Designation is now Flatiron School

As of May 2019, Designation is now Flatiron School.

If you graduated from Designation prior to May 1, 2019, please leave your review for Designation. Otherwise, please leave your review for Flatiron School.

To view updated and accurate information, please visit the Flatiron School Course Report page.

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Designation

Average Rating4.8
115 Reviews
3 Courses
Designation is a 24-week program specializing in the fields of UX and UI design with the primary goal to turn you into a hireable candidate for innovative and tech-focused companies. Designation offers a hybrid of both online education and in-person immersion in Chicago. Throughout the 24 weeks of the program, students are treated to guest speakers, sponsored workshops, and lab sessions. While there is no formal grading, students are asked to create portfolio delivera...
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115 Designation Reviews

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  • Stephen
    Stephen
    UX Designer • Graduate • Chicago
    Feb 13, 2017
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    Great Experience, Environment, and Professionals

    When I transitioned into the UX/UI field with DESIGNATION,  I was coming from a Music Education/ Performance background. I was a teacher for 6 years.

    I came in worried about this career change, but after going through the 6 month program, I can honestly say, it was one of the greatest decisions I have ever made.

     The teachers care about your success, and the fellow students are passionate. Almost everyone participating in my cohort came from different backgrou...

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  • Pranav Pradhan
    Product Designer at Vectra.ai • Graduate • UI Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Apr 10, 2019
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    More Than Just a Bootcamp

    TL;DR

    I heard about Designation through a friend of mine who had completed the program a few years ago. She only had good things to say to me about the program, and kept repeating the mantra "you get out what you put in". After having gone through the program myself, I can safely say that this is 100% true. The people are brilliant, the experiences are unforgettable—and you'll learn more than you thought possible, as long as you're willing to put in the effort. A...

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  • Josh Miller
    Experience Designer at Slalom Build • Graduate • UX Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Dec 30, 2018
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    Great option for a career changer

    I started working as a web designer in higher education in the mid-2000s, and as my career moved along I gained experience in areas like project management, data analysis and reporting, operations, and product management. Thinking about the next phase of my career, I realized I wanted to focus more of my time building stuff. After reaching out to my network and researching online, I found that UX would be a great space for me to accomplish my goal of focusing on building while also being a...

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  • Megan Keach
    UX Designer/Researcher • Graduate • UX Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 25, 2018
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    A great experience

    I came to Designation for a career change. After many years in theatre and time as a stay-at-home mom, I wanted a career with growth potential in which I could utilzie my creative background. UX design seemed like a good fit, and I dove in. 

    I chose the program at Designation for its reputation and rigor, and I was not dissappointed. I recieved an education not only in UX design, but in soft skills, teamwork strategies, and critical thinking. The workload is sizable and the pace ...

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  • Philip P
    UI Designer • Graduate • UI Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 18, 2018
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    UI Designer

    I can only echo the thoughts of what so many other graduates of the program are saying. Designation is a lifechanger. By quite literally becoming your life for 6 months, it saturates you into the world of design and equips you with everything you need for your career in UX/UI — the most important of which is the learning mindset through which you can keep growing as a designer past your time in the program. Having come from working in assorted digital design roles, I came to Designation ho...

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  • Kim T
    UX Architect • Graduate • UX Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 18, 2018
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    Great opportunity to learn UX

    I read all the reviews and looked at other programs but what stood out about Designation was the opportunity to work with actual clients during the eight-month time frame. Although, the reviews for Designation were phenomenal I was not completely sold on the program until I reached out to a program graduate through LinkedIn. Our conversation reassured me that this program could be what I needed to refresh my skills before re-entering the workforce. Another concern of mine was that I ...

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  • Hillary Pollak
    Product Designer • Student • UX Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 10, 2018
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    Definitely worth it!

    Overview:

    Like others have said, you get what you put in. You'll work hard but learn the skills to be able to land a job after graduation. If you're looking to get into design but don't want to spend the time or money on a Master's degree, Designation is a great option. 

    Choosing a program:

    I knew I wanted to be a product designer but didn't know how to get there. I looked into HCI programs but they seemed expensive and long. While ...

