designlab
About
About
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. Top graduates also get access to Designlab's hiring partners and exclusive job opportunities. Designlab offers a 6-month tuition-reimbursement guarantee for graduates of the UX Academy who are job hunting.
Recent Designlab Reviews: Rating 4.79
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Courses
Courses
1. UX Academy Foundations
ApplyStart Date August 09, 2021 Cost $499 Class size N/A Location Online Looking to transition your career into the world of UX/UI design? Learning visual and UI design is a great place to start. Through our flexible, 4-8 week UX Academy Foundations course, you'll work 1-on-1 with an expert mentor to learn key visual design concepts and practical skills. Your mentor will give you written feedback on all your work and also meet with you for 8 personalized sessions to further discuss concepts, project work, and the UX/UI industry in general. By the end, you'll have completed a final design challenge which you can use in your application for UX Academy to showcase your newfound knowledge and skills. What's good to note is you'll receive a $500 credit on UX Academy tuition afterwards, so taking UX Academy Foundations is technically free!Financing
Deposit $0 — course fees are taken on the start date, regardless of when you sign up Tuition Plans 2-part payment plan — 50% on the start date, 50% on the end date: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/216992247-Do-you-offer-payment-plans-on-short-courses- Refund / Guarantee $500 credit on UX Academy tuition after completion of UX Academy Foundations. Pro-rated refund given: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058755134-What-is-your-refund-policy-for-UX-Academy-Foundations- Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner UI/UX course, no previous experience is required. Prep Work If you'd like to get a head-start, you could take one of our free email courses on Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD: https://trydesignlab.com/resources/ Placement Test No Interview No More Start Dates
August 09, 2021 - Online Apply by August 08, 2021September 06, 2021 - Online Apply by September 05, 2021October 04, 2021 - Online Apply by October 03, 2021
2. UX Academy (Part-time)
ApplyStart Date August 23, 2021 Cost $6,749 Class size N/A Location Online UX Academy is a rigorous online program that has helped hundreds of people land a job in UI/UX/product design since 2015. You'll work with an experienced mentor 1-on-1 to complete over 480 hours of coursework (majority produced in-house) in topics that cover the full breadth of UI/UX design, including: UX research, information architecture, interaction design, UI design, prototyping, testing, and handoff. Upon completion, you'll not only have a certificate of completion but also, more importantly, a professional UI/UX portfolio containing 4 in-depth projects to showcase your skills and share with future employers. Along the way, you'll participate in weekly Group Critiques where you'll share, discuss, and analyze design work live with a group of students and experienced facilitator. The support will continue into the Career Services phase of the program, where we'll pair you with a Career Coach who will guide you through interview practice, networking, salary negotiation, and other elements of the recruitment process until you find a job in the industry. If you'd like to learn more, you can chat to one of our friendly Admissions team (https://calendly.com/designlab-admissions/schedule-call) or attend a free Admissions Open House webinar (https://trydesignlab.com/webinars/).Financing
Deposit $399 Financing Financing available via Climb CreditTuition Plans Upfront, 6-month internal payment plan, and extended plans financed by Climb Credit: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000101533-How-do-your-payment-plans-work-for-UX-Academy- Refund / Guarantee Pro-rated refund: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/360015817174-What-is-your-refund-policy-for-UX-Academy- Tuition reimbursement policy: https://trydesignlab.com/ux-academy/policies/#tuition Scholarship Diversify Design scholarship where recipients receive either a $1000, 50%, or full scholarship on UX Academy tuition: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052837753-Do-you-offer-scholarships-for-UX-Academy- Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Completion of UX Academy Foundations (included in overall tuition), or foundational skills in visual/UI design, demonstrated through samples of your work. Knowledge of 1 relevant tool (Figma/Sketch/Adobe XD) is also beneficial. Prep Work Application pre-requisites: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/218228487-How-do-I-apply-to-UX-Academy-Are-there-any-prerequisites-for-the-program- Placement Test No Interview No More Start Dates
August 23, 2021 - Online Apply by August 13, 2021September 20, 2021 - Online Apply by September 10, 2021October 25, 2021 - Online Apply by October 15, 2021
3. UX Academy (Full-time)
