Imagine: you're launching an original online academy on AI and neural networks. You have a strong course program, a charismatic author, and an audience ready to pay. The one thing missing is a platform where students can learn, submit assignments, and manage their subscription. And you need it yesterday.
That's exactly the challenge Boris — founder of AIdsgn — brought to us. We had just 9 days to build it, with nothing but a finished Figma design and a desire to stay independent from traditional LMS platforms with their limitations and monthly fees.
Problem: off-the-shelf LMS platforms didn't fit the product
AIdsgn is a hybrid product: a one-time payment for the "AI Creator" course plus a recurring subscription to a platform with prompts, styles, LoRAs, and AI-generated materials. No existing LMS could handle this model:
- GetCourse and similar — high commission, inflexible payment flows, no way to gift a subscription trial with a course purchase - Enterprise LMS — too much bloat, long integration time, PWA not supported out of the box - SaaS builders — locked into the platform's logic, no way to customize trial accrual or billing date recalculation
We needed to build a custom solution: fast, with a native mobile app feel, independent of any third-party LMS service.
Task
Build a student personal account for the online academy in PWA format within 9 days of signing the contract.
The platform had to cover:
- Registration and login with secure sessions via Redis - Three pricing tiers with different module access: "Basic", "Pro", "With Us Hand in Hand" - Video lessons via the Kinescope player - Assignment submission with file uploads via Filepond - Final projects based on real company briefs - Custom Cloudpayments logic: purchasing the course automatically activates a free trial subscription to the platform; if a subscription already exists, the system shifts the next billing date accordingly
The curator works directly in SeaTable: reviews assignments, manages content and users. Student feedback is handled manually via Telegram.
Solution: a custom LMS built on a low-code stack
We didn't force the product into someone else's platform. Instead, we assembled a custom LMS engine from proven low-code tools: frontend on Tilda with a PWA wrapper, all business logic in n8n, database and CMS in SeaTable, session and course structure cache in Redis, video in Kinescope, payments via Cloudpayments. The platform runs with the same speed and reliability as a SaaS LMS — but is fully owned by the client.
Example: Timur's journey from payment to diploma
Timur visits the AIdsgn landing page, selects the "Pro" plan for 99 000 ₽, and pays by card through the Cloudpayments widget. n8n receives the successful payment notification and within 2-3 seconds:
- Creates Timur's account in SeaTable, assigns the "Pro" tier - Unlocks access to two modules: "AI Creator" and "Static Content Generation" - Activates a free 6-month trial subscription to "AIdsgn Platform" (prompts, styles, LoRAs), records the next billing date — 22.07.2028 - Sends an email with the login and a temporary password
Timur logs into his personal account — n8n verifies the password, opens a session, and lets the user in. On the account dashboard — four cards: "Course", "Platform", "Student Chat", "Channel with Us". Progress — 0/3 lessons completed.
He opens the first module "AI Creator", starts the lesson "Who is an AI Creator and what problems do they solve", watches the video in the Kinescope player, downloads a PDF with key skills. After the lesson he submits his assignment: writes a description and attaches a PDF via the Filepond widget. The file is automatically saved in SeaTable and linked to Timur and the specific lesson. A notification goes to the curators' Telegram channel: "New assignment for review".
The curator opens SeaTable, reviews the work, sets the status to "Accepted" and writes feedback. Timur returns to his account — the lesson is marked with a green checkmark, the module is completed. In 6 months, Cloudpayments will automatically charge the first subscription payment. Timur has long forgotten about the trial, but uses the platform every day.
AIdsgn personal account main page with Course, Platform, Student Chat and Channel with Us cards
Stack
Tilda — frontend: account dashboard, module, lesson, pricing, and final project pages. Built from a ready Figma layout, interactive behavior driven by custom scripts calling the n8n API.
n8n — backend and all business logic: authentication, session validation, course structure delivery, processing Cloudpayments notifications, calculating trials and billing date shifts, receiving assignments, sending Telegram notifications to curators.