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  • Andrew K
    Product Designer • Graduate • UI Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 08, 2018
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    Six months of hard work for a new life!

    Six months at Designation jumpstarted a career that I love. I came to Designation with no design experience, spending the years prior to the program working in finance. The most designing I'd ever done was in PowerPoint. I was initially skeptical of the program because it didn't provide a formal degree or certification. I'd also need to leave the comfort and security of my current job. Wanting to understand more about the industry and program, I sought out a Designation grad (which I highl...

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  • Kristin Nevells
    Product Designer • Graduate • UI Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Sep 25, 2018
    Overall Experience
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    Worth every penny.

    Designation is a life changer. If you are on the edge of deciding whether or not to join Designation, hopefully this review persuades you to go for it. You get out of the program what you put into it and it when you graduate, you are prepared for a career in the field, even if you don't think you are. 

    Before starting Designation, I was working for a startup and saw the design side of things and wanted to be involved. I am so thankful that I chose this program, I grew as a designer...

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  • Rob Jurewicz
    Product Designer • Graduate • UX Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Sep 19, 2018
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    Make the move!

    If you are a naturally curious person who wants to know what makes people tick and doesn’t want to be spoon-fed instructions, Designation is the place for you. I had 10 years experience in graphic design but was looking to make a change to a field that would be more meaningful on a day-to-day basis. I was looking for the right balance of time to soak in new knowledge, but not the extended length of a graduate program. This was the perfect split for me compared to some of the shorter 10-wee...

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  • Jacob H.
    Product Designer • Graduate • Quartz Cohort • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Aug 20, 2018
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Designation was maybe the best career decision I've made

    I had been a designer for a good while. I was working at a large reputable ad agency as an Art Director for 5 years but the work I was doing was of a very narrow skill set and it was extremely difficult to advance or find many job opportunities elsewhere that really got me excited to apply. Even changing companies would only have afforded me minimal additional money or career advancement opportunity. I had been wanting to make the transition to digital work for a long time but it was diffi...

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  • Tiffany Kuhn
    Tiffany Kuhn
    Associate Designer • Graduate • UX Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Aug 15, 2018
    Overall Experience
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    Designation- hard work & rewarding experience

    I have to echo what has been said in multiple reviews of Designation—you will get out what you put in to the program, the time and money are worth it, and it is a life changing experience… but let’s back up to how I got here.

    Before Designation

    In 2017, I was unhappy with my career in administration and operations and was looking for a change. I knew that I wanted to work in a creative, project driven environment and started exploring ways to move into a de...

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  • Wesley H.
    Wesley H.
    Junior UX Designer • Graduate • UX Design Intensive (begins every 6-8 weeks) • Chicago
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Aug 04, 2018
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    Designation is WORTH IT!

    Designation is a life changer….if you want it to be. The program itself provides you with the necessary resources, knowledge, and integration that will help you become a successful designer. Here are some pros, insights, and tips.

    INSIGHTS

    1. The Designation staff is excellent. They’re super knowledgeable and they know what they’re talking about. They’re really supportive and are willing to help you out every step of the way. You're never g...

