UX Academy combines rigorous, cutting-edge curriculum with expert, 1-on-1 mentorship to help you build the skills you need to launch a career in UX design.
Transform Your Career with UX Academy
UX designers create the digital experiences that touch billions of people, and the field of UX is expected to see strong growth over the next decade. UX Academy will teach you the complete design process and help you create a unique portfolio that stands out from the crowd.
A Learning Path for All Levels
Most students begin with our 4-8 week UX Academy Foundations, where you'll learn UI basics and get comfortable with tools like Figma. Experienced visual designers can apply directly to our main UX Academy.
Supported and Structured
Complete online, asynchronous lessons, then meet 1-on-1 with your expert design mentor to get unblocked and ask questions. As part of Designlab, you'll also join a vibrant online community where you can collaborate, network, and make friends.
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Launch Your Design Career Without Breaking the Bank
Designlab offers a range of options to pay for your UX Academy tuition – including interest-free payment plans and long-term financing.
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Introducing: UX Academy 4.0!
Our biggest updates in years, with two major enhancements. Launching March 2025.
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UI ACCELERATOR
A brand-new, structured module focused on sharpening UI design skills through concentrated practice, personalized mentor feedback, and peer group sessions.
CLIENT CAPSTONES
Students will collaborate on real client projects, gaining invaluable experience and a standout addition to their portfolio.
With these updates, UX Academy is now more comprehensive than ever—ensuring you graduate with the improved UI skills, real-world experience, and confidence needed to launch your UX career.
Experience the Power of Quality 1:1 Mentorship
All UX Academy students are matched with a 1-on-1 design mentor who will provide feedback, answer questions, and help you stay motivated. Our mentors are all working designers who have been thoroughly vetted for both design expertise and strong communication skills.
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Three Steps to Transform Your Career
For most, UX Academy is a three step process. You start by enrolling in UX Academy Foundations where you'll learn essential UI skills. From there, you'll move on to the core UX Academy program where you'll become proficient in the complete UX design process and build a unique portfolio to showcase your skills. As a final step, you'll enter Career Services where you'll get matched with a career coach that will help you get hired.
Your Journey Starts Here
UX Academy Foundations is a 4-8 week introductory course for aspiring designers that teaches visual design principles and UI design. During the course, you’ll build proficiency with Figma and gain exposure to AI tools–all while working 1:1 with an experienced design mentor. By course end, you’ll have all the skills you need to move on to UX Academy.
UX ACADEMY
FOUNDATIONS
UX Academy Foundations Curriculum
Spend 10-20 hours/week to complete the course within the 8 week deadline. You’ll get 8 mentor sessions to accelerate learning and answer questions. Finally, apply all the skills you’ve learned throughout the course during the final project.
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What Students Say About UX Academy Foundations
"Loved this program - totally doable with a full-time job, and teaches all the basics of UX/UI. I think it is a great starting point as it gives you all needed skills to continue learning after the program is over! Love the one-on-one mentoring, too."
"My mentor was absolutely amazing! She gave great feedback and really helped me beyond just foundational learning. Once I understood the basics, she encouraged me to start thinking about higher level design thinking. She was extremely patient and very knowledgable!"
"The experience was fantastic. The curriculum was very well rounded and provided me with the fundamentals of design. The projects were challenging and well prepared. The mentorship experience was really great—interacting with someone that’s actively working on the fields as a designer was very helpful."
"The course was well structured and the projects were fun and helpful in learning Figma. My favorite aspect was being paired with a mentor who works in the industry where I could get feedback, learn best practices, and ask all questions related to UX/UI design and careers in the industry."
"I liked how all the information in the course was developed by Designlab, meaning I was paying for unique material. I also really appreciated the mentor program. It really helps to have real feedback from a real professional."
"I had zero experience with design before the course and having completed it now, I can confidently say I have a good grasp on design basics. My mentor is an amazing teacher. She is supportive, helpful and caring. Our sessions were always productive and she even took the time to walk me through past projects, explain workflows, and share frameworks."
