AIFD CFD study plan

Categorize the major mechanical systems used in floral work (water-source methods, pin and frog holding, foam-free armatures, bindings, and wire support) and state which design types each one serves.

Build three practice pieces from scratch - a hand-tied spiral bouquet, a pin-held foam-free arrangement, and a tied armature centerpiece - then write a fault list for each one.

Match each element of design (line, form, space, texture, color, size) and each principle (balance, proportion, scale, rhythm, harmony, unity) to a specific decision made in the three builds.

Measure and justify proportion and scale in one container arrangement using explicit ratios rather than intuition.

Demonstrate the full conditioning sequence - harvest cut, stem prep, hydration, and holding solution - on at least six different stem types.

Distinguish woody, hollow, milky, and soft stem types and select the correct cut and conditioning treatment for each.

Assemble a vase-life test comparing treated versus untreated stems of the same species and record daily observations.

Execute one timed build under a 30-minute limit to begin building working speed.

Identify 40 commonly used floral species by both common and botanical name, without reference aids.

Diagnose the standard post-harvest disorders (bent neck, leaf yellowing, shattering, wilting, ethylene damage) and match each to its likely cause.

Compare holding solutions, hydrating solutions, and mechanical support as responses to specific stress symptoms.

Draft a receiving and storage routine covering temperature, humidity, sanitation, and rotation of stock.

Construct one arrangement for each of four color schemes: monochromatic, analogous, complementary, and split-complementary.

Explain hue, value, saturation, and temperature, and describe how each shifts the visual weight of an arrangement.

Evaluate each of the four builds against the design principles and revise the weakest one.

Complete a timed cumulative review across Domains 1, 2, 3, and 4 with a written error log.

Apply the standard proportion guidance for distributing color mass across a design and test it against your week-4 builds.

Distinguish advancing from receding colors and use them deliberately to control focal point and depth.

Assess how lighting conditions change perceived color in finished work and adjust palette choices accordingly.

Critique your own prior work for color errors using a fixed four-question checklist.

Build a full cost sheet for a real or simulated event, capturing product, labor hours, overhead, and waste.

Calculate a defensible retail price using cost-plus and margin-based methods, and compare the two results.

Draft the core clauses of a client agreement covering scope, revisions, delivery, cancellation, and liability.

Outline the insurance, licensing, and record-keeping obligations that apply to a floral business in your jurisdiction.

Practice a client consultation script covering budget discovery, style elicitation, and expectation setting, and record your own performance.

Diagnose your three weakest sub-topics from all prior weeks and build targeted drills for each.

Rehearse one full proposal-to-delivery workflow under time pressure, including a mechanics build.

Refine your pricing and agreement drafts using feedback from the timed rehearsal.

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test conditions and score them honestly.

Review every missed item and classify each error as knowledge gap, misreading, or time pressure.

Re-drill only the highest-frequency error categories until they are clean.

Assemble a one-page pre-exam reference sheet of your remaining fragile facts.