ApplyStart Date August 23, 2021 Cost $6,749 Class size N/A Location Online UX Academy is a rigorous online program that has helped hundreds of people land a job in UI/UX/product design since 2015. You'll work with an experienced mentor 1-on-1 to complete over 480 hours of coursework (majority produced in-house) in topics that cover the full breadth of UI/UX design, including: UX research, information architecture, interaction design, UI design, prototyping, testing, and handoff. Upon completion, you'll not only have a certificate of completion but also, more importantly, a professional UI/UX portfolio containing 4 in-depth projects to showcase your skills and share with future employers. Along the way, you'll participate in weekly Group Critiques where you'll share, discuss, and analyze design work live with a group of students and experienced facilitator. The support will continue into the Career Services phase of the program, where we'll pair you with a Career Coach who will guide you through interview practice, networking, salary negotiation, and other elements of the recruitment process until you find a job in the industry. If you'd like to learn more, you can chat to one of our friendly Admissions team (https://calendly.com/designlab-admissions/schedule-call) or attend a free Admissions Open House webinar (https://trydesignlab.com/webinars/).Financing
Deposit $399 Financing Financing available via Climb CreditTuition Plans Upfront, 6-month internal payment plan, and extended plans financed by Climb Credit: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000101533-How-do-your-payment-plans-work-for-UX-Academy- Refund / Guarantee Pro-rated refund: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/360015817174-What-is-your-refund-policy-for-UX-Academy- Tuition reimbursement policy: https://trydesignlab.com/ux-academy/policies/#tuition Scholarship Diversify Design scholarship where recipients receive either a $1000, 50%, or full scholarship on UX Academy tuition: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052837753-Do-you-offer-scholarships-for-UX-Academy- Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Completion of UX Academy Foundations (included in overall tuition), or foundational skills in visual/UI design, demonstrated through samples of your work. Knowledge of 1 relevant tool (Figma/Sketch/Adobe XD) is also beneficial. Prep Work Application pre-requisites: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/218228487-How-do-I-apply-to-UX-Academy-Are-there-any-prerequisites-for-the-program- Placement Test No Interview No More Start Dates
August 23, 2021 - Online Apply by August 13, 2021September 20, 2021 - Online Apply by September 10, 2021October 25, 2021 - Online Apply by October 15, 2021
4. Design 101
ApplyStart Date August 06, 2021 Cost $399 Class size N/A Location Online In this 4-week online course built for design beginners, you'll learn about the fundamentals of color theory, typography, and layout in web design. You'll have 4 weekly sessions with your mentor and receive additional written feedback from them on all your project pieces and assignments.Financing
Deposit $0 — course fees are taken on the start date, regardless of when you sign up Tuition Plans 2-part payment plan — 50% on the start date, 50% on the end date: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/216992247-Do-you-offer-payment-plans-on-short-courses- Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner design course, no previous experience is required. Prep Work If you'd like to get a head-start, you could take one of our free email courses on Figma, Sketch, Photoshop, or Adobe XD: https://trydesignlab.com/resources/ Placement Test No Interview No More Start Dates
August 06, 2021 - Online Apply by August 05, 2021September 03, 2021 - Online Apply by September 02, 2021October 01, 2021 - Online Apply by September 30, 2021
5. UX Research & Strategy
ApplyStart Date August 06, 2021 Cost $399 Class size N/A Location Online In this 4-week online course, you'll master the art of understanding your user through learning the ins and outs of user centered research and design. This course is perfect for design beginners and those new to UX — you'll learn the basics of user-centered design, explore the core research techniques professionals use to gain customer insight, and get experience by working on hands-on projects to create deliverables like personas, storyboards, customer journey maps, and empathy maps. You'll have 4 weekly sessions with your mentor and receive additional written feedback from them on all your project pieces and assignments.Financing
Deposit $0 — course fees are taken on the start date, regardless of when you sign up Tuition Plans 2-part payment plan — 50% on the start date, 50% on the end date: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/216992247-Do-you-offer-payment-plans-on-short-courses- Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner UI/UX course, no previous experience is required. Prep Work If you'd like to get a head-start, you could take one of our free email courses on Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD: https://trydesignlab.com/resources/ Placement Test No Interview No More Start Dates
August 06, 2021 - Online Apply by August 05, 2021September 03, 2021 - Online Apply by September 02, 2021October 01, 2021 - Online Apply by September 30, 2021
6. UX: Interaction Design
