Designlab
Average Rating4.78
789 Reviews
9 Courses
Designlab is an online training provider that teaches in-demand UX/UI design skills through their UX Academy and short courses. Designlab’s top-tier online programs connect students with expert design mentors, empowering them to launch and advance their career in digital design. Whether students are transitioning into UX design with Designlab’s flagship UX Academy or refining their skills through advanced courses designed for seasoned designers and design teams, Designlab offers meticulously crafted programs to help learners achieve their goals.
With mentorship and community at the core of every course, students benefit from weekly 1:1 video calls in UX Academy and UX Academy Foundations, as well as small peer group sessions in advanced and short courses. Through personalized feedback and guidance, Designlab’s network of experienced mentors helps students navigate the design industry, offering career advice and insights into market trends from a professional’s perspective.
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.
789 Designlab Reviews
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AnonymousGraduate • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineNov 10, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/AThorough Curriculum with Good Mentoring
PROS:- The platform is extremely intuitive to use and the curriculum provides a wide breadth of knowledge for students. For a deeper understanding, links to outside articles are also provided which I appreciated but they definitely were not required to be successful in this course. Going into Foundations, I had zero design experience but the lessons were easily digestible and I loved that this course broke down concepts into simple and precise information ch...
PROS:- The platform is extremely intuitive to use and the curriculum provides a wide breadth of knowledge for students. For a deeper understanding, links to outside articles are also provided which I appreciated but they definitely were not required to be successful in this course. Going into Foundations, I had zero design experience but the lessons were easily digestible and I loved that this course broke down concepts into simple and precise information chunks. There was also a multitude of projects that you submit online for feedback that really tested the skills we learned in each unit and made me much more confident in my usage of the software Figma.
- Before Foundations started, students take a pre-course survey and get matched to a mentor. In addition to being one of the more affordable choices for UX/UI boot camps, I chose Designlab because of this access to expertise from working professionals in this field. The knowledge from my mentor was invaluable and they really boosted my UI design skills throughout the course.
- Another aspect that I loved about Foundations was access to a server on Discord with multiple channels where you could ask experienced designers or your peers about your work. The ability to try asking for help at any time was a huge plus. Also, there's a whole unit dedicated to learning how to give/receive critiques - Foundations even allows students a chance to attend what's called a "group crit" where the students get experience critiquing each other's designs; no doubt an invaluable skill in this field.
CONS:- The whole curriculum, while very extensive and provides a lot of knowledge, is reading compiled articles on the Designlab platform and doing projects. One thing that would've been nice would have been dedicated lecturers who could teach lessons on certain topics in real-time and answer questions from students who attended.
- Another issue that arose for me was some incompatibility with my mentor. A good/bad mentor can make or break your experience in this course. My mentor, while knowledgeable and had a good design background, didn't provide sufficiently good feedback by my standards. I wish they would've been more responsive to my submissions (at times, they didn't comment at all on a project and just approved it) and sometimes I felt they were abrasive with their feedback. Also, during our mentor meetings, sometimes they just weren't helpful and refused to answer some of the questions I had. You can reach out to Designlab's director(s) to try changing mentors but I was met with resistance because they always encourage students to try everything they can to make it work. Eventually, I figured I was learning the content just fine and because I was only going to have them as a mentor for the duration of Foundations, I just went with my original mentor. However, I did feel like my experience was diminished a decent amount.
Overall, the curriculum was very thorough and accommodating toward students with zero design experience. The course provided me with ample chances to test my design skills throughout each lesson. Even though I felt that my mentor wasn't the best, the access to mentoring in general and being able to ask people on Discord for help was a huge plus. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to get their start in UX/UI! For me, Designlab's Foundations course was an excellent course in teaching me the fundamentals of UI and now I feel very prepared for what comes next in this career path.
