1. UX Academy Foundations

Designlab's UX Academy Foundations is great for both creatives and those looking to pivot into a visual design career from elsewhere. As a graphic designer, I was looking to gain Figma and UI design skills to support my general visual design career experience, and was satisfied with the Designlab curriculum overall. The frequently-updated curriculum has thorough units on design, AI, and UI/UX foundational principles paired with easy to follow Figma tutorials, and allows for regular student feedback. The course pacing is flexible, and admissions is happy to work with you to reasonably adapt as needed. Each student is assigned a seasoned mentor experienced in UI/UX design.

It was amazing. The course was well structured and easy to go through. I developed foundational skills in Figma. My mentor was also ammazing! I definitely recommend someone to do this course if they are really interested in UX UI. 

I had a great experience in this class. The structure of the class is very organized and the volume of work is enough for you to learn the material but not overwhelming. It's organized in bite sized chunks which makes you feel like you are making steady progress though the class. The mentorship aspect is the most valuable piece in my opinion. Being able to get feedback from a professional in the field truly accelerated my learning process and there are several key areas where I wouldn't have improved as much if not for my mentor. All in all, I would definitely recommend for anyone trying to either break into design or just for getting familiar with the basics. No previous experience need to get started.

I took this course to start familiarizing myself with Figma and found it to be a great way to get started in the program. I already have many years of design background so I found that part very repetitive, however the 1:1 mentor program they have where you can get questions answered and chat with a design professional was extremely valuable to me! I really enjoyed the step-by-step approach and the interface Designlab has is super user-friendly.

The curriculum was full of great information and links for further reading, but it is also encouraged that you get through this information as quick as possible. Most of the units consist of lots of reading (called lessons) and then a Figma exercise to apply the learning at the end, followed by a quiz. I think this approach can be improved with more checks for understanding throughout the unit, and more opportunities to practice learning in-between lessons. The mentorship and community aspect are great. Throughout the course, you can see what others are submitting and even see the feedback that they get and how they address it. I found it really helpful for my learning and it made the experience as a student feel more traditional.

The program offers very well explained content with a lot of videos, making the learning process approachable even for beginners. Each topic is clearly explained in text, and there is also the option to listen to the material, which adds flexibility to how you study. One of the biggest advantages is the frequent meetings with mentors, which provide guidance, feedback, and motivation throughout the program. Additionally, there is a strong focus on practical work in Figma, including real-time collaboration, allowing you to learn efficiently and apply your skills in a realistic design environment.

I completed UX Academy Foundations as part of my transition into product design, and it was an excellent experience. The program helped me build a strong understanding of UX principles, visual hierarchy, and responsive design.The mentorship was one of the most valuable parts. My mentor provided clear, actionable feedback that helped me improve both my design work and my thinking process. This made a huge difference in my confidence.The curriculum is well structured and focused on practical, real-world skills. By the end, I completed a full responsive project with desktop and mobile designs and a documented design process.I would highly recommend UX Academy Foundations to anyone serious about starting a career in UX or product design, especially career changers.

Completing this online UX Design Foundations bootcamp was a great experience. The course was easy to follow, well-organized, and provided a strong introduction to key UX principles like usability, user research, and design thinking. It helped me build a solid foundation and gave me confidence to continue learning and exploring UX design further.

I'm an educated and experienced professional making a career transition to UX Design. But my biggest obstacle was lacking any experience with Figma. UX Academy Foundations not only provided me the opportunity to learn to navigate comfortably in Figma, but it also did an excellent job refreshing me on design principles I'd studied in college decades ago, while also challenging me to do more than what was expected just to get through the course. Because ultimately, my goal is the knowledge itself, not just the certificate. And I feel confident now continuing on into UX Academy with what I've learned so far.

The class plan is very well thought out, I was able to learn at my own pace and am very satisfied with the overall Curriculum. The classes are broken down per week, and the time estimates are pretty acurate. Also, having access to individual meetings with a mentor is also a big plus.