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Designation Alumni Outcomes

Recent Designation News

Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated December 27, 2018
As we near the end of 2018, we're rewinding and reflecting on the most interesting and impactful coding bootcamp news of the year. Come with us as we look at trends, digest thought pieces, break down the 175 million in new funding, and more. We ll also look at our predictions for 2019 and our hopes for the future of coding bootcamps! 2018 Course Report in Numbers We added 89 new schools to our directory You (our readers) applied for 789 scholarships on Course Report and we gave away over ...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated January 25, 2018
Designation is a UX/UI bootcamp that has been building up the Chicago design community since 2013, and recently moved into a new WeWork classroom. We asked the Designation team to share their reasons behind the move, how students will fit into the larger WeWork community, and why Chicago is a great city to work in UX Design. Plus, we hear about Designation s future plans to collaborate with WeWork in other cities around the world! Schedule a 30-minute tour of the Chicago campus! ...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated December 01, 2017
On the Course Report Coding Bootcamp News Roundup, we keep you up to date with the blossoming coding bootcamp industry. This November, we're covering the WeWork/Flatiron School acquisition, over 2M in funding to various bootcamps, and why tech is booming in "Heartland" cities. Of course we also look at new schools, new campuses, and our favorite pieces to work on this month for the Course Report blog! Plus, is The Iron Yard back from the dead? Read the summary or listen to the podcast ...
Lauren Stewart
Lauren Stewart
Updated November 17, 2023
Do you want to be a front end developer or a back end developer? Understanding your career goals at the end of a coding bootcamp can make it easier to narrow down which school is best for you. This can be a tricky task if you aren t familiar with these terms but no need to worry now that you have this guide. Let s dig into the difference between front end web development and back end development which programming languages you ll learn, which coding schools teach them, and what to expect ...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated November 10, 2015
Founded in 2013, Designation offers an immersive bootcamp for aspiring UX and UI designers. Mike Joosse, their new Community Director, tells us about his transition from the design world to Designation, the most important ingredient for a successful UX designer and how Designation prepares students for post-bootcamp careers. Tell us about your background and what you were doing before Designation. I come from a design background. I went to design school a long time ago and ...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated October 07, 2015
Welcome to the September News Roundup, your monthly news digest full of the most interesting articles and announcements in the bootcamp space. Do you want something considered for the next News Roundup?  Submit announcements  of new courses, scholarships, or open jobs at your school!   This Week on Course Report Should you learn web or mobile development first? We dive into this question with advice from Atlanta's DigitalCrafts code school!  ...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated January 31, 2018
Coding Bootcamps are intensive programs- some require an 80 hour per week commitment, and all demand undivided attention in the classroom. This structure may be necessary to learn a new skill in a short time, but it can also overwhelm students and in some cases, cause burnout. Luckily, at Course Report, we get the opportunity to talk with alumni from coding bootcamps all over the world, and we always ask how they avoided burnout during their courses. We ve compiled the top eight ...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated October 02, 2014
Welcome to the September News Roundup, your monthly news digest full of the most interesting articles and announcements in the bootcamp space. Want your bootcamp's news to be included in the next News Roundup? Submit announcements of new courses, scholarships, or open jobs at your school! Bootcamps in the News Udacity Raises Fresh 35M to Expand the University of Silicon Valley In September, Hackbright Academy, Hack Reactor, Dev Bootcamp, Wyncode, Flatiron School & ...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated July 09, 2018
With a degree in Advertising Art Direction, Martha Willis was looking for a way to build on her current skillset in pursuit of a web-based career. So she enrolled in Designation , a full-time, immersive design course in Chicago. We get the scoop from Martha about the application process, her new job as a UI Designer, and how she's continued her education after Designation. Remember, the Course Report community is eligible for a 500 scholarship to Designation! What were you doing ...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated July 12, 2018
Designation is a digital design-focused school in Chicago that helps students with a technical or design background make the shift to digital design jobs. We talk with founder Kevin Yun about the differences between Designation and other web-development bootcamps, the types of applicants they look for, and why it's important to learn digital design now. Remember, the Course Report community is eligible for a 500 scholarship to Designation! Kevin, tell us about your background ...
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Designation Alumni Reviews Summary

Overall Experience
4.8
Instructors
4.6
Curriculum
4.5
Job Assistance
4.5
Write A Review
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
FAQs

How much does Designation cost?

Designation costs around $15,800. On the lower end, some Designation courses like Design Essentials (Online, Part-time, begins every 6-8 weeks) cost $1,000.

Where does Designation have campuses?

Designation has in-person campuses in Chicago. Designation also has a remote classroom so students can learn online.

Is Designation worth it?

Designation hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 115 Designation alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designation on Course Report - you should start there!

Is Designation legit?

We let alumni answer that question. 115 Designation alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designation and rate their overall experience a 4.8 out of 5.

Does Designation offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?

Right now, it doesn't look like Designation offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.

Can I read Designation reviews?

You can read 115 reviews of Designation on Course Report! Designation alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designation and rate their overall experience a 4.8 out of 5.

Is Designation accredited?

While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Designation doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.

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