Gaining Experience - Paid Resources + Certificates

Learning

UX Design Bootcamp vs. Degree vs. Self-taught: How to choose?

While you can be successful whether you're self-taught, do a UX design bootcamp, or get a University degree, as a UX beginner, you're probably feeling stuck trying to decide what path is right for you. ‍ Years ago, this wasn't a problem.

https://www.kickassux.com/ux-library/ux-design-bootcamp-vs-degree-vs-self-taught

About Bootcamps and Certificates

Required Reading

More articles on the pros and cons of bootcamps

My Experiences and Regrets in a UX Bootcamp

You have probably seen some of those ads on bootcamps, whether it be for UX, web development, or data analysis. These ads always advertise a 6-12 month course on any subject and promise a 99% job acquisition rate upon graduation.

https://uxplanet.org/my-experiences-and-regrets-in-a-ux-bootcamp-86c74b99d2be

The diminishing returns on UX bootcamps

Something I often get asked is my opinion on UX bootcamps and if it is worth it to go through one. My general answer is "it depends on what you are looking for". Here are my thoughts explained in the...

https://uxdesign.cc/the-diminishing-returns-on-ux-bootcamps-f02e70c4b62a

Bootcamp vs. reality

12 weeks of full time, intensive course work and you will be industry ready! - or at least that's what I was told. Bootcamp are popping up everywhere, luring students in and I was one of them.

https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/bootcamp-vs-reality-c3761749b445

Popular Bootcamp & Certificate Programs (plus some opinions)

UX 365 Academy by Joe Natoli

• What’s Offered: On-demand UX + Design courses, books, resources + training

• Price + Time: $168 for a year, or $228 for year + live monthly group sessions

• About The Program: Joe on what UX 365 is about and why it was created:
• “UX 365 was designed to be an affordable alternative to grossly overpriced (and underdelivering) bootcamps. Why? Because I think bootcamps are bullshit. Because I think they cost too fucking much. Because they make empty job promises. Because they're packed with fantasy-world curriculum that teaches perfect-world methods and processes that fall FLAT ON THEIR FACES the minute you try and introduce or practice them inside the walls of a corporate organization of ANY kind. Because the value of the "certificates" they provide isn't what they claim it is. It's a certificate of completion, nothing more — and it is seen that way by most companies. Bootcamps advertise that certificate like some kind of magic ticket that automatically opens doors for you. It simply isn't true. Over the last 6 years in particular I have coached far too many folks who spent tens of thousands on these programs only to be left with skills that weren't transferable to the reality of corporate organizations and which had massive gaps in terms of the way work really happens inside product teams. So I decided to do something different. I wanted to focus on topics that universities and bootcamps NEVER teach:
• Dealing with difficult stakeholders and situations
• Emotional strength and drawing healthy boundaries
• Dealing with impostor syndrome
• Ways to pivot from formal UX methods when time is 1/10th of what you'd like it to be
• How to present so people will actually listen
• How to gain, build and keep respect when working in house
• How to jump from the 9-5 and start your own gig, either as a freelancer or small agency.”

Ideate Labs

• About The Program: “Boutique, 16-week, women-focused program. Our instructors & founders are on a mission to make digital design accessible to women, minorities, & POC.” Led by two senior designers with over 12 years of experience combined.

• Programs + Price + Time :
• 4 Month Design MBA
• For those new to UX
• $5,950 USD to $6,850 USD
• Redesign Your UX Career
• For bootcamp grads, people struggling to break into the industry, and those unsure about what UX career path to pick and how to get there
• DIY Online
• $690
• 6 module course, workbooks and year long access. DIY and go through the course yourself.
• Online + Mentorship
• $1490
• 6 modules within the course and 1 hour of live, one-on-one mentorship around each module’s topic.

• My (Limited) Experience: I have attended some talks by Khrystyna, one of the co-founders, and was extremely impressed by the quality of information. It was specific and actionable, obviously informed by extensive industry experience, and detailed in a way I haven’t seen with other bootcamps. Khrystyna takes a no bs approach to helping people learn about the UX industry, and is extremely generous in their willingness to share knowledge and answer people’s questions.

Interaction Design Foundation Bootcamps currently on hold, no word when back

• Programs + Price + Time
• 4 Bootcamps
• Price: Starts at $2,992
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Class size: N/A
• Mentorship: one-on-one sessions each week
• Dozens of UX Courses available with a membership
• Student $132. Must be paid all at once, cannot be paid monthly
• Professional $192 and Company membership. Must be paid all at once, cannot be paid monthly
• Design League Membership $200. Comes with a personal coach. Can be paid monthly
• UX Masterclasses
• Individual courses are typically $50. $5 if you have a membership

• My (Limited) Experience: They are decent for getting a structured intro to the field, the majority of what they cover can be found for free elsewhere.
I signed up for a professional membership and looked at the first few weeks of a dozen courses from the beginner, intermediate, and advanced tiers. This included topic like User Research (my field), Data-Driven Design, Visual Design, Guide to Usability, Gestalt Psychology and Web Design, and Accessibility. I found the majority of the content to be incredibly surface level. You could easily find and study it for free elsewhere, and find more in-depth resources. Some courses offered videos from professionals, but many also used freely available YouTube videos to teach lessons.
The quizzes that accompany each lesson module are extremely easy. The majority of them are multiple choice, and typically ask you to repeat back a something that was written or said verbatim. They rarely ask you questions that make you think about what you just learned. Personally, I thought the quizzes also reinforced a beginner mindset of X approach is the only correct way. On the job you will often be asked to bend the rules to fit within time or budget constraints, to do scrappy or guerilla research methods, or hobble together multiple approaches to fit your situation. UX research and design is like writing, you should learn the rules and standards so you know when it’s ok to bend or break them.
 
An honest review of the Interaction Design Foundation
Hi there my friend, I hope life is treating you well. After almost 5 months and a dozen courses later, I think it's time to provide an honest feedback of the educational platform where I have been learning UX: The Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF from now on).

https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/an-honest-review-of-the-interaction-design-foundation-4ded5e696c31

Thinkful UX/UI Design Bootcamp

• Price + Time
• Full-Time - Study with a cohort, at an accelerated pace
• 5 months
• $12,150 before loans or financing
• Part-time - Study independently
• 6 months
• $9,500 before loans or financing

• My (Limited) Experience: I attended one webinar on making a UX Portfolio and it was extremely basic. The speaker didn’t seem to know much about what hiring managers were looking for, what good practices were, what current trends in the industry were, and provided no information that wasn’t already available online for free. I am also somewhat skeptical of bootcamps that offer loans, financing, or take a cut of your pay after you find a job. Assess these very carefully