1-Day Workshop · 22 May 2026 · Amara Singapore
Design Hacks gives non-designers the visual literacy to produce visual materials for communication — faster, without guesswork, and without needing a creative team on standby.
Fees (SGD, nett, per person)
GST not applicable · Govt billing via Vendors@Gov / InvoiceNow
What Past Participants Say
"Trainer was knowledgeable and provided relevant 'hacks' on how to get better design. I felt like I learnt a lot about design."
"Trainer is concise and clear in his delivery of training content. The design websites recommended by the trainer are very useful and extensive!"
"Easy to use and convenient to tap on resources. Useful hacks and sharing of online resources."
"I have used Canva slightly before and this course opened up more ideas and usage for me."
Why This Matters
Most professionals are expected to communicate visually. Very few receive any training on how to do it well. The gap shows — and it costs more than you realise.
When visual tasks pile onto the same few staff, it creates bottlenecks, delays, and resentment. Everyone else submits materials that look inconsistent — or just avoids the task entirely.
Most people can use PowerPoint or access Canva. Far fewer can use them well. Without understanding how humans perceive visuals, even polished templates can look amateurish after customisation.
A cluttered slide deck or a visually chaotic infographic signals carelessness — regardless of the quality of thinking behind it. First impressions in professional communication are visual, not verbal.
About This Workshop
Design Hacks is not a creative course. It is a practical, rule-based workshop that teaches non-designers the underlying logic of good visual communication — so they can apply it consistently, quickly, and independently.
You will learn what experienced designers know instinctively: why certain layouts feel clear, why some colour pairings work, how to guide the viewer's eye, and how to avoid the common mistakes that make materials look unprofessional.
Who Should Attend
No design background required. No prior Canva experience needed. What matters is that creating visuals is part of your work — and you want to do it better.
Programme Outline
Each module builds on the last — from the psychology of how people perceive visuals, to the specific decisions that determine whether your materials look professional or not.
How the human brain perceives and organises visual information — the foundation all good design is built on.
The visual vocabulary that every designer uses — applied practically so you can identify, replicate, and apply them.
Making confident, intentional choices about colour and images — the two elements most often mishandled by non-designers.
How text choices and layout structure shape whether your work is read as clear and professional — or cluttered and amateurish.
Good to Know
Our programme is not SkillsFuture funded. Here is why that works in your favour.
What You'll Gain
This workshop is measured not by what you sit through, but by what you walk away able to do independently — without creative support, without trial and error, and without starting from scratch every time.
Apply a consistent set of rules to any visual task — slides, infographics, social posts, internal communications — so your output looks deliberate rather than accidental.
Use Canva beyond templates. Customise layouts, work with colour palettes, manipulate images, and set up typography correctly — without breaking what works.
Walk away with a hand-picked set of design websites, image sources, icon libraries, and reference tools recommended by your trainer — ready to use immediately.
When you need to brief a designer or vendor, you'll know how to communicate what you want — reducing revision rounds and wasted time on both sides.
Stop bottlenecking visual tasks through one or two staff. Distribute design capability across your team and move faster on communications work.
Diagnose why a visual isn't working and make targeted corrections — rather than guessing, starting over, or accepting output that doesn't meet the standard.
Your Trainer
Eugene Chen is the Creative Director of ELEFANT, an award-winning brand, communications, and creative consulting agency. He is concurrently an Associate Principal Consultant at i1920, a strategy-based brand consultancy.
Over 23 years, Eugene has led branding, design, and advertising projects across the private and public sectors. His work includes the brand identity for the 1st Asian Youth Games — among numerous other campaigns developed for organisations across Singapore and the region.
Outside his practice, Eugene teaches Branding and Advertising at M.A.D. School and Orita Sinclair School of Design and Music, where he has served as Adjunct Lecturer for over 11 years. He also mentors students and entrepreneurs through two SMU-UOB enterprise and undergraduate programmes. Eugene is a registered ACLP 2.0 Certified Adult Educator.
What participants consistently note: Eugene teaches design as a discipline with rules and logic — not as a talent you either have or don't. That approach makes the learning immediately accessible, no matter your background.
Before You Register
Secure Your Place
22 May 2026 · Amara Singapore · 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
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