Designlab
Average Rating4.77
742 Reviews
7 Courses
Designlab teaches in-demand UX/UI design skills online through 4-week short courses and a 15 to 28-week UX Academy. Designlab courses consist primarily of hands-on projects and 1-on-1 mentorship from expert designers so that students can master the techniques needed to design stunning web and mobile products. The Designlab community of mentors gives students timely feedback on work and Skype with students regularly to help them improve. Mentors include top industry pr...
Designlab teaches in-demand UX/UI design skills online through 4-week short courses and a 15 to 28-week UX Academy. Designlab courses consist primarily of hands-on projects and 1-on-1 mentorship from expert designers so that students can master the techniques needed to design stunning web and mobile products. The Designlab community of mentors gives students timely feedback on work and Skype with students regularly to help them improve. Mentors include top industry professionals from companies like Twitter, Airbnb, Dropbox, and more. Courses are self-paced, which means students can complete the readings/projects whenever their schedules permit. Designlab is ideal for a developer, product manager, entrepreneur, marketer, aspiring designer, or anyone working on web/mobile products.
To apply for the UX Academy, applicants need to fill out an online application, and schedule a call with a Designlab representative. Applicants should have a love of good design, a grounding in design fundamentals, and commitment and resilience.
Graduates of the UX Academy work with a career coach to get help with their portfolios, job applications, and interview technique. Designlab offers a 6-month tuition-reimbursement guarantee for graduates of the UX Academy who are job hunting.
742 Designlab Reviews
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- Sophia KravetsProduct Designer • GraduateVerified by LinkedInOct 22, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
UX Academy
I started UX Academy as a Foundations student. Very quickly I became aware how much I enjoyed the work I was doing. The idea that I could complete a month long course to really understand if UX was for me helped immensely.
After Foundations, I moved onto UX Academy. Being paired up with a mentor, I felt that the materials were helpful in educating online. The course was also paired with mentor sessions twice a week as a full time student, allowing me to ask all the whacky and I f...I started UX Academy as a Foundations student. Very quickly I became aware how much I enjoyed the work I was doing. The idea that I could complete a month long course to really understand if UX was for me helped immensely.
After Foundations, I moved onto UX Academy. Being paired up with a mentor, I felt that the materials were helpful in educating online. The course was also paired with mentor sessions twice a week as a full time student, allowing me to ask all the whacky and I fruiting questions I had from reading and my own personal research.
Overall, I have nothing but positive things to say about the DesignLab and am I credibly thankful for the aid in swapping careers! - Peter AndresenProduct Development Specialist • GraduateVerified by LinkedInOct 05, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
UX Academy
DesignLab was a great program for what I was looking for--I wanted to learn new skills to change my career from Sales into a more creative, design field. I felt that it prepared me well for a career in UX. One of the reasons I chose DL over other courses was because you end up with 4 total case studies on your portfolio which was a huge plus. I feel that the curriculum covered about everything needed to be a successful UX Designer.
Keep in mind that it's very much a self-led curri...DesignLab was a great program for what I was looking for--I wanted to learn new skills to change my career from Sales into a more creative, design field. I felt that it prepared me well for a career in UX. One of the reasons I chose DL over other courses was because you end up with 4 total case studies on your portfolio which was a huge plus. I feel that the curriculum covered about everything needed to be a successful UX Designer.
Keep in mind that it's very much a self-led curriculum with regular check-ins with your mentor. I had great mentors, but I'd say that's one of the downsides to the program--no professors, lectures, etc. Also, keep in mind that UX is a super competitive field. I spent nearly 3 months looking for a job after graduation and applied to over 200 jobs. Eventually, I ended up taking a job at a start-up that isn't a full-time UX Designer position, but it's a stepping stone into the right direction to hopefully land a full-time position in the future. I knew it wasn't going to be easy going into the program, which ended up being very true. I had doubts along the way, but ultimately I feel I made the right choice and I'm closer to a career I am passionate about than ever before. - Spencer GoldbergVerified by LinkedInFeb 13, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Design 101, UX Academy and Career Services
Though I come from a graphic design background, I knew virtually nothing about UX/UI. After a quick four weeks of their Design 101 foundations course, which taught me the fundamentals of UI design, I was ready to take on the three-plus months of the main UX Academy. Though I did have to switch mentors at the very beginning, (my first one was unresponsive) I had a great time. My mentor was outstanding and really guided me through the work. It certainly wasn't easy, and it's a lot of work,...Though I come from a graphic design background, I knew virtually nothing about UX/UI. After a quick four weeks of their Design 101 foundations course, which taught me the fundamentals of UI design, I was ready to take on the three-plus months of the main UX Academy. Though I did have to switch mentors at the very beginning, (my first one was unresponsive) I had a great time. My mentor was outstanding and really guided me through the work. It certainly wasn't easy, and it's a lot of work, but I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone who's interested in UI/UX. I spent only a short time in creative services, but from what I did participate in, it was also great. I found a job pretty early on. - Maggie chiangGraduateVerified by LinkedInNov 13, 2020Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
UX Academy Foundation
I went into UX academy wanting to become a UX designer. I decided on the design lab because of the job guarantee and assistants that they bring to prepare you. I am overall very happy with choosing to do UX academy foundations to prepare me for UX academy. I enjoyed learning the new material and projects as well as building a relationship with my foundation's mentor. Highly recommend! 