ApplyStart Date August 06, 2021 Cost $399 Class size N/A Location Online In this 4-week online course you’ll develop an eye for seeing, and a language for talking about, interaction design. You'll become familiar with human interface guidelines, principles of usability and fundamental interaction design details. You'll also practice evaluating if and how interactions can be improved. As with all Designlab courses, you'll work 1-on-1 with an expert mentor, with feedback on all your work and weekly video sessions. By the end, you’ll have an interaction design toolkit for evaluating and improving the usability of your products. You’ll have examples of your process and work that you can speak to and draw on in related projects. This course is especially useful to anyone looking to develop better communication of and confidence in their interaction design work, and for folks looking to develop their ability to understand and work with product designers.Financing
Deposit $0 — course fees are taken on the start date, regardless of when you sign up Tuition Plans 2-part payment plan — 50% on the start date, 50% on the end date: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/216992247-Do-you-offer-payment-plans-on-short-courses- Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner UI/UX course, no previous experience is required. Prep Work If you'd like to get a head-start, you could take one of our free email courses on Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD: https://trydesignlab.com/resources/ Placement Test No Interview No More Start Dates
August 06, 2021 - Online Apply by August 05, 2021September 03, 2021 - Online Apply by September 02, 2021October 01, 2021 - Online Apply by September 30, 2021
7. UI Design
ApplyStart Date August 06, 2021 Cost $399 Class size N/A Location Online In this 4-week online course you will develop a detailed "eye" for visual design, learn to decide which typefaces to use, become equipped to choose and create color palettes, learn about best practices for UI patterns and reusable design components, and learn how to create retina-ready designs that scale across different devices. You'll have 4 weekly sessions with your mentor and receive additional written feedback from them on all your project pieces and assignments. By the end of the course, you'll have a certificate of completion, a portfolio of projects, and a strong skillset in UI design. This course is intended as a follow-up to our Design 101 course, or for anyone who has a basic understanding of visual design principles. Students are expected to be acquainted with a professional design tool (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) before they begin this class.Financing
Deposit $0 — course fees are taken on the start date, regardless of when you sign up Tuition Plans 2-part payment plan — 50% on the start date, 50% on the end date: https://help.trydesignlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/216992247-Do-you-offer-payment-plans-on-short-courses- Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Beginner UI/UX course, no previous experience is required. Prep Work If you'd like to get a head-start, you could take one of our free email courses on Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD: https://trydesignlab.com/resources/ Placement Test No Interview No More Start Dates
August 06, 2021 - Online Apply by August 05, 2021September 03, 2021 - Online Apply by September 02, 2021October 01, 2021 - Online Apply by September 30, 2021
Reviews
Designlab Reviews
- Ilona • Graduate • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI loved the syllabus of DesignLab Foundations course. Everything was laid out very clearly and it's awesome that I can work at my own pace. It's a great introduction to UX design where I learned how to use Figma (or Sketch) and there are step-by-step video tutorials to guide you along as well. The units are broken down into 4-5 lessons, 2-3 mini assignments where you'll reproduce some websites/mobile app screens/logos, and finally, 1-2 projects to unleash your creativity. At the end of the course, I was tasked to finish a project which can now be used for my portfolio. My mentor was extremely helpful and gave constructive feedback while teaching me about UX design. I managed to finish the course in just under 5 weeks and now I feel ready for UX Academy!
If you're looking for a well priced, online, hands-on introduction course to UX design, with a mentor to keep you accountable and answer any of your questions, DesignLb is the perfect choice :)
- UX Academy Foundations Course- 5/10/2021Anna • Teacher • Student • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI am a teacher currently looking to transition into the field of User Experience. I have been contemplating this career change for a long time and initially felt overwhelmed with trying to figure out which boot camp or program would help me achieve this goal. In the end, I chose Design Lab UX Academy. The foundations course is a requirement to enroll in the UX Academy boot camp unless you have prior design experience. I found that the course is invaluable in this transition to UX from another field/profession because it sets you up with the skills and confidence needed before jumping into an intensive program. I enjoyed the UX of the Design Lab courses and site overall - especially how it shows you the percent of the course you've already completed - this kept me motivated. The mentor sessions and feedback was also a valuable resource since they can give you more individualized attention and support as you navigate the projects and course materials.
