Yash Deshmukh — Your Design Wingman.

Teaching

Visual Design Studio.

at the College of Information, University of Maryland

Overview

INST408V is a studio course offered at the University of Maryland that focuses on developing a strong foundation in visual design. The course introduces students to essential topics like hierarchy, typography, grids, color, and accessibility, combining theory with hands-on practice. The goal is to prepare students to create visually effective, user-centered designs while building confidence in their design decision-making process.

This course is designed to simulate a real-world design studio environment, where students not only learn core concepts but also put them into practice through projects and critiques. The emphasis is on creating professional, portfolio-ready work while helping students understand how to communicate visually in a structured, systematic way.

My Role

As a Graduate Student Instructor, I played a key role in shaping the student learning experience. I worked closely with the lead instructor to design and deliver course content, lead workshops, and facilitate discussions. I also ran critiques to help students evaluate their work and refine their ideas, giving actionable feedback to encourage growth. Beyond class time, I held office hours to provide one-on-one guidance for assignments, portfolios, and tool proficiency.

This role allowed me to practice and refine my skills as an educator and mentor while using my design expertise to create meaningful learning experiences. By balancing technical instruction with creative exploration, I aimed to help students feel confident in applying design principles in real-world contexts.

Course Curriculum

The curriculum was structured to build skills progressively, starting with foundational visual principles and moving toward advanced applications. Early sessions focused on core concepts like visual hierarchy, spacing, and alignment, giving students the tools they needed to analyze and structure designs effectively. We then transitioned to deep dives into typography, grids, and color theory, with an emphasis on accessibility and creating inclusive user experiences.

As the semester progressed, students applied these principles in increasingly complex projects. By the end of the course, they were able to design cohesive, polished layouts and interfaces, showcasing their growth as designers. Each class session included a mix of lectures, exercises, and critiques, ensuring that theory was always grounded in practice.

Full Slide Deck of the Colors Lecture built on Figma Slides

Activities & Approach

One of my priorities in this class was to create a dynamic learning environment that reflected industry workflows. We ran hands-on workshops where students experimented with type pairing, built modular grids, and practiced visual storytelling. Critique sessions became a central part of the course, with structured prompts that helped students provide and receive clear, constructive feedback.

To support these sessions, I designed modern and consistent slide decks in Figma, building a custom design system to ensure clarity and visual harmony. The materials were tailored to each topic and aligned with the course goals, making it easier for students to follow along and reference concepts throughout the semester. These resources became a core part of the student learning experience

Content Design

Every piece of course material was built in Figma to mirror professional design workflows. I developed a dedicated slide design system with consistent typography, grids, and components, making it easier to create visually cohesive content. This system allowed us to move quickly while maintaining a polished, engaging look that reflected the principles we were teaching.

This approach not only elevated the quality of the lectures but also demonstrated to students how a strong design system can simplify workflows and improve consistency. It was a teaching moment in itself, showing students how systems thinking can apply to visual design.

Outcomes

By the end of the semester, students had created a variety of polished design deliverables, including landing pages, app concepts, and visual identity systems. These projects demonstrated their ability to apply visual design principles thoughtfully, with improved attention to typography, spacing, and accessibility. Several students incorporated these works into their portfolios, which gave them a head start for internships and job opportunities.

One of the most rewarding parts of the course was seeing students grow in confidence and creativity. The projects reflected a clear progression in their ability to analyze design problems, experiment with solutions, and articulate their choices. This growth is a testament to their hard work and the studio-style learning environment we created.

Testimonials

Throughout the course, students shared positive feedback about their experience in the class. They appreciated the clarity of the briefs and the constructive feedback they received, which helped them iterate more effectively. Several mentioned that the typography sessions transformed the way they approached design, giving them tools they could immediately apply to their own work.

Hearing that students felt more confident in their design abilities was one of the highlights of teaching this class. It reaffirmed the importance of a structured, practice-based approach to visual design education and reinforced my own passion for teaching and mentorship.