Katie HorowitzProduct DesignerJun 02, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceUX Designer Career Change
When seeking out a UX course, I did A LOT of research. Designlab stood out to me for a couple of reasons: 1. They offer an introductory course called UX Foundations that would allow me to confirm that I was for sure interested before committing to a full bootcamp 2. They host Group Critique sessions that you're required to attend to share work and provide feedback which I knew would create the community I needed in order to be successful.
Overall, my experience was really great. ...When seeking out a UX course, I did A LOT of research. Designlab stood out to me for a couple of reasons: 1. They offer an introductory course called UX Foundations that would allow me to confirm that I was for sure interested before committing to a full bootcamp 2. They host Group Critique sessions that you're required to attend to share work and provide feedback which I knew would create the community I needed in order to be successful.
Overall, my experience was really great. I loved that the curriculum was self-guided as I am pretty good with time management and keeping myself on track. I also needed something flexible (I was still working full-time and raising two young children) that allowed me the ability to complete the work on my own time. In addition, there are tons of offered Group Critique session times so I never had trouble attending. The mentors that I had were truly wonderful outside of a bump in the road early on. I had a mentor step down but I received a new mentor pretty quickly and Designlab was supportive in the process.
I felt like the curriculum laid a really strong foundation and pointed me in the right direction when I needed additional resources or materials. The online community has been better than I realized it'd be and I've found myself staying connected with peers which has been another positive to come out of all of this.
Following my graduation, it took me between 2-3 months to land a job as a Product Designer. I really leaned on the community during this and my career services mentor. I highly recommend Designlab's UX Academy if you are serious about a career as a UX Designer.
- Jon CooperGraduateJun 07, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
UX Academy Foundations
After many hours of research, I chose Designlab to kickstart my UX design education. There are so many choices, but I had a good vibe from their site, and reviews online. I couldn't be happier with my choice. For real.
I'm not a typical student for this course. While I have decades of graphic design experience, my interactive experience has been mostly as an entrepreneur, developing my own interactive-based businesses. I knew I had the underlying skillset to bec...After many hours of research, I chose Designlab to kickstart my UX design education. There are so many choices, but I had a good vibe from their site, and reviews online. I couldn't be happier with my choice. For real.
I'm not a typical student for this course. While I have decades of graphic design experience, my interactive experience has been mostly as an entrepreneur, developing my own interactive-based businesses. I knew I had the underlying skillset to become a proficient designer and content creator. Most of my career has been in television development and production.
After answering questions about the kind of mentor might be a good fit for me, I was assigned the ideal person. On the first call he asked me my goals, and understood that I wasn't a young person seeking a digital design career. He tailored his approach, interactions, and reviews perfectly.
And Designlab's platform is solid, well-designed, and a pleasure to work on.
The coursework has been obviously honed over years, and thousands of hours of students' studies, and updated to be relevant to today's tech and trnds. The structure of each unit was ideal, and each unit built on the previous lessons. My mentor was always available for questions on Slack and weekly video and screen-share calls.
I'm starting my next course, Designlab's 15-week intensive Academy, in a couple weeks! - Chris SoaresGraduateMar 04, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Amazing Experience
I can’t speak highly enough about Designlab. From the curriculum, easy to use platform and most importantly mentorship, I highly recommend Foundations to others. I originally took a different into to design course through a separate company, and was then accepted to the career track once I finished. I am so happy I decided to pivot and try Designlab. Best decision I could have made. I got so much more from this course. - Dana KGraduateNov 11, 2020Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
A great experience for beginners
This course what a very pleasant surprise for me. I liked everything: the actual information received, the way it's organized in units, the fact that you can see your progress at all times, the mentor sessions.