EXTRA BONUS: Foundations costs $500 but if you decide to go forward with Designlab's UX Academy course, the $500 is put towards that tuition so you can essentially get your money back!- AnonymousGraduate • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineNov 10, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Great experience lots of learning
I learned a lot and had a great time going through the assignments . Overall it was interesting to use figma in some of the tutorials as it was good balance of technical info and textbook practice. My favorite part was the mentorship and I looked forward to the feedback given. - AnonymousStudent • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineNov 09, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Great design foundations course
Pros
Content is relatively well structured, and really helpful for getting started in design.
Mentorship program is great.
Discord server has many channels and features for getting connected with the community.
Tuition for Foundations is credited toward the UX Academy program.
Cons
Video tutorials are outdated and not the best.
Some content could be explained thoroughly or timed better. - AnonymousStudent • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineNov 08, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Great for those new to UX/web design!
I enjoyed UX Foundations and the self-paced track of the program. As someone who didn't have any design experience and going through a career transition to UI/UX, this program was straightforward and easy to follow. The projects were fun and my mentor challenged me while including thorough industry tips and answered all my questions in our sessions. Seeing my progress from the first project to the last project was so satisfying! My only feedback is the suggested time limits can feel stre...I enjoyed UX Foundations and the self-paced track of the program. As someone who didn't have any design experience and going through a career transition to UI/UX, this program was straightforward and easy to follow. The projects were fun and my mentor challenged me while including thorough industry tips and answered all my questions in our sessions. Seeing my progress from the first project to the last project was so satisfying! My only feedback is the suggested time limits can feel stressful, I hope they can include more practice projects or a more detailed tips sheet. My tip for those going into UX Foundations is to focus on your own learning process getting comfortable using Figma/Sketch, but also track your time to see how long you work on your projects. Overall, great program and really proud of my progress throughout each unit and project! - AnonymousStudent • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineNov 07, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Informational introduction to UX Design for beginners
Designlab foundations provided me with an in depth understanding of a field completely new to me. The course teaches so much information and is set up in a way that feels manageable to complete. Overall a great program for anyone new to the field to learn and gain an understanding of UX/UI design. My overall experience was great and my mentor helped me a lot. - AnonymousStudent • Graduate • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineNov 07, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Ux design foundations
- Overall , great learning experience. Learned so much about ux design in two months. One on one mentorship helped alot , access of community of learners was great. Managed to Learn one new thing atleast in every unit.
- Cons - figma videos were outdated, mentorship access was limited , if I needed help on one thing I had to Just google it. Good pace but became too fast pace and it felt like they were trying to teach us everything that would have taken people months to learn. S...
- Overall , great learning experience. Learned so much about ux design in two months. One on one mentorship helped alot , access of community of learners was great. Managed to Learn one new thing atleast in every unit.
- Cons - figma videos were outdated, mentorship access was limited , if I needed help on one thing I had to Just google it. Good pace but became too fast pace and it felt like they were trying to teach us everything that would have taken people months to learn. Some units felt like too much busy work that didn’t benefit me overall as a student.
- AnonymousStudent • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineNov 07, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Designlab - UX Academy Foundations
This was a great course to begin learning UX with. Everything was structured really well, easy to navigate and I felt extremely supported due to the mentor sessions. If you are thinking about learning UX design, I highly suggest looking into Designlab. - AnonymousStudent • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineNov 04, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Comprehensive & Fun
As someone who does not have a design background, this course is an excellent choice. The curriculum covered all the basics of UI design. The course material was simple and easy to understand. The tone of the lessons is professional and friendly. The course exercises are all super hands-on. Highly recommended! Definitely moving onto the actual bootcamp! - AnonymousGraduate • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineOct 29, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Great UX/UI Intro Course
I highly recommend taking UX Foundations if you're unsure if you want to take the leap into bootcamp. It is an affordable intro course that will give you a feel for the full course.
Pros:
-Foundations is a short (4 or 8 week course) and affordable way to introduce you to UI/UX design and get a feel for the full UX Academy course. I looked into General Assembly which has a much higher price point and you aren't able to 'test' out the course in a short 4 or 8 wee...I highly recommend taking UX Foundations if you're unsure if you want to take the leap into bootcamp. It is an affordable intro course that will give you a feel for the full course.
