Lesson 29: Mock Interview & Career Pitch 2 Days
- Lesson 30: ACP Vocabulary Bootcamp Review Game 2 Days
- Lesson 31: Writing a Process Narrative for Your Portfolio 2 Days
Unit F: PBAT & Portfolio 4
Unit G: Beyond the PBAT 9
- Lesson 36: What's Next: Previewing 12th Grade's Design Studio 1 Day
- Lesson 37: Specialization Intensive: Motion, UX, or 3D 4 Days
- Lesson 38: Real Client Project: A Second Full Brief 5 Days
- Lesson 39: Client Presentation & Sign-Off 2 Days
- Lesson 40: Building a Specialist Portfolio Page 2 Days
- Lesson 41: Design Career Deep-Dive: Applying to the Careers Hub 2 Days
- Lesson 42: Peer Teaching: A Mini-Workshop for Underclassmen 2 Days
- Lesson 43: Motion Graphics Deep Dive: Keyframing a Title Animation 2 Days
- Lesson 44: Rising Senior Send-Off: Portfolio Lock & Summer Plan 2 Days
12th Grade 43 lessons
Phase 1, Unit Y1: Kickoff & Planning Systems 3
Phase 1, Unit Y2: Content Collection 3
Phase 1, Unit Y3: Layout Production 2
Phase 1, Unit Y4: Proofing & Print 3
Phase 2, Unit S1: Studio Orientation 3
Phase 2, Unit S2: Real Client Work 3
Phase 2, Unit S3: Production Skills 3
Unit S3.5: Extension & Enrichment (Optional) 6
- Lesson 21: Print Shop Partnership: Working with an External Vendor 2 Days
- Lesson 22: Design for Social Media: School Announcements & Promotion 2 Days
- Lesson 23: Mini Job Sprint: A Quick-Turnaround Request 2 Days
- Lesson 24: Team Leadership Rotation: Running the Studio for a Day 2 Days
- Lesson 25: Studio Systems Retrospective: What Should We Improve? 2 Days
- Lesson 26: Packaging & Handoff: Preparing Files a Client Can Actually Use 2 Days