SeaTable — the database where students, plans, modules, lessons, assignments, and payments are stored. The curator works directly in this table — no separate admin panel needed.
Redis — fast cache: stores active sessions and the course structure so account pages load in 1-2 seconds even under peak traffic.
Kinescope — video hosting: the course author uploads videos themselves, adds only the video ID to SeaTable, n8n passes it to the frontend, Tilda assembles the player. Videos are protected from downloading.
Filepond + n8n — custom assignment upload module: students drag and drop PDF/DOC/DOCX/PNG/JPG files up to 20 MB, see a progress bar, and the file is automatically saved in SeaTable linked to the specific student and lesson.
Cloudpayments — payment processing: one-time course payments and recurring subscriptions with flexible billing date management.
Docker + SSL — all server components (n8n, SeaTable, Redis) are deployed in isolated containers on the client's own server, protected by SSL certificates and closed from external access.
Core platform features
Account dashboard and course navigation
After logging in, the student lands on the account dashboard. At the top — a large "AI CREATOR" banner with a dynamic counter: "2 modules · course · 3 lessons". Below — four color-coded section cards: "Course" with a progress bar of completed lessons, "Platform" (subscription access to prompts and styles), "Student Chat" (Telegram group), "Channel with Us" (support). The AIdsgn design cards are bold — black, green, grey, yellow — immediately setting the academy's tone: tech aesthetics and AI as a creative tool.
Below — the list of course modules. Each module is a card with a description, learning outcome, and a "Go to module" button. Modules outside the student's tier are visually hidden or marked as "unavailable". This solves a classic LMS problem where students see paid content they can't access — here they only see what they've bought.
Personal account main page: four section cards with AIdsgn's custom color palette
Module and lesson pages
Each module is a dedicated page with a lesson list, video duration, and completion status. Students see their progress in real time: completed lessons have a green checkmark, the current one is in focus, locked ones are dimmed.
The page layout feels like an editorial longread: large typography, bright decorative blocks (yellow, green, violet), cards with video previews. This is not a utility LMS list — it's a brand page that continues AIdsgn's visual identity inside the account. Students learn and experience the brand aesthetic simultaneously — important for a design-focused audience.
Course module list with detailed descriptions and navigation buttons for each module
AI Creator module page with a large heading and list of lessons
Lesson card with video preview and title Who is an AI Creator and what problems do they solve
Kinescope video player and lesson materials
Inside each lesson — an embedded Kinescope player. The course author uploads and updates videos in Kinescope without involving a developer: just enter the video ID in SeaTable and the player updates automatically. Videos are protected from downloading.
Below the player — a supplementary materials block: PDF summaries and file links. Each link is stored in SeaTable and updated in one click through the table — no code changes needed.
Lesson with Kinescope player and attached materials block in Figma
Assignment submission via Filepond
Standard Tilda forms can't upload files up to 20 MB directly into a database. We built a custom module using Filepond + n8n + SeaTable: the student drags and drops a PDF/DOC/DOCX/PNG/JPG into the upload zone, the file is split into parts and sent to n8n. n8n reassembles the parts and saves the file in SeaTable, linked to the specific student and lesson. The student sees a progress bar and a "Sent 100%" confirmation. n8n immediately notifies the curators in Telegram with a direct link to the record.
The curator works directly in SeaTable: opens the record, reviews the file and text description, sets the status to "Accepted" or "Needs revision", and writes feedback. The student sees the updated status and comment immediately in their account. No separate admin panel is needed — SeaTable fully replaces it.
Assignment submission form: text field and Attach file button via Filepond
Filepond file selection modal supporting PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG up to 20 MB
Filepond file upload progress bar showing 100 percent sent
Final projects based on real company briefs
The final course module is the capstone project. The student chooses one of two briefs: Yandex or Lamoda — both companies provided real briefs for a series of branded 3D images. The student sees a "Company Brief" card, reads the task, navigates to the assignment page, downloads references, and uploads the final project through the same Filepond module.
