Page Text: Jump to a List of all UX/UI Design Bootcamps
What is UX Design?
UX stands for User Experience, which is how a person feels when interfacing with a website, web application, desktop software, or mobile device apps. A UX Designer ’s “main goal is to continually measure and improve the usability of a product for its users by leveraging research,” explains Terry Million , Design Product Manager at Thinkful .
How to Become a UX Designer
To become a UX Designer you’ll need to learn the proper skills, thinking patterns, and tools needed to complete the design process from start to finish. You’ll need to hone the soft skills from your past experiences . You’ll also need to build a convincing portfolio to get a UX job.
A UX/UI bootcamp is the quickest way to move into a UX design career. If you’re not sure about spending thousands of dollars on a career change, consider dipping your toes in with an online program. The possibilities are nearly endless for this growing field!
UX Design Bootcamp
A UX bootcamp is most likely the fastest, most secure way to get a UX Designer job. Whether you want to take a user experience course online or attend a comprehensive bootcamp immersive in person, you’ve got options. Most bootcamps offer career counseling, mentoring, or even a job guarantee so that you can get a job once you’ve graduated. Some bootcamps like Designation strictly teach only user interface and user experience while others like CareerFoundry and General Assembly teach a wide variety of courses from Full Stack Development to UX Immersives.
UX bootcamps range in duration from 9-28 weeks. Some bootcamps are self-paced and can take as much time as you decide. UX Design bootcamps cost anywhere from $3,000-$13,000. You can attend a UX/UI combined immersive bootcamp on campus at Flatiron School for $16,400.
How to Choose a UX Design Bootcamp
The best design course for you depends on your own learning style, career goals, availability, etc. Here's our advice for choosing the best user experience design bootcamp:
Narrow down your options – you can rule out some bootcamps based on location, cost, and time commitment.
Examine the curriculum – does the bootcamp teach the most modern UX tools like Figma, Sketch, and AdobeXD? You want to learn the design software that you'll use on Day One of your new job.
Ask About Projects – in the world of design, your portfolio can be more valuable than a resume. At a good UX design bootcamp, you'll build at least 2-3 projects to add to your design portfolio!
Meet the Instructors – do the bootcamp instructors have real-world design experience? Pro-Tip: Take an intro course or free workshop hosted by the bootcamp to really understand the teaching style.
Ask About Outcomes – do past bootcamp graduates get jobs in design? Ask the school directly for their CIRR report or job outcomes report, read UX bootcamp reviews, and even reach out to alumni on LinkedIn to ask questions.
Red Flags – the bootcamp doesn't offer any access to live mentorship or project feedback and review, can't tell you about past student career success, or teaches an outdated curriculum.
College vs UX Bootcamp
UX Design is a relatively new field and most UX Designers have entered the profession from an entirely different career. Because of this, there is no one right way to learn UX design. Most UX Design positions currently don’t require a degree but do prefer at least a two-year degree.
UX bootcamps are known for being the quickest gateway to a career in UX design. They’re streamlined, short, and focus on the practical skills and knowledge you’ll need to break into the field. Some bootcamps even offer a UX design certification like Udacity’s Nanodegree or Treehouse’s Techdegree . And if the university association is important to you, there are also University UX Bootcamps like University of California at Berkeley or University of Texas at Austin .
Most also offer career counseling which makes getting a job faster and easier than a college graduate. Some bootcamps even provide real world experience at local companies. While bootcamp will give you the skills and job search assistance you need, expect to work your way up from entry-level just like any other career.
If you already have some design experience or a degree, a bootcamp is definitely the route for you. A bootcamp is less expensive, faster, and more tailored to your needs than a college degree. You’ll be hard pressed to find a degree program specifically for UX design. As of 2020 there is one Master’s program specifically for UX Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design .
Online UX Design Resources
Online resources are great for getting your toes wet, but won’t necessarily teach you the skills you’ll need to succeed as a self-taught UX Designer if you’re a complete beginner. You can consult:
UX Design Industry Blogs
Nielson Norman group - This consulting firm shares methods, articles, and videos on their blog.
UX Collective - This blog curates stories on user experience, visual, and product design.
UX Planet - This Medium Blog posts about anything and everything relating to user experience including articles for beginners and career tips.
Inside Design - This blog by InVision shares tools for design.
Course Report - The Course Report blog shares interviews with UX bootcamp founders, instructors, students, and alumni!
Online Learning Platforms - You can use online learning platforms to guide your self-teaching. They don’t provide career services, but they will help you develop the skills you need. These range in price from free-$30/month.
Treehouse - Treehouse offers a monthly subscription program with a full UX Design track. They partner directly with Adobe to offer the perfect classes on tools and the UX career.
Udemy - Udemy offers one time classes at a range of prices on design thinking, the app design process, and the software tools designers use.
Udacity - Udacity offers Nanodegrees which are full or part-time programs that offer a complete UX curriculum.
Uxcel - Uxcel is a resource for those who want to teach themselves UX/UI design fundamentals through interactive micro teachings.
UX Design vs UI Design
There is a fine line between UX Design and UI Design and some people learn both! Where their roles overlap , UX and UI Designers may share some responsibilities, including wireframing, prototyping, testing, gathering feedback, and implementing feedback. Although they share some tasks, their overall missions are different.
On a basic level, UI Designers are concerned with how an application will look. UI Designers use Sketch and other design applications to create the visual assets of a digital product, create prototypes, and test products. They hand off their designs to developers with a guide they create, and ensure aspect ratios will be correct when their designs scale on different devices.
The UX Designer is concerned with how the user feels. They conduct research and wireframes to create a journey for the user. A UX Designer decides how the user will interact with a product. Their main responsibility is to empathize with and advocate for the user to make sure the application is usable.
UX Designer Jobs
The demand for UX Designers has never been greater as users and search engines expect more and better applications across all devices. UX design is reported to be one of the most difficult roles to fill in the tech world. SaaS UX Designers are particularly in demand right now – which means higher salaries for UX Designers. A bachelor’s degree in design or computer science is usually desired but not always required to get a job as a UX Designer.
UX design bootcamp graduates can expect to get jobs like:
User Researcher
User Experience and Web Content Strategy Coordinator
User Experience Lead