Stage 2 of 8 · 6 lessons · ~4 weeks

Design fundamentals AI does not replace

The skills that decide whether an AI image is usable: composition, visual hierarchy, colour, typography, contrast at small sizes and brand consistency.

Start: Hooks and the first second

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

Start with· follow one of these

GuideFree
Google Fonts Knowledge
Google Fonts · Beginner
Free, short lessons on choosing and using type, from Google Fonts: readable text on every asset
BookPaid
Refactoring UI
Adam Wathan and Steve Schoger · About $99
Practical rules for hierarchy, spacing, colour and contrast that apply straight to ads and thumbnails

Practise

Meta Ad Library
Pick three ads in one industry and rebuild them to learn their structure
Canva
Rebuild real ads and thumbnails with brand colours and fonts, then change one element at a time

Keep handy

Adobe Color palette generator
Build palettes from harmonies or a photo, and check contrast and colour-blind views before delivery

Also worth your time

Made to StickReadPaid
Why some ideas are remembered: simple, unexpected, concrete stories are what good hooks are made of
The Non-Designer's Design BookGo deeperPaid
Contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity: the four principles behind every clean layout

Before moving on: One product or brand rebuilt three ways: a square ad, a 16:9 thumbnail and a 4:5 social post, all with the same colours, fonts and image style, plus a short note on the hierarchy of each.

Tauseef's advice

Learn to design before you learn to generate. AI gives you an image; it does not decide where the eye lands, which words go on top or whether the brand still looks like itself. Recreate real ads and thumbnails you admire, then change one thing at a time and see what breaks.