Mento Design Academy

As a career transitioner, I came to Mento with very little UX knowledge. I found the curriculum to be well-written and engaging. Resources are offered at the end of each topic for additional learning opportunities. Mento also does a great job of building community and keeping students connected by offering student meetings, study groups, a slack channel for discussion and questions, and webinars for continued learning. 
Two things that really stood out to me in this program were the mentors and the ability to pick projects based on your own interests. Many of the mentors are well-known in the UX world and have years of experience to share. My mentor was phenomenal and balanced the curriculum with her real-world knowledge. She guided me through my project, which was based on something I’m passionate about and will be unique to my portfolio. 
One of the reasons I chose Mento is because of the self-paced learning schedule. However, I did struggle to keep up with the curriculum timeline as did some of my classmates. I would keep this in mind if you don’t have a tech or UX background - you may need more time than you think to finish the course. Other students had no problem finishing in the suggested time frame though. 
Lastly, Mento’s staff is wonderful. They are responsive, kind, and supportive. The head of the program even met with me when I had an issue, and basically UXed my issue to improve the situation. I saw changes made in real time and I know they will continue to improve the program based on student needs. I'm so pleased that I chose Mento. 

Selecting a bootcamp can be overwhelming. I almost didn't go with Mento Design Academy. Luckily, I discovered it in the nick of time. To me, the work always speaks for itself and upon comparing portfolios, Mento graduates blew me away! I connected with a few alumni students who generously answered my questions.

Mento offers a unique experience with real-life projects and interviews, invaluable industry feedback from mentors and professionals, and flexible additional sessions if need be. Their curriculum is filled with real-world best practices, and the inclusive international community provides excellent tools and resources.

Mento also stands out by being a tight-knit community - not to mention access to the founder, Radu, who genuinely cares about each student’s success. The community meetings, workshops, coffee chats, and fun challenges are a fantastic bonus. The more you engage, the more you’ll get out of it. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Changing careers is sometimes about playing the long game. It requires commitment, grit and never giving up on yourself and I’m grateful I began with Mento!

Mento Design Academy has a no cookie-cutter, holistic approach to UX design education. From the get-go I was asked to make the learning journey my own - to embrace my previous career and educational background (which wasn't connected to UX) and use that experience to plan out my UX career path. The lessons focused on the bigger picture and we were asked to reflect on the 'why' of each stage of the UX process, rather than simply following a procedure. Coming into the course, I was worried about the little details like how to create visually striking User Interfaces, but the course had thought me the importance of "Understanding the problem, before hurrying to find solutions." Though frustrating initially, because of presumptions I had of what User Experience is about, this mature approach to UX made sense as the course progressed. I leaned into it and focused on skills like user research. For the portfolio projects, I was again asked to find design problems that concerned and interested me, rather than working on a generic prompt like "Designing a ticketing app for a Space tourism company." 
Throughout the process, what was invaluable was the constant guidance of the mentor assigned to me and the support of an active student/mentors/alumni community. I met once a week with my mentor who was an industry professional. He was always open to questions and gave comprehensive answers. His guidance in each stage went beyond the textbook and I was challenged to think deeper about a problem in each stage. The course content itself is really well put together however, and it followed a logical progression, which clarified most of the questions I had along the way on it's own. 
Saying all that, considering the vastness of the topic that is UX design, I've realised that the learning doesn't stop after bootcamp. I have to especially get better with my UI skills, which isn't given as much concentration in the curriculum. Everything cannot be done in 6 months or 9 months (I took 9). Thankfully, since I get to be a part of the community for a lifetime, I think I can keep learning and stay up-to-date.

Mento is a perfect choice for a person who wants to transition to UX design. They provided much information on the subject that helped me learn all the basic design concepts. Weekly meetings with my mentor also helped me immensely; he was very knowledgeable with years of work in the design field and could answer all my questions. Moreover, Mento has a Slack channel that includes other valuable resources. Also, you can contact other students; they try to keep it interesting with design challenges and Zoom meetings with people working in the design field and many other things. People at Mento genuinely care about their students.

I chose Mento because of the affordability and mentorship program. It did not disappoint! I am in the process of transitioning from healthcare into UX and the program is structured in a way in which it can make any transition/career switch happen smoothly. The weekly meetings with my mentor were key to my success! It gave me the confidence, the guidance, and the feedback I needed to succeed. The bootcamp itself is also well structured and comprehensive. Everyone at Mento is so nice and they want to see you succeed. I definitely recommend this bootcamp!

I had a good experience with Mento Design Academy! A few key factors made me choose Mento over other boot camps. First, the price was very reasonable compared to other options out there. It made it much more affordable for me to pursue my goals.

Secondly, the weekly one-on-one mentor sessions were an amazing resource. I found them to be helpful in my learning journey. It was great to have someone to guide me and offer personalised advice and feedback.

Another thing that stood out to me about Mento was the opportunity to work on more personalised portfolio projects. I had the freedom to choose a project that aligned with my interests and career goals. It made the whole experience more meaningful and relevant to my future plans.

