STEER Academy is an international online academy specialising exclusively in retail design and visual merchandising. All courses are developed and taught by Diana Paiva, a certified retail design specialist with 16 years of professional field experience working with international brands. The Academy offers structured, self-paced programmes built from real retail practice — not theory alone.
STEER Academy currently offers two professional courses: Store Design and Merchandising (Level 1 Foundation) and Mastering Visual Merchandising (Level 2 Advanced). Both are also available together as The Complete Program. Two new specialist modules — AI Tools for Visual Merchandising and Immersive Corners In-Store — are launching in August 2026.
Yes. The Store Design and Merchandising course is also available on Udemy. The content is identical. The difference is that on STEER Academy you become part of our student community, receive direct instructor support, and have access to course updates and future programme communications.

Each course includes structured video lessons, practical assignments with individual instructor feedback, downloadable resources and a professional certificate of completion. Lessons range from 1 to 16 minutes and can be paused, rewatched and completed at any pace.
Yes. The first lessons of each course are available as free previews. You can watch them from the course page without enrolling.
Store Design and Merchandising (Level 1) is designed for anyone entering the field — no prior experience is required. Mastering Visual Merchandising (Level 2) is designed for professionals with some existing knowledge who want to develop a more strategic and measurable VM practice. Each course page specifies the level clearly.
No. All courses are fully self-paced with no deadlines. Once enrolled, you have lifetime access to all materials and can complete the course at your own pace.

Go to the course page, click Enroll Now, and complete the payment.
You will have immediate access and receive confirmation by email.
Yes. The platform works on desktop, tablet and mobile. You can learn from any device at any time.
Yes. If you have already enrolled in one course and would like to add the other at a combined price, contact us at hello@steer.academy. We will arrange access to the second course at the price difference - you will not pay again for the course you already have.

Yes. Upon completing all lessons and required assignments, you receive a professional certificate of completion from STEER Academy. If you enroll in The Complete Program, you receive two separate certificates — one for each course. Certificates are issued after individual verification of all required work.
STEER Academy is not an accredited institution. Our courses are developed and taught by a certified instructor with 16 years of professional experience in retail design and visual merchandising. The certificates are professional credentials recognised in the industry.

We accept credit and debit cards, Stripe and PayPal. All transactions are secure and encrypted. All prices are listed in US Dollars (USD) and will be automatically converted to your local currency at checkout. If you prefer to pay in Euros, you can do so via PayPal.
Yes. If your enrollment is being funded by your employer, contact us at hello@steer.academy before completing your purchase. We will issue a formal invoice for company payment processing.

Yes. We offer a 7-day refund on all courses, provided you have completed less than 20% of the course content. To request a refund, contact us at hello@steer.academy within 7 days of your purchase date.
Course refunds apply as described above. The following are non-refundable: e-books, PDFs, templates, digital downloads and one-time live workshops.
Refunds cover the course price minus any processing, conversion or platform fees charged by Squarespace, Stripe, PayPal or your bank. These fees are set by the payment provider and cannot be returned.
Your access to the course is removed immediately once the refund is processed.

Yes. All enrolled students have access to the STEER Academy student community. Direct support and assignment feedback from the course instructor is available through the platform.
You can reach us at hello@steer.academy or through the contact form on the website. We typically respond within 24 hours on working days.