Practical Project Management by The Futur

The Futur Practical Project Management is an online course by Matthew Encina, with Ben Burns, about keeping creative projects organised from the first client meeting to the final handover. It contains more than 70 video classes covering the whole process from onboarding to delivery, including how to delegate. It also includes email templates, a work approval form, an after-action review sheet and a bonus. The course is rated beginner level with no prerequisites, and it costs $199 as a one-time purchase.

Good design work can still go wrong when deadlines slip, approvals are vague or nobody is sure who is doing what. This course treats project management as a creative skill in its own right, rather than as admin. Within The Futur's catalogue it is the course that deals with the day-to-day running of jobs once the client has said yes, which the pricing, negotiation and portfolio courses do not cover.

What You Will Learn

The course follows a project through its life and gives you documents to use at each stage.

• How to onboard a new client and set the project up well
• How to plan and track work from the start of a job through to delivery
• How to delegate tasks to collaborators or team members
• How to use email templates for routine client communication
• How to get clear sign-off with a work approval form
• How to review a finished project with an after-action review sheet, so the next one goes better

Who Is The Futur Practical Project Management For?

The official page lists students, freelancers, creative directors and studio owners. Because the level is beginner and there are no prerequisites, The Futur Practical Project Management suits anyone who has started to juggle several projects or clients and feels the strain.

For freelancers it offers structure for working alone; for studio owners and creative directors, the material on delegation is likely to matter most. It is not a course on any particular project management software, and it does not teach design skills.

Course Structure

The official page describes the course as covering the full journey from onboarding to delivery, delivered in more than 70 video classes:

• Onboarding: starting a project and a client relationship on a clear footing
• Running the project: keeping work on track through to delivery
• Delegation: handing tasks to others without losing control
• Communication: email templates for common situations
• Approvals: a work approval form for client sign-off
• Review: an after-action review sheet for learning from each project
• Bonus: additional material included with the course

The page does not give a total running time, so check it if you want to plan your study time.

Price and Access

The course costs $199 as a one-time purchase on The Futur's website. That is in the middle of the company's price range, similar to Stylescapes and Brand Strategy Fundamentals, and far below the $1,499 Painless Pricing course.

The facts we checked do not state the access period or refund terms, so read the official page before buying.

About the Instructors

Matthew Encina is an award-winning creative director working across branding, interactive and video for Fortune 500 brands, music artists and video games, with more than ten years at studios in Los Angeles. Ben Burns, who joins him on the course, is a designer, entrepreneur and author, a co-founder of Maker Division and the lead on Watson software.

Things to Consider

• Apply it to a live job: the templates and forms are most useful if you try them on a current project while you watch.
• Many short classes: with more than 70 videos, it is easy to dip in and watch the part you need; you do not have to finish in order.
• Pick your tools: the course is about process, so you can use whatever task or calendar app you already have.
• Delegation: if you are about to hire a freelancer or your first employee, prioritise those classes.
• Related courses: Painless Pricing and How To Negotiate deal with winning and pricing work; this course deals with delivering it.
• Check the page: confirm the current price and what the bonus contains on the official course page.

Start the Course

Interested in learning with The Futur?

Start Practical Project Management

For the full syllabus and pricing, visit the official The Futur website.

Looking for more ways to learn? Browse all courses and learning resources on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: November 9, 2026