Sand-Vine Design Academy · Lagos, Nigeria
A working studio teaching the craft it practises. One focused cohort opens every month, plus short one-off classes on modern graphic design — AI-assisted workflows, brand systems and the fundamentals that never went out of style.
Two ways to learn
A monthly cohort if you want to go deep with a group. A one-off class if you want a single skill, fast.
At the start of each month we announce that month's cohort — a single discipline, taught live over four weeks with a small group. Seats are limited so everyone gets feedback on their own work.
Standalone sessions on how graphic design is actually practised today — AI in the workflow, designing for feeds and screens, building systems instead of one-off files. No commitment, no prerequisites.
The calendar
One cohort opens each month. When a month fills, the next one opens — so there is always a way in.
From blank canvas to a full marketing kit — social graphics, decks, posters and the Pro features most people never find.
Design and ship a real, professional site using AI tooling — layout, copy, imagery and launch. No coding required.
Build an identity end to end: marks, palettes, type systems and a guideline document a client can actually use.
Scroll-stopping content for Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok — grid planning, motion basics and designing for engagement.
The enduring craft — magazines, covers, packaging and stationery, with real prepress discipline.
Give your work a heartbeat — animated logos, looping graphics, thumbnails and short social motion.
Each month's class is announced on the 1st. Join the notify list below and we'll email you the moment enrolment opens.
Short & standalone
Single sessions on how graphic design is practised right now. Run regularly and announced as they are scheduled.
Where AI genuinely helps and where it quietly ruins the work. Build a prompt and asset workflow you can defend to a client.
Scale, rhythm, contrast and pairing — the decisions that separate a competent layout from one people actually want to read.
Stop redrawing the same button. Build components, tokens and templates so the next project starts at 60%.
Animate a logo, build a looping social graphic and export it properly — using tools that need no developer background.
Bring three pieces. Leave with a case study structure, a tighter edit and honest notes on what is holding your work back.
Quoting, scoping, revisions and saying no. The business half of design that nobody teaches in school.
The curriculum
Every monthly cohort draws from one of these. Over a year, the calendar covers all six.
Track 01
Marks, palettes, type systems and guidelines — identities that hold up across every surface.
Track 02
Layout, UI patterns, landing pages and shipping a site with modern AI-assisted tooling.
Track 03
Grids, series design, ad creative and content that survives contact with a real feed.
Track 04
Editorial layout, covers, packaging and stationery — with prepress that does not embarrass you.
Track 05
Logo animation, looping graphics, thumbnails and presentation motion for social and web.
Track 06
Custom marks, character work, scene illustration, pattern and hand-lettering.
Join a class
Tell us where you are and what you want to make. We'll point you to the cohort or one-off class that fits — and let you know the moment it opens.
Before you ask
Each month's cohort is announced on the 1st, and one-off masterclasses are announced as they are scheduled. Apply above and we'll email you directly — or follow @sandvinecontractors, where every class goes up the same day.
No. Every cohort is structured so a complete beginner can follow, while working designers get the depth they came for. The application asks about your level so we can place you well.
All sessions are taught live online so you can ask questions and get your work reviewed. Every session is recorded and stays available to enrolled students, so a missed evening is not a missed class.
A cohort runs four weeks with a group, a full brief and individual feedback — it changes how you work. A one-off is a single session on one specific skill. Many students do a masterclass first, then commit to a cohort.
Mostly free or freemium tools — Canva's free tier, AI tools with free access, and standard web design platforms. A laptop or desktop is strongly recommended. We tell you exactly what to install before day one.
Yes. Complete a cohort and you receive a Sand-Vine Design Academy certificate — designed by the studio, and specific about what you actually built. Alumni also keep access to future recordings.