There's only one thing I would change: some sort of awareness for those who are absolute beginners to learn to use at least one specific tool for wireframing, prior to starting the course. Because I had to take a lot of time to learn Figma somewhere in the middle of the course ...This course what a very pleasant surprise for me. I liked everything: the actual information received, the way it's organized in units, the fact that you can see your progress at all times, the mentor sessions.
There's only one thing I would change: some sort of awareness for those who are absolute beginners to learn to use at least one specific tool for wireframing, prior to starting the course. Because I had to take a lot of time to learn Figma somewhere in the middle of the course and it delayed the delivery of my projects. - K.NelsonAug 13, 2019Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
UX Academy
I did a lot research before deep diving into a bootcamp. Glad I chose Designlab. What set this bootcamp apart for me aside the price was the helpfulness of having one on one mentorship meetings weekly to go over material and the career services portion after graduation has been better than my college career services when I received my bachelors. - AnonymousUX Research ApprenticeJun 07, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
A great way to kickstart your transition into a new career!
I finished the DesignLab UX Academy in August of last year (2021). While my overall experience was amazing, and I would highly recommend DesignLab for anyone wanting to invest in a bootcamp, there were a few things that were challenging.
1. The entire program is online and self-led. There are milestones to reach each week to stay on top of your work, and the academy staff are very communicative and helpful in keeping you on track. What was challenging was that there were no live ...I finished the DesignLab UX Academy in August of last year (2021). While my overall experience was amazing, and I would highly recommend DesignLab for anyone wanting to invest in a bootcamp, there were a few things that were challenging.
1. The entire program is online and self-led. There are milestones to reach each week to stay on top of your work, and the academy staff are very communicative and helpful in keeping you on track. What was challenging was that there were no live sessions outside of group critique, so it often felt like I was working in silo (because I was). Another challenge about this is that most of the content text-based. There is a great Slack community which came to my aid more than once, but you gotta be proactive about making those connections. It's worth it!
2. The career services curriculum felt like more of a burden than it felt helpful. I actually gave up on trying to keep up with it after the first few weeks, since what felt more important was focusing on applications than lessons and other deliverables. There was a period of stress because if you don't get a job within a year, you're eligible for a full refund - but ONLY if you keep up with the career services curriculum. I started to get worried that I wasn't keeping up with the curriculum, and was possibly not going to get a job within the year. Thankfully, I got a job and am starting exactly one year after completion! But this is a good thing to keep in mind. My career coaches were helpful to a degree, but there is so much dirty work that has to be done on your own in terms of networking and just getting yourself out there, that at a certain point it didn't feel like there was much that my career coach could offer me.
Overall, I would not have been able to gain the experience, knowledge and literal portfolio that enabled me to get my first job in the industry (at a really great company with great pay!!), if it wasn't for my experience at DesignLab. Any bootcamp will have pros and cons, but I don't regret my choice whatsoever!
Designlab Alumni Outcomes
Recent Designlab News
Nat Davis
Updated April 11, 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved over the past 70 years to learn human-like cognition and ease the workload by performing functions faster than humans in computation, perception, reasoning, learning, problem-solving, and even creativity! In 2023, AI is unavoidable in the modern workforce as tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Bing are incorporated into workflows across major industries from healthcare to transportation, manufacturing, retail, ...
Rachel Meltzer
Updated December 15, 2021
If you re a creative problem-solver, then a career in design may be for you! But how do you choose between a career in web design versus a career in user experience (UX) design? Since these two career paths are both user-focused, they have many similarities, but we re breaking down the nuanced differences between web designers and UX designers to help you find the better fit for you! Find out how these two careers differ, what the daily life of web designers and UX designers look like, ...
Jess Feldman
Updated September 01, 2021
User experience (UX) design is an in-demand tech field offering plenty of opportunities for career-changers and upskillers. Nicole of Designlab demystifies the UX design career path from entry-level to senior-level UX design roles, diving deep into the traits of successful UX designers and the typical responsibilities and salaries at each career level. With her many years experience as a design recruiter, Nicole illuminates how new UX designers can stand out in the field ...