Overall, I enthusiastically recommend the UX Academy Foundations course for anyone who is interested in trying out UX or those who have the goal of transitioning into the field of UX.
- Comprehensive course- 4/16/2021Mariana Solnicka • Graduate • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInThe course was extremely comprehensive although a bit fast-paced for someone with a busy schedule. I loved the one on one time with my mentor and appreciated having peer reviews and connections. I do believe that even with this course alone, you could make a career switch if you work on projects on your personal time. Highly recommend.
- Definitely Recommend- 4/13/2021Carly • Senior UI Designer • Course: 3. UX Academy (Full-time) • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI had a fantastic experience with Designlab's UX Academy. When I enrolled, I was already an experienced designer, but I had been at the same small company for a very long time. I was ready to move on, but despite job hunting for almost 3 years I wasn't getting any interest at all from the senior positions I wanted. I enrolled in Designlab to make my portfolio attractive for senior-level roles, learn what had changed in the industry since my last job hunt, and get inspiration and mentorship to pull me out of my rut. I was able to accomplish exactly that. I have a portfolio I'm proud of, and in my post-UXA job hunt, I got almost a 50% response rate to my applications and landed a senior position within 5 weeks. I realize this is a different experience from most brand new and career transitioning students, but I highly recommend the course for more experienced designers as well.
- I'd recommend UX Academy Foundations- 4/3/2021Kailey Li • Student • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI would recommend anyone with no design experience to take foundations. I thought the curriculum was well thought out, the lecture and assignments were well-paced and covered a decent amount of topics. Learned a lot! I also had the opportunity to learn with my mentor through feedback and discussed the design industry over webcam. Personally, I think learning through feedback is very effective. I also thought the slack community with DesignLab was helpful to help each other out and connect virtually. Overall, I think it was a great experience.
- UX Foundations is a great start- 3/22/2021Nicole Mrñs • Graduate • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInWith UX Foundations, you learn principles, tools and industry insights - while having access to 1-on-1 mentorship and a great community to support you with feedback. It's self-paced and the support goes out of their way to check-in if you seem to have some work to catch up on. Sometimes life gets in the way, but the support team is always there to help! With Designlab you get some nice perks to enjoy some tools at discounted prices.
- Best Intro UX Design Course- 3/13/2021Colin Ashby • Student • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInDesignLab's UX Academy Foundations course was probably the best online design short course I've taken. For reference, I've taken Skillcrush's Visual Design course & Springboard's UX Design Skills course (discontinued at end of 2019, they now offer a similar Design 101 course)
There are a few reasons DesignLab's UXA Foundations course stood out (especially from those other ones).
- Hands on learning (the curriculum is structured in a way where the emphasis is on doing rather than just reading/watching and taking notes).
- Custom curriculum (DesignLab has a curriculum team that writes and makes the lessons. This is a lot different than Springboard that just links to articles on the web).
- 8 hour long mentor calls (this is the best thing about the course. Having a mentor kept me accountable, on track with completing the course on time, and I learned a lot by having an experienced designer review my work)
$499 price tag felt intimidating at first but wow, is the course worth it. I learned so much
- Excellent Course - Worth the Time- 3/10/2021Alexa Colyer • Product Experience Manager • Graduate • Course: 6. UX: Interaction Design • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI love DesignLab! I have taken two courses with them (Design 101 in 2019 and UX: Interaction Design in 2021). Both courses were run extremely smoothly, and I highly recommend Designlab to anyone who is looking to up their design skillset. I find the mentorship aspect of the courses most valuable. Being able to talk to a "real," experienced designer has elevated my performance at work.
- Good way to test the waters- 3/5/2021Martha Bawn • Graduate • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI wasn't ready to go all in on a months-long bootcamp so this course was a good way to figure out if this was a career change I wanted to make. I really enjoyed the experience and got a lot out of it, especially the larger projects and mentorship sessions. Each unit consists of some reading material, video tutorials, copying exercises, and a design project. The last unit is just one big design project. You're paired with a mentor who gives written feedback on the projects and meets with you one-on-one for an hour for each unit (8 total). I thought the reading material was only okay, but the projects and mentorship sessions were great for getting a feel for what the work is like and learning to use the tools. Would definitely recommend this course.