Pros:
-Foundations is a short (4 or 8 week course) and affordable way to introduce you to UI/UX design and get a feel for the full UX Academy course. I looked into General Assembly which has a much higher price point and you aren't able to 'test' out the course in a short 4 or 8 week way to ensure it's something you really want to do before making the big investment
-I work full-time and had other commitments but the course is self-paced so I could spend more time some weeks when I knew I had the time and still stay on track
-The Designlab platform is so easy to use! It tells you which week of the program you're in, it tracks your mentorship sessions (and makes scheduling with your mentor easy).
-The 1:1 mentorship was so helpful for me to get feedback and learn from someone who is working in a UI/UX designer role.
-The support team and admissions is super responsive. I always received a response in 24-48 hours which is helpful since the course is short.
Cons:
-This isn't a con per say but my own struggle/ something you may want to consider based on your needs. The program is self-paced instead of having a dedicated time from 9-5 with an instructor leading the course, I had to manage my own time very well and hold myself accountable to do the lessons! - AnonymousStudent • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineOct 24, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
well-structured, fun, up-to-date
Pros:
-The volume of reading materials and hands-on projects was sufficient.
-hands-on projects consists of up-to-date content and are well associated with UX.
- The webinars provided by the design lab are informative.
cons
- sometimes there is a time slot limit for scheduling with a mentor. - AnonymousGraduate • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineOct 16, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Success in Designlab Course
I really enjoyed my experience in the Designlab Foundations course. The course provided me with the UI tools necessary for UX design. I learned how to create sketches and how to make webpage and mobile designs in Figma. - AnonymousStudent • 1. UX Academy Foundations • OnlineOct 12, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Review of Designlab UXAF
Enjoyed this course! The course was fully online. Felt the curriculum was what I was looking for in that it taught basic design principles and how they relate to UX design in a general sense. Projects where hands on, robust and aligned well with the curriculum that was being taught. Mentor feedback was helpful, I liked the flexibly of being able to schedule time blocks that worked well with my schedule. It was rewarding getting see how my skills had improved in just a short month after t...Enjoyed this course! The course was fully online. Felt the curriculum was what I was looking for in that it taught basic design principles and how they relate to UX design in a general sense. Projects where hands on, robust and aligned well with the curriculum that was being taught. Mentor feedback was helpful, I liked the flexibly of being able to schedule time blocks that worked well with my schedule. It was rewarding getting see how my skills had improved in just a short month after taking this course.
Designlab Alumni Outcomes
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Designlab Alumni Reviews Summary
Based on 700+ Designlab alumni reviews on Course Report, students consistently praise the hands-on projects, 1-on-1 mentorship from industry professionals, and the comprehensive UX/UI design curriculum. A student shared, "Designlab is a very solid introduction into the world of UX/UI design... Before you know it, you have the confidence to start making your own icons and building a brand." Some critiques, however, mention the reliance on Discord for community interaction, which some found less professional than alternatives like Slack.
Overall Experience
4.8
Instructors
4.7
Curriculum
4.7
Job Assistance
4.3
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
Awards
Recent Designlab News
By Jess Feldman
By Rachel Meltzer
By Jess Feldman
FAQs
How much does Designlab cost?
Designlab costs around $7,749. On the lower end, some Designlab courses like 1. UX Academy Foundations cost $499.
What courses does Designlab teach?
Designlab offers courses like 1. UX Academy Foundations, 2. UX Academy (Part-time), 3. UX Academy (Full-time), 4. Data-Driven Design and 5 more.
Where does Designlab have campuses?
Designlab teaches students Online in a remote classroom.
Is Designlab worth it?
Designlab hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 789 Designlab alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designlab on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Designlab legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 789 Designlab alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designlab and rate their overall experience a 4.78 out of 5.
Does Designlab offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Designlab offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read Designlab reviews?
You can read 789 reviews of Designlab on Course Report! Designlab alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Designlab and rate their overall experience a 4.78 out of 5.
Is Designlab accredited?
While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Designlab doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.