One thing to note is that the program can be quite intensive, especially if you're also working or studying full-time. Finishing the program by completing one test project and three portfolio projects in just six months can be challenging. I personally only completed one project before graduating, and I know others who finished one to two projects before graduating also. It seems like most people take longer than the initial six-month timeframe.

Overall, Mento Design Academy is a good boot camp. They provide you with a dedicated mentor and a vibrant and supportive community on Slack. If you're looking for a well-rounded and sociable learning experience, Mento is definitely worth considering.

I really enjoyed being a part of Mento while I was maneuvering my career change into UX Design. Out of all the programs out there to choose from I thought Mento was going to be the best fit for my learning style. The program was designed in a way that helped me understand the role of a UX Designer at my own pace. I was lucky enough to have a great mentor, Alex. He helped me through the challenges I faced throughout the course and also helped me manage my moments of low motivation to get through the course.  The way the course is structured  allowed me the flexibility to learn at my own pace which made a huge difference in how I retained the information provided. The community itself is very inviting which is comforting for someone stepping into a new career path. The slack channel is always buzzing and provides a space for all the resources one would need when they begin their UX Design journey. I’m very happy with my time at Mento and all that I gained out of my experience.

I have highly praised Mento to all my friends for the quality of many aspects such as the very well organised curriculum with A to Z techniques and methods, a kind and welcoming community, on Slack, where you can participate as much as you want and need; there’s always something happening and your help and feedback are always appreciated by colleagues in their projects, everyone is very supportive. What brings it all together is a wonderful group of mentors, extremely open and sincere, motivating and supportive. Ioana is my mentor and I couldn't be happier. Ever since our first meeting, I knew that we would get along great; I really admire her and her humour is my type of humour and I think that’s great :) her experience is impressive and she’s very dedicated to the Mento community as well as Radu, they make a great team! Radu is the first contact I had with Mento and after one hour of talking I knew I wanted to join their community; his past experience is very inspiring, as well as the initiative of building this awesome platform that is so helpful for many of us in different parts of the globe. 

I recently graduated from Mento Design Academy, and I can only say that I am so grateful to the mentors and the community. It has been a very steep learning curve, but there are plenty of people to help you get there. It took me 7 months to graduate (a little longer than I planned, due to circumstances). By the time I finished I had 2 portfolio projects and I felt confident that I was ready to continue learning in a real work environment. Mento also offers career support for 6 months after graduation, and you'll remain a part of the community forever!

I chose Mento over other UX bootcamps because it was one of the few programs out there that was created by designers with their own unique content. Other bootcamps graduate hundreds, even thousands of students every month. Mento has a smaller, tight-knit community that made me feel seen and cared for as a student. I've graduated now, and I still get check-ins from my mentor and even the founder of the bootcamp regarding my UX journey. Although the program is remote, I never once felt like I was alone throughout the course. They foster a vibrant community via Slack, host weekly student community meetings, pair you up with a student buddy and of course a Mentor who is a leader in their industry. All these aspects helped me keep the momentum going even now, post graduation. If I did it again, I would absolutely choose Mento! 

Mento Design Academy is an amazing place to learn design skills and build a unique portfolio that caters to my interest and the industry I want to work in in the future. The community is incredibly friendly and supportive, and they encourage you to develop your own style and approach to design. You'll get 1:1 mentorship from experienced designers who can help you hone your skills and provide personalized feedback. Overall, I highly recommend Mento for anyone looking for a personalized, supportive, and fun design learning experience.

Enrolling in a bootcamp is an investment that requires commitment, time, effort, and money. You want to know that you are making the right decision. My first admissions call with Raluca sealed the deal. It was clear that she loved what she was doing and that she was passionate about supporting and encouraging others who also wanted to embark on the UX/UI journey. Several months into the program and it’s safe to say that I have not looked back once.  Before starting the bootcamp I had the lingering fear that I would complete it still feeling wholly unprepared to step into a UX/UI role. Even though there’s a lot more to learn, I now feel confident that this will not be the case. Let me explain why. The curriculum is carefully curated, diving into the theory you need to get started. It is interesting and thought provoking. The curriculum is broken up nicely and allows you to learn something, followed by a well-thought-out task where you practically apply and explore what you’ve learnt. Which brings me to my next point: mentors! Every student gets paired with a mentor that works in the field. My sessions with Pia have been a game changer for me. The weekly meetings have allowed me to ask questions, get feedback and reflect on my tasks, share my challenges, and gain valuable insights. As a bonus I’ve also gotten to know a wonderful human! Another thing I absolutely love about Mento is the community. It’s a wonderfully supportive and encouraging community of fellow students, graduates, and mentors. Mento creates loads of opportunities for students to connect with one another by assigning you a bootcamp buddy and running biweekly student community meetings. They also host awesome events with experts in the field. Last but not least, Mento encourages you to choose portfolio projects you want to work on. This really allows you to explore what it is you are most interested in, in the field. This ultimately aids you in building a portfolio that speaks to who you are as a designer.  It's important to mention that what you choose to put into it also plays a role in your experience. Mento provides the knowledge, hands-on experience, resources and community you need. I would highly recommend Mento Design Academy to students who are looking to transition to UX/UI Design.