UX Design Institute

The Pros:

• The course is very well laid out and modules are easy to follow. The way it's taught online is better than anything else I've done in the past.
• They have regular sessions with professionals to go over your coursework and answer your questions.
• They hold 'insider' talks so you can hear stories from people in the business from all different types of companies and backgrounds.
• You can talk to their careers guidance expert who'll give you really great feedback in terms of your work and how to land your first UX design or related job etc.
• They're a recognised institution and the certification will be taken seriously.
• You can work full time and do this course easily if you're disciplined.

The Cons:

• If you don't have a related background (Tech/IT/Design/Marketing) and apply for jobs with only your single UXDI case study to show, it'll be VERY hard to get a job. Luckily I do have the background and it's the main reason I'm getting replies to be very honest.
• UXDI do make it sound like you'll get a job straight away, you won't, well it depends on how seriously you take the course and how proactive you are, but don't expect a job to be just handed to you.
• You only get feedback if you ask, you need to be very proactive to do well and to receive help.
• It is expensive for something you can learn in your own time for free but you do get a cert and if you need the pressure of deadlines and someone grading you then I guess this isn't a con.

Overall:

• Really worth it if you have the time to put in and are passionate about this line of work. Do expect it to be difficult to land your first job but be patient and it'll all work out in the end.

I really enjoyed the UXDI Diploma, and feel like I have learned a lot as a graphic designer looking to expand my career and knowledge to UX design. This is a really good course if you are self-sufficient and don't mind being left to your own devices. The curriculum is thorough and takes you through the design process step by step, which is a really useful way to learn the different parts of UX design. The exam was a super helpful way to memorise and learn the terminology and key principles. I have already taken a lot of the knowledge into my job as a graphic designer. 

The main snag with the course for me was that some of the project guidance felt quite vague, and you don't get much beyond the project PDF and a video to explain it. They didn't make it too clear how closely to follow the examples in the research/analysis briefs. This may not be so accessible for people who are neurodivergent. They do have live chat support, and going to the webinars for feedback was really useful, but I think it would be better for the briefs to be more accessible up front, or to provide specialised support for those with ADHD, autism e.t.c

I chose to do the desktop path rather than the mobile path, and I found that the examples for the design projects were all very mobile specific, so I had to work out quite a bit for myself during the design stages. I think they would do well to include or mix some of the examples between desktop/mobile. They mainly used one brief as an example throughout, meaning if you did one of the others it made it a bit more challenging – not necessarily a bad thing!

This may not be the best course for you if for e.g. you are a lone worker or if you have just moved to a new country, as some of the research and analysis briefs require you to get colleagues/friends/family involved.

The videos were interesting and informative, but some felt a bit long and repetitive. There were a couple of accessibility issues, mainly that when navigating to the next video it did not remember your video settings, so if you prefer to watch on a faster/slower speed or need captions, you had to switch them on every time. 

UX Design Institute’s Diploma program provided me with the confidence to be challenged in a new profession. The student service were very professional and responded within the day or even within the hour if I alined with their time zone. I enjoyed the live reviews of my work and felt like a superhero when they allowed me to present the work to an online audience who were also students, it was exactly like my past architecture studios. Constructive feedback was great, could be tougher, but I guess not everyone can take the criticism of their new works. Overall, if you are thinking to Challenge yourself to UX/UI, look for a program that is aligned with a university accreditation because you never know if you want to apply those credits to a course later on.

The content has been exactly what I expected and I was not disappointed. They go out of their way to make this as simple as possible. The team has been very responsive when asking questions on the Slack channel. When I contacted the team due to a family crisis they were completely sympathetic and agreed to pause my course time limit while I sorted my family life out. In a time of absolute chaos for me, the UXDI team was really understanding. They allowed me to start the clock where I let off. I am truly grateful. They'll never understand how helpful that was to know I could focus on my family. 

The course content was great from start to finish. When I had questions they were great on Slack ready to jump into your figma file to see if they could sort out a specific thing I was trying to do. I would recommend this course over and over again. Glad I chose UXDI. 

This was an excellent course, I knew absolutely nothing about the subject to begin with, but an old college friend was changing career and he had applied. And I heard that UX is a growth area right now, with great pay and the ability to work independently; this is important to me. 

The team at the UX Design Institute were everything that good User Experience is about. They were helpful, but firm in keeping students on track. They were polite and respectful, and also empathic. My elderly father died towards the end of the course, and the Institute was extremely empathic and supportive. I completed the course with a small extension, so I felt supported, looked after, and empowered to finish the course. 

I’m really thrilled to finally be a certified UX Professional. It was a steep learning curve at times, there was a lot of project work where I wasn’t sure what the projects could contribute to designing interfaces, as I knew nothing about UX before I took the course. In the end, it became clear what all the research was for. I’d say to prospective students, keep steaming through the process of projects; it will all make sense in the end. 

I successfully completed the Professional Diploma in UX Design. All course materials are of an exceptionally high standard, well designed, and easy to understand, this has got to be one of the best UX design online courses on the market, taking you through the entire UX process, lots of webinars, and online material produced by the experts in the field. The structured programme is flexible, and you can work at your own pace, it can be completed in 6-12months. This course far surpassed all my expectations, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And the team is friendly and very helpful. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is serious about a career in UX design and research. Dr. Nisar Ahmed PhD

UX Design Institute is excellent for studying user experience design. I recently completed the Professional Diploma in UX Design, and it was a fantastic experience. I can only recommend the program, the content, and the way it is structured and conveyed. Plenty of resources offered by the UX Design Institute help you get an interdisciplinary approach to UX Design and learn the essential UX tools and techniques necessary for practicing UX professionally. The course content and the way it is taught are amazing. All aspects of the job of UX designers are covered and treated from a variety of perspectives. The assignments are challenging as is the final exam, but this is standard in good education, so it is absolutely necessary to get a professional diploma. The assignments were all very helpful and engaging, offering deep insights in UX theory and practice.

There is also a great flexibility in learning, which is very important, though related to greater responsibility from your side because you have to organize your learning process and assignment delivery schedule. However, the UX Design Institute offers instant guidance and support if you need help with anything. They are very friendly and caring with all students and graduates, helping with valuable career insights, practical advice, and portfolio prep sessions. The UX Design Institute's Slack channel also provides additional possibilities to communicate, share and discuss your work, professional challenges, or UX UI topics with other students and academics. I would definitely only recommend the UX Design Institute to anyone planning a professional career in UX Design, it is a great choice! 

My time at Springboard was highly valuable and worthwhile. While working independently on my capstone project, I learned the fundamentals of UX design, and worked towards building a solid foundation for a career in the field. The IDP project at the end challenged my skills in a group project environment, and provided real world experience with a startup company, Dartle. This work fed into the development of my portfolio, which was further strengthened by rigorous reviews and evaluations by Springboard staff.