Finally Understand AI. And Actually Use It.
Stop guessing where to start. In six practical lessons, you'll learn what AI actually is, which tools are worth using, how to get consistently better results, and how to build AI into your design workflow with confidence.
The AI foundation every designer needs.
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google · 8,500+ designers trained · Trusted by NCIDQ · ASID · IDCEC
WHO'S INSIDE
Who is AI Fundamentals for?
If AI feels exciting, but also overwhelming, you don't need another list of tools. You need a foundation. This course shows you how AI actually works so every future tool becomes easier to learn.
✓
Designers Who Haven't Started Yet
You know AI matters, but every platform feels like another thing to learn. Start with the fundamentals and skip months of confusion.
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Designers Who Tried and Stalled
You've experimented, gotten inconsistent results, and wondered what everyone else seems to know. Learn why AI isn't working and how to fix it.
✓
Firm Owners & Principals
Stop paying for tools your team doesn't use. Create a shared AI foundation so everyone works faster, more consistently, and more responsibly.
✓
Before You Buy Another AI Tool
Learn how to evaluate AI tools before spending another dollar—and discover which subscriptions you may already be paying for twice.
6 video lessons · Notion learning guide with action steps, worksheets and prompts for every lesson · one payment of $197
LESS SCROLLING. MORE DOING.
Why the fundamentals are the whole game
Most designers don't struggle because AI is complicated. They struggle because no one taught them how AI actually works, which tools solve which problems, or how to communicate effectively with it.
Know What You're Working With
Understand how AI thinks, what it's good at, where it makes mistakes, and what should always be verified before anything reaches a client.
Pick the Right Tool, Skip the Rest
Stop chasing every new AI launch. Build a practical toolkit that solves real design problems instead of collecting subscriptions.
Get Better Output Every Time
No more rewriting prompts over and over. Use one repeatable framework that helps you get useful results faster across every chatbot.
INTRODUCING
The AI Fundamentals Course
The foundation every other AI course assumes you already have.
What's Included
When you join, you get instant access to:
✓ 6 step-by-step video lessons designed to be watched in order
✓ Complete Notion learning guide with prompts, implementation checklists, resources, and action steps for every lesson.
✓ AI Brief Prompt Framework — the exact six-part framework you'll use for writing better prompts.
✓ Workflow mapping worksheet — identify repetitive work you can automate immediately.
✓ Firm context builder— let AI interview you and generate a reusable business profile for future conversations.
✓ Sample AI policy & client contract language you can adapt for your own firm.
✓ Lifetime access — go at your own pace, revisit any lesson at any time
✓ 1:1 email support whenever you have questions
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The Curriculum
Six practical lessons, completed in order. Each ends with a real implementation task, so by the end of the course you'll have AI integrated into your daily workflow—not just a notebook full of ideas.
Lessons 1 & 2: Getting Oriented
Build the right foundation before touching prompts. You'll learn how AI actually works, why it sometimes gets things wrong, and the key concepts every designer should understand before using it with client work.
Lessons
- Welcome & Course Navigation
- What AI Actually Is
📄Worksheets Included: Notion Learning Guide
Lesson 3: Choosing the Right AI Tool for the Job
Stop wasting money on AI subscriptions you'll never use. Learn the five categories of AI tools every designer should know, how to evaluate new platforms in minutes, and how to confidently choose the right tool for every job.
You'll cover
- Why some AI platforms are worth paying for—and others aren't
- The five-question framework I use before buying any AI tool
- Which skills and AI tools will still matter two years from now
📄Worksheets Included: AI Tool Comparison Guide & Tool Evaluation Checklist
Lesson 4: Prompting Fundamentals
Learn my proven AI Brief framework so you can consistently get higher-quality responses with fewer revisions.
You'll cover
- What to attach instead of describing everything
- Why working in stages beats one giant prompt
- How to troubleshoot generic, inaccurate, or made-up responses
📄Worksheets Included: The AI Brief Prompt Framework
Lesson 5: Integrating AI Into Your Design Practice
This is where AI starts saving real time. You'll learn how to redesign repetitive work into AI-powered workflows so every project becomes faster than the last.
You'll cover
- My workflow mapping worksheet
- A complete client onboarding workflow—from manual to AI-assisted
- The four workflow upgrades that create compound time savings
📄Worksheets Included: Workflow Mapping Exercise & Firm Context Builder
Lesson 6: Using AI Responsibly
Learn how to use AI confidently without putting your firm, your clients, or your reputation at risk.
You'll cover
- Privacy settings every designer should change before using AI with client work
- How to label AI concepts, renderings, and photography ethically
- Sample AI policies and contract language you can customize for your firm
📄Templates Included: Sample AI Policy & Client Contract Clauses
FITS HOW YOU ALREADY WORK
Tool-agnostic by design.
Skills that transfer
Learn principles instead of platform menus, so your skills continue working as AI tools continue to evolve.
Buy less. Use more.
Most designers already own tools they aren't using, and pay twice for ones they are. You'll take stock of your stack before adding anything to it.
No Tech Background Required
Built for interior designers by an interior designer. Plain language, real design examples, and clear action steps at the end of every lesson.
DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT
★★★★★ 5.0 from designers already learning AI with me
★★★★★
"The best money I have ever spent for my business. Stacy is an amazing teacher and the course is concise, extremely well organized, and easy to follow with plenty of action items along the way."
— Erica Galles, via Google
★★★★★
"Stacy is phenomenal! She led a session at our commercial design event and a private training for our team — and it completely shifted how our designers think about AI."
— Chelsea McGowan, via Google
★★★★★
"Packed with great information and formatted in a clear, smooth, easy-to-follow format. Not overwhelming, and I love that you can revisit the course any time."
— Jodi Mason, Local Guide via Google
★★★★★
"Excellent training! It's fun and Stacy makes it easy to understand. I would highly recommend this course to any designer who wants to keep up."
— Kathy Selvidge Tonner, RID, via Google
WHY LEARN AI FROM ME
Not another AI educator—a designer who speaks your language.
Over the past three years, I've tested hundreds of AI tools, trained more than 8,500 interior designers, worked with firms across the industry, and built AI workflows used every day in real design practice.
Before founding The Intelligent Designer, I spent over a decade in commercial interiors and later led AI strategy globally at Steelcase
This course isn't theoretical. It's the foundation I've developed after seeing exactly where designers get stuck, what creates the biggest breakthroughs, and how to help firms adopt AI with confidence.
— Stacy Thorwart, Founder, The Intelligent Designer
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
I've never used AI before. Is this course right for me?
Which AI tool does this course teach?
How is this different from your Claude Foundations course?
Does this course teach AI renderings and image generation?
How long does the course take to complete?
Will this work for decorators, stagers and studio teams?
What if AI changes after I purchase?
What's your refund policy?
JOIN TODAY
Stop feeling behind on AI. Start using it properly.
✓ Lifetime access · ✓ 1:1 email support · ✓ Notion learning guide · ✓ One-time payment of $197
HOW TO PURCHASE
One seat, or seats for multiple designers
- Need seats for more than one designer? Set the quantity needed below — $197 each.
- Paste each designer's name and email in the field at checkout, or email me. Each designer receives their own login.
BEST VALUE
Upgrade to the All-Access Hub
Get instant access to the full library of AI courses plus the private student community (2K+ designers inside) for $397/year. Buy this course today and your $197 is credited toward the membership, so you can upgrade now or later and only pay the difference.