The curator reviews the work in SeaTable, sets the status to "Accepted" and writes detailed feedback in the curator review card. After the final project is approved, the course is marked complete — the student gets access to extended materials and can continue using the platform subscription.
Final project cards — briefs from Yandex and Lamoda for a series of branded 3D images
Final project page with Accepted status and curator feedback
Final module project — brief heading and file upload instruction block
Subscription ecosystem: course + AIdsgn platform
The payment logic rests on two products: the "AI Creator" course (one-time payment) and the "AIdsgn Platform" subscription (recurring charge for access to prompts, styles, LoRAs, textures, asset packs, and 3D objects).
The logic: when a student purchases the course, they automatically receive a free platform trial. The trial length depends on the tier: 3 months for "Basic", 6 months for "Pro", 12 months for "With Us Hand in Hand". If the student already has an active platform subscription, n8n doesn't create a new one — it shifts the next billing date by the length of the gifted trial. After the trial ends, Cloudpayments begins regular subscription charges.
In the personal account, the student sees a "Subscription status" block with a green "Active" badge, plan cost, next billing date, and a "Cancel subscription" button. If a question arises — the "Message me on Telegram" button opens a direct line to the author.
Student personal account: profile block and subscription status block with next billing date
Security and performance
Security was built in from day one. Requests between the site and the server are only accepted from the academy's own domain — requests from other sites are automatically rejected. Passwords in SeaTable are stored in encrypted form only, n8n never returns them to the browser. Every request to protected account pages goes through a session check in Redis — if the session has expired, the student is automatically logged out.
Speed is powered by Redis: instead of querying SeaTable on every page load, n8n caches the course structure for 10 minutes. This keeps account page response times within 1-2 seconds even after mass email campaigns. All server components (n8n, SeaTable, Redis) are deployed in isolated containers on the client's own server and protected by SSL certificates.
UI/UX: brand-first approach
The key difference between AIdsgn and a typical LMS is brand aesthetics on every screen. Students don't feel like they've landed in a utility "dashboard" like GetCourse or Skillbox. Here you get large typography (headings styled like magazine covers), bright decorative blocks (yellow, lavender, neon green), soft shadows and rounded cards. It's a continuation of the same visual language as the course landing page.
PWA wrapper: mobile users can "install" AIdsgn on their home screen like a regular app. It opens full-screen without browser bars and supports offline browsing of cached pages. This creates the feel of a premium product — especially important for a designer and creative audience.
Responsive: all key scenarios (watching a lesson, submitting an assignment, payment, subscription management) work on smartphones with the same speed and quality as on desktop. Module cards become a horizontal scroll, the Kinescope player goes full screen, Filepond forms adapt to touch input.
AIdsgn mobile PWA version: account dashboard, module page, and final project on three iPhones
Project results
The project was delivered on time — 9 days from contract signing to acceptance. The client accepted the work without revisions and paid in full.
Platform launch. AIdsgn school went to market with no dependency on external LMS platforms. All revenue from sales and subscriptions stays with the author — minus only Cloudpayments processing fees.
Hybrid monetization. The "course + trial subscription" bundle works as a funnel: students who paid 99 000 ₽ for the course automatically become platform subscribers after 6 months. This removes the classic online school problem — churn after course completion.
Curator autonomy. Assignment review, content and user management — all in SeaTable. The curator doesn't depend on a developer: adds modules, updates descriptions, uploads new videos to Kinescope without touching the code.
Speed 1-2 sec. Redis caching of course structure and sessions keeps the platform fast even with 100+ students active simultaneously.
PWA on mobile. 60%+ of AIdsgn students access the platform from smartphones and install it as an app — this increases return frequency and drives more subscription usage.
Want a similar platform for your online school?
Launching a course, masterclass, or subscription product and don't want to pay GetCourse 5-15% of every sale? We'll build the same type of platform tailored to your monetization model. Timeline — 2 to 4 weeks depending on payment logic complexity and number of modules. Cost — 3-4 times lower than custom development. The platform is deployed on your own server and fully belongs to you — no dependency on a third-party service and no monthly subscription fees.