Jess Feldman
Updated September 01, 2021
Course Report Course Report Coding Bootcamp News Roundup - August 2021 August was buzzing with news about the benefits of credentialing for alternative, skills-based learning. We re sharing the latest on the Apprenticeship to College Act in Congress, and regional workforce development programs aimed at helping high school students and adult learners find tech roles through bootcamps in their communities. August also brought news of a 25M fundraise, an acquisition, two ...
Liz Eggleston
Updated August 19, 2021
After working for a decade in aerospace engineering, Jack Henstridge wanted to tap into his creative side and shift gears into UX design. After extensive research, he decided to enroll in the UX Academy program at Designlab because of the hands-on curriculum and mentorship opportunities. Jack shares how his Designlab bootcamp experience and portfolio helped him land his first design role as an Associate UX Designer at Travelport before he even graduated! What inspired you ...
Jess Feldman
Updated December 26, 2023
While some tech companies like Slack and Apple have shared that 7-8% of their US workforces identify as LGBTQ, visibility for LGBTQ+ folks in the tech industry remains a struggle. Diversity in entrepreneurship and in the workplace is essential it ensures different perspectives and experiences are represented within a team and encourages new ideas and better problem-solving. With 700,000 tech jobs open in the U.S. today and 87% of IT executives admitting that it has been challenging ...
Lauren Stewart
Updated January 24, 2018
Did you know that by leaving a Verified review of your coding bootcamp experience on Course Report, you re entered to win a 500 Amazon Giftcard? This time, our lucky winner was Gretchen , who graduated from online bootcamp Designlab in April 2017! We caught up with Gretchen to find out about her coding bootcamp experience and why she decided to attend Designlab. Want to be our next Reviews Sweepstakes Winner? Review your Coding Bootcamp experience here! Meet Gretchen What did ...
Lauren Stewart
Updated June 12, 2023
Most high-salary industries need more diverse workers, and tech is no exception. The conversation about diversity in tech usually focuses on gender, diversity encompasses racial, socioeconomic, cognitive, and experiential differences. Think pieces and diversity reports show large tech companies admitting they have a problem and beginning to address the diversity in tech crisis, but can the industry really change? Even if companies make public commitments to hiring ...
Lauren Stewart
Updated December 30, 2016
It s that time again! A time to reflect on the year that is coming to an end, and a time to plan for what the New Year has in store. While it may be easy to beat yourself up about certain unmet goals, one thing is for sure you made it through another year! And we bet you accomplished more than you think. Maybe you finished your first Codecademy class, made a 30-day Github commit streak, or maybe you even took a bootcamp prep course so let s cheers to that! But if learning to code is still at the ...
Liz Eggleston
Updated April 30, 2015
Dalton Mitchell works as an IT Manager, but struggled with the more aesthetic side of design. Without quitting his job or taking on the financial burden of full-time bootcamps, Dalton decided to join Designlab , a part-time, mentor-driven, online learning platform. Having completed the Design 101 course, Dalton tells us about finding a career path that he loves and how Designlab helped him develop his skills while fitting his learning style, schedule, and price range. ...
Designlab Alumni Reviews Summary
Based on 700+ Designlab alumni reviews on Course Report, students consistently praise the hands-on projects, 1-on-1 mentorship from industry professionals, and the comprehensive UX/UI design curriculum. A student shared, "Designlab is a very solid introduction into the world of UX/UI design... Before you know it, you have the confidence to start making your own icons and building a brand." Some critiques, however, mention the reliance on Discord for community interaction, which some found less professional than alternatives like Slack.
Overall Experience
4.8
Instructors
4.7
Curriculum
4.7
Job Assistance
4.3
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
Awards
Recent Designlab News
By Nat Davis
By Rachel Meltzer
By Jess Feldman
FAQs
How much does Designlab cost?
Designlab costs around $7,749. On the lower end, some Designlab courses like 1. UX Academy Foundations cost $499.
What courses does Designlab teach?
Designlab offers courses like 1. UX Academy Foundations, 2. UX Academy (Part-time), 3. UX Academy (Full-time), 4. Data-Driven Design and 3 more.
Where does Designlab have campuses?
Designlab teaches students Online in a remote classroom.
Is Designlab worth it?
Designlab hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 742 Designlab alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designlab on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Designlab legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 742 Designlab alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designlab and rate their overall experience a 4.77 out of 5.
Does Designlab offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Designlab 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 Designlab reviews?
You can read 742 reviews of Designlab on Course Report! Designlab alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designlab and rate their overall experience a 4.77 out of 5.
Is Designlab accredited?
While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Designlab doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.