10-Day Online Course: Design Entrance Accelerator
Cracking NID, NIFT, UCEED, AIEED, CEED & Pearl Academy
Duration: 10 Days | 1 Hour per Day | Online Mode
Target Group: Students aspiring to join leading design institutes in India
Course Outcome: Students will gain practical skills, design awareness, and confidence to perform well in creative aptitude tests and interviews.
Day 1: Understanding Design Entrance Exams
- Overview of top design institutes: NID, NIFT, IIT (UCEED/CEED), AIEED, Pearl Academy
- Exam pattern comparison and weightage
- What “Design Aptitude” really means
- Myths and realities about design exams
Assignments: Analyse one past-year paper of any design exam
Day 2: Observation and Visual Thinking
- Training the eye: seeing details in everyday life
- Basics of visual storytelling and sketching ideas quickly
- Exercises on perception and proportion
Quick activity: Draw your morning routine using symbols and minimal lines
Day 3: Creative Thinking and Ideation
- Divergent vs. convergent thinking
- Creativity tests from past NID/NIFT papers
- How to think beyond the obvious
Brainstorming session: “Reimagine a classroom of the future”
Assignment: Create 3 thumbnail sketches for the idea
Day 4: Drawing, Sketching & Perspective Practice
- Fundamentals of line, shape, light, and shadow
- 1-point and 2-point perspective drawing
- Object sketching and human figure basics
Practice: Sketch a product from 3 different angles
Day 5: Design Awareness and Aesthetics
- Principles of design: balance, contrast, rhythm, unity, proportion
- Colour theory and composition
- Identifying good design examples from daily life
Quick test: Match brands with their design philosophies
Day 6: Logical Reasoning and Visual Analysis
- Analytical thinking, visual puzzles, and pattern recognition
- Memory-based and reasoning exercises from past exams
- Practice set: decoding shapes, symbols, and sequences
Group quiz (optional interactive session)
Day 7: Product & Problem-Solving Design
- How to approach product design questions
- Understanding user needs and empathy mapping
- Exercises: Redesign a household item for a differently-abled user
Assignment: Create a design solution in 3 steps (sketch + notes)
Day 8: General Awareness & Design Current Affairs
- Recent design trends in India and abroad
- Famous designers, brands, and innovations
Design in India: Handicrafts, sustainability, and new tech
Mini quiz: Identify icons, logos, and design movements
Day 9: Portfolio Building & Interview Preparation
- What makes a strong design portfolio
- Presenting ideas visually and verbally
- Preparing for personal interviews and studio tests
Exercise: Create a 3-slide digital mini-portfolio
Day 10: Mock Test & Feedback Session
- Full-length mock test covering all sections
- Live review and discussion of answers
- Personal feedback and improvement tips
Motivation & career guidance for final preparation
🧩 Teaching Methods
- Interactive live sessions
- Hands-on drawing and ideation exercises
- Daily creative assignments
- Short quizzes and visual puzzles
- Peer sharing and feedback
🎯 Expected Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will:
- Understand each exam’s unique structure and expectations
- Build confidence in sketching and creative problem-solving
- Develop stronger observation and ideation skills
- Be prepared for both written and interview stages
- Have a basic digital/physical portfolio ready