Student Projects
In the last unit of UX Academy Foundations, you'll work on a 10-hour, final design challenge to apply everything you've learned in the course. With the support of your mentor, you'll get this project to a standard in which it's ready to use for entry into UX Academy.
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Learn the Skills Needed to Get Hired
With guidance from your mentor, you’ll work through over 530 hours of UX/UI design lessons and projects that will prepare you for a career in UX or product design. You’ll complete over 100 realistic, hands-on exercises and build a standout portfolio with four creative capstone projects – including one project working with a real client.
UX ACADEMY
36 Weeks
21 Weeks
Up to 18 Months
UX AcademyAt a Glance
UX Design essentials
Learn UX/UI design through comprehensive lessons and tutorials with hands-on projects, peer review sessions, and weekly 1:1 sessions with your professional mentor.
Level up your ui skills
In this deep dive on UI design, you’ll improve your skills through a combination of repetition and feedback–across 20+ projects.
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PORTFOLIO AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER PREP
Create a unique and high-quality portfolio with four capstone UX design projects based on real-world scenarios. For your final project, you'll work in a small group on a real client brief.
Get Ready to Graduate!
Your portfolio will be reviewed by our panel of experienced design hiring managers. Once approved, you’ll officially graduate from UX Academy and can head to Career Services for real support in finding your dream job.
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Explore the Full UX Academy Syllabus
Build a Portfolio as Unique as you are
Graduate from UX Academy with an outstanding portfolio that aligns with your career goals and helps you look great to potential employers. The knowledge and skills you learned in the program will be integral in creating a portfolio of 4 unique projects–including one working with a real client–that will showcase your range as a designer as well as your process and solutions.
Meet with your peers weekly to get and give feedback on course projects, and hone your skills in this practice that is common across many top employers.
Through weekly 1:1 video calls, you’ll get insightful feedback from a Mentor committed to helping you master the hard and soft skills you need to succeed as a UX Designer.
Work through structured portfolio projects that can be tailored to your goals and interests–and get the opportunity to work on a real client project.
The UX Academy Application Process
We’ll review your application and reply within 4 business days.
Once accepted, enroll in UX Academy to save your spot in the next cohort.
If you’re not accepted into the Academy, don’t worry. You can enroll in Foundations to quickly build the design skills you need to ace your UX Academy application. Even better, all Foundations students will receive a $500 credit off their UX Academy tuition.
Put Your
Skills to Work
Get real support by working 1:1 with a career coach with direct experience working and hiring in your chosen field. They’ll assist with every aspect of your job search—from writing and revising your resume and cover letters, to negotiating and maximizing your job offers. Career Services is included in your UX Academy tuition, and limited to graduates.
Career Services
Receive up to 26 coaching sessions with one of our experienced career coaches who can assist with everything from resumes and interview prep to networking and salary negotiations. Our coaches have direct experience with the UI/ UX Design job market as hiring managers or a demonstrated track record of helping others secure roles at top companies.
Collaborate and celebrate (once you land your new job) with your peers on our Discord server with channels specific to job-seekers. Meet with your peers in sessions facilitated by a career coach to discuss important career-focused topics like interviewing, application materials, and presentations.
Track your job search with free access to Huntr. Keep track of all the job opportunities you’ve found and applications you’ve submitted, and share progress with your Career Coach. The Designlab team also occasionally shares job opportunities via Discord.
Explore the Full ux academy Syllabus
RecentGraduate Hires
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UX Academy Graduates Have Accepted Roles in:
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Plan Your Timeline
A new cohort of UX Academy Foundations and UX Academy start each month. Map out your journey below and estimate your graduation date depending on how much time you can dedicate to your coursework. Need even more time? Learn about our self-paced option.
Multiple Ways to Pay
UX ACADEMY TUITION
Designlab was born out of the desire to make quality, career-focused design education as accessible as possible. To that end, we offer a range of options to make UX Academy fit your needs and financial situation.
Have more questions? Need something different?
ADD $500 FOUNDATIONS DISCOUNT?
MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN
(6 & 10 MONTHS)
Divide tuition into six or ten monthly installments. Includes $400 payment processing fee. Zero interest. Ideal for those who want to pay over time without a traditional interest-bearing loan.
UPFRONT PAYMENT
(SAVE $400)
Pay the full tuition upfront when your course launches. Ideal for those wanting the lowest cost overall.
LONG-TERM FINANCING
(VIA CLIMB CREDIT)*
Our long-term financing partner Climb Credit offers both fully deferred (you don't start paying until the program is complete) and interest only (you only pay interest while you're in the program) options. This is a great option for those on a budget who want the most affordable monthly payments.
*Only available to US based students.
MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN
(6 & 10 MONTHS)
Divide tuition into six or ten monthly installments. Includes $400 payment processing fee. Zero interest. Ideal for those who want to pay over time without a traditional interest-bearing loan.
UPFRONT PAYMENT
(SAVE $400)
Pay the full tuition upfront when your course launches. Ideal for those wanting the lowest cost overall.
LONG-TERM FINANCING
(VIA CLIMB CREDIT)*
Our long-term financing partner Climb Credit offers both fully deferred (you don't start paying until the program is complete) and interest only (you only pay interest while you're in the program) options. This is a great option for those on a budget who want the most affordable monthly payments.
*Only available to US based students.
Learn the Foundations Free When You Go on to UX Academy
When you start with UX Academy Foundations, you can transfer the entire $499 cost of the course as credit toward your UX Academy Tuition – effectively making your Foundations tuition free.
No application fees. Choose your preferred payment plan after receiving your acceptance letter. Tuition fees are charged on course start dates.
Showcase Your Skills
In addition to leaving UX Academy with a standout portfolio and new skillset, all graduates also receive a digital certificate you can add to your website or Linkedin account.
Explore the Full UX Academy Syllabus
Our Students, Alumni, and Mentors Work at Top Companies Around the World
Rave Reviews
My experience with Designlab's UX Foundations was extremely positive. The course content was extremely clear, interesting, and well organized. The mentor sessions were a great opportunity to get one-on-one instruction and feedback.
My mentor was very responsive and willing to help, which was a huge plus in my journey. The program provides great resources as well and tries to help students have a good understanding of what they are trying to teach.
I became skilled at using the various features and functions of Figma. My mentor was incredibly experienced and great at teaching me design skills. The lessons are well-paced and full of essential information and skill-building.
My experience with Designlab's UX Foundations was extremely positive. The course content was extremely clear, interesting, and well organized. The mentor sessions were a great opportunity to get one-on-one instruction and feedback.
My mentor was very responsive and willing to help, which was a huge plus in my journey. The program provides great resources as well and tries to help students have a good understanding of what they are trying to teach.
I became skilled at using the various features and functions of Figma. My mentor was incredibly experienced and great at teaching me design skills. The lessons are well-paced and full of essential information and skill-building.
I had a wonderful experience working with my mentor, and I really feel that she put a lot of effort into her comments. I felt that my design skills definitely grew a ton in this short class.
I was pleasantly surprised on the quality of the entire program. As someone new to formal design education, the curriculum was just right.
My favorite aspect of the course was being paired with a mentor who works in the industry where I could get project feedback, learn best practices, and ask all questions related to UX/UI design and careers in the industry.
I'm excited to continue the journey and enroll in the UX Academy!
I had a wonderful experience working with my mentor, and I really feel that she put a lot of effort into her comments. I felt that my design skills definitely grew a ton in this short class.
I was pleasantly surprised on the quality of the entire program. As someone new to formal design education, the curriculum was just right.
My favorite aspect of the course was being paired with a mentor who works in the industry where I could get project feedback, learn best practices, and ask all questions related to UX/UI design and careers in the industry.
I'm excited to continue the journey and enroll in the UX Academy!
Your first step to a career in ux design
Embark on your UX design journey by enrolling in our beginner course, UX Academy Foundations. Experience quality 1:1 design mentorship and get a $500 credit towards UX Academy.
