What We Study

The Intensive teaches the fundamentals of interface and visual design: hierarchy, composition, typography, color, and standard interface elements. Participants learn how to assemble a mockup in Figma from pre-made components, how to turn it into a clickable prototype, and how to quickly generate a screen draft or a working prototype using AI tools based on a text description.The practice is based on personal assignments: each student visualizes an idea from their own work—a new feature, report, service, or page. The outcome is a prototype that can be presented to a team, client, or users, along with a checklist for reviewing any mockup.

Context

In small teams and startups, one person often juggles multiple roles: the product manager sketches initial screens, the analyst defines how a report should look, and the developer assembles the interface themselves. It is easier to discuss and validate an idea when you can show it rather than describe it with words. AI tools and services that generate interfaces from text prompts have made this process more accessible, but without a foundation in design principles, the resulting output tends to be overwhelming and unclear. What is missing is not a tool, but an understanding of how interfaces, hierarchy, and composition work. This intensive provides that foundation and teaches you how to leverage AI to quickly achieve a clean and understandable result.

Who Is This For

— Product managers and analysts who need to pitch an idea to a team or client without waiting for a designer. — Developers and members of small teams where one person assumes multiple roles. — Marketers and specialists who need to professionally design pages, banners, and presentations.

Prerequisites

— Knowledge: No specialized design knowledge is required. — Skills: Confidence in using a computer and web services. — Equipment: A laptop with a camera and microphone, an account in Figma, and an account in one AI interface-building service (such as Lovable, Bolt, v0, or Figma Make), and a concept or task from your own work. Free tiers are insufficient.

Duration and Format

Intensive, 2 weeks, fully online.— Sessions: 4 meetings, 3 hours each: 12 astronomical hours, equivalent to 16 academic hours. — Self-Study: Approximately 3 hours per week: 6 astronomical hours, equivalent to 8 academic hours. — Total: Approximately 24 academic hours.All sessions are held online via video conferencing: the instructor demonstrates work using screen tools and reviews participants' mockups. Materials include: a mockup review checklist, a library of ready-made components in Figma, and request templates for AI tools.

Thematic Plan

1. Fundamentals of Visual Design: hierarchy, composition, grid, typography, and color.
2. Building Interfaces from Pre-made Blocks: typical screen elements, components, and templates in Figma.
3. From Mockup to Prototype: creating a clickable prototype in Figma and assembly using AI tools based on descriptions.
4. Practical Work on Own Projects: idea visualization and analysis of final assignments.

After completing the intensive, students will be able to

1. Evaluate a mockup using a checklist and identify errors.
2. Establish hierarchy and composition, selecting fonts and colors appropriate for the task.
3. Assemble screens in Figma from pre-made components.
4. Create a clickable prototype to demonstrate an idea.
5. Construct a mockup or prototype based on a description using AI tools and validate the result.

Assignments (Assessment Components)

1. Analyzing three existing interfaces or mockups using the checklist.
2. Defining the typography, color palette, and grid system for your project.
3. Key screens of your idea, assembled in Figma using components.
4. A clickable prototype in Figma.
5. A prototype version generated by an AI tool based on a description, along with a comparison to the original mockup.

Final Project

A prototype of your own idea—a function, service, report, or page—created in both Figma and an AI tool, accompanied by a brief explanation of the design decisions. The defense will be held online, lasting 5 minutes.Evaluation Criteria: The idea is clear without explanation; the hierarchy and composition are well-structured; the prototype is functional; the design decisions are justified.

Project Example

This will be provided following the pilot cohort.