- Cindy • Graduate • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI think UXA Foundations was a great learning experience for me! I've taken some courses at Coursera and had some background in Figma prior to starting, so I wasn't sure how much I'd really learn from the course. The answer was A LOT! Each unit contains a couple projects to truly cement what I've learned, and my mentor gave me personalized feedback to help improve my designs. To be transparent, there was a good amount of copywork (copying existing designs) in the curriculum. They're a good way to get an understanding of how shipped designs are built and what tricks they use, and how to accomplish them on your own on a limited time frame. I got really good at using Figma this way! After each copywork assignment, you also got the chance to create your own designs (landing page, hero section, responsive webpage, etc.) and again get feedback from your mentor.
- Awesome Introduction to UI- 3/3/2021Austin Silberman • Graduate • Course: 1. UX Academy Foundations • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI just finished the Design Lab Foundations course, this was an awesome course with access to a mentor throughout the entire process. The course is very well laid out, each unit starts with some readings then you usually have multiple small assignments along with one larger project. The smaller assignments can take around 1-2 hours while the longer projects are usually around 3-4 hours with the final project being 10 hours. I love the simplicity in this course layout, I was able to start each day by doing the readings then working through the assignments, finishing the course in about 3 weeks. This was nearly full time as I worked on it for about 6-8 hours per day during the week. I'm planning to do the UX Academy through Design Lab as they do an incredible job teaching the material and providing support and help along the way. My mentor was fantastic, they work in the industry and answered all my questions about becoming a UX/UI designer, we made iterations to my projects to improve my designs as well. Design Lab has a great modern way of teaching, providing an incredible foundation of design while also ensuring the students are using the most prominent tools in the industry and challenging you with fun and interesting projects. Excited to get started in UX Academy at Design Lab and can't wait to work in this industry. Foundations is perfect if you are considering getting into UX/UI but aren't sure where to get started.
- Solid course to begin a career in UX/UI- 3/2/2021Brandon • Graduate • Course: 3. UX Academy (Full-time) • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI just want to start by saying this was my personal experience and yours may differ.
Overall I had a good experience with DesignLab and if it wasn't for their program I wouldn't have had transitioned my career as quickly as I have today.
The overall curriculum is well done, and the structure of their course is great! At the beginning of my journey in DesignLab, the staff was great! They were very communicative with any questions I had pertaining to the course, finances, etc. I enrolled as a full-time student and the work was heavy, but enjoyable! Lots of great content although some of the modules had broken links throughout the course which was a bit frustrating, but not a big deal.
My mentor during the course was amazing and helped me so much with questions, feedback, etc. This was probably the best of my journey in DesignLab. I graduated with a high score on my portfolio review and was excited to begin the real journey of landing a position in UX/UI.
Unfortunately, this is where DesignLab stopped providing the support I needed. They did provide some good articles and assignments to help you establish a cover letter, resume, and tips for applying to work. However, the information was no different than Googling "How to land a job in UX design." My main focus and hope during career services was working with a career coach who would help me land a role. I was paired with my first career services coach and although she was knowledgeable in the field, I struggled to communicate with her. She did not speak English well, I had a difficult time understanding her and she didn't seem to understand my questions most of the time. I was not getting detailed feedback on my portfolio, resume, and progress so eventually after a few meetings, I decided to request a new mentor. I filled out the questionnaire to request a new mentor, but my request was ignored. I had to reach back out to request it again, and they made me re-fill out the questionnaire. I was paired with a new career coach and my experience was the same. During each call, they were unprepared and did not have much value to provide to me. They struggled to answer questions about my job search journey, and I felt that our meetings were a waste of time. I stopped scheduling meetings and looked for support elsewhere, where I was able to connect with a career coach who was able to give much more valuable tips on landing a job.
I attempted to contact DesignLab regarding my experience and to request a new mentor, but my emails were ignored again. Not sure why I haven't had contact with them, but it seems like after you graduate from the course, they stop providing the support you would receive during the beginning of the course.
The experience was good, but if you are looking for career support specifically, you may want to check out some other Bootcamp Courses.