I started my UX/UI design journey with no prior experience or formal background in design, simply driven by an interest in shifting my career path. The experience was both challenging and rewarding. What truly stood out was the weekly mentorship sessions that kept me on track. The mentors were incredibly helpful, offering valuable guidance and constructive feedback, which made a big difference when I hit roadblocks.At times, I struggled to grasp certain design concepts, but the structured pace of the course and the consistent support I received made those moments manageable. I appreciated how the course balanced theory and practical projects. Working on hands-on projects allowed me to apply what I was learning in real time, and that made the process much more engaging and valuable. Despite the difficulties, I could see myself growing and improving each week, which kept me motivated.What I loved most was how much I learned about the essential elements of UX/UI design—everything from user research to wireframing and prototyping. Even with no background in design, I felt equipped with the necessary skills by the end of the course.Though I had a great time, I’m still unsure about committing to the next step with the UX academy. I’m particularly interested in exploring AI visual design and would love to know more about what the academy offers in this area.All in all, I’d rate my experience 4.7/5. It was a great introduction to UX/UI design, offering mentorship, practical skills, and a solid foundation for anyone wanting to make a career shift like I did.

The Designlab course was a fantastic way to get my first look at UI/UX. The curriculum is broken down into bite-sized units that are easy to follow, and the videos are incredibly helpful for visualizing the concepts and following along with the concepts.What I appreciated most is that the program went beyond just the core UI/UX principles. It provided a wealth of additional resources and helped me sharpen my overall design skills, including how to give and receive effective critique.The best part was the one-on-one mentor. My mentor was not only inspiring and supportive but also incredibly helpful. The feedback she gave was invaluable, and she provided me with additional resources that made everything click.I'd highly recommend this course to anyone who is curious about UI/UX!

My experience with Designlab has been excellent. The mentorship from highly experienced designers gave me invaluable guidance and motivation. I especially valued the timely feedback, the active Discord community with workshops, and the inclusion of AI-related content alongside structured learning materials. The foundations course was intense but rewarding, it pushed me to improve quickly and prepared me well for UX Academy. I’d highly recommend it to anyone serious about growing as a designer.

I recently finished DesignLab’s UX Academy Foundations, and overall I think it’s a great starting point if you’re new to design and want some structure. The biggest value for me was the mentorship—having a designer actually look at my projects and give real feedback made a huge difference compared to just learning from YouTube or articles. The projects are hands-on, and by the end I had work I could actually show in a portfolio, which felt motivating. The community and peer critiques also helped keep me on track and accountable, especially on weeks when I felt stuck.That said, it’s not perfect. Most of the material is self-paced readings rather than live teaching, so if you prefer video lessons or a classroom vibe, this might feel a bit dry. Your experience also depends a lot on your mentor—mine was super engaged, but I’ve heard from others that it can be hit or miss. The workload is very doable, but it does get intense if you’re working full-time, so you need to plan your schedule carefully.Overall, I’d say it’s worth the price if you want accountability, feedback, and a clear path into design. If you’re highly self-motivated, you could probably learn the basics elsewhere for cheaper, but for me, the structure and mentorship made it a solid investment and a good steppingstone toward the full UX Academy.

Pros:- I enjoyed working on the projects assigned for this course, especially as this is an intro with Foundations, you do not need to have a lot of design knowledge to get started. - Mentorship and connections I built through this community is also incredible, it's always good to have a direct line with someone who is well versed in the career and can help you succeed with your hands on projects. - Feedback and criticism sessions are also really important and help designers learn, having this was a main factor for me. - Having a mentor and deadlines helped keep me accountable. - Formal learning plans and structure is helpful when there's a lot of material already on the internet so having it formulated in one space is useful for those that do not know where to start.Cons: - Hard to motivate yourself when the courses are online and self paced, you can slip behind if you do not have the willpower to complete. - Some of the material was referenced outside of Designlab and can seem like I can do a lot of the teaching on my own without the bootcamp. - Can be hit or miss with the mentor you are assigned with, sometimes you just do not connect with your mentor, whether it's personality or design styles. Nothing wrong with that but it can add additional stress when you are unable to connect/ understand your mentor's point of view. 

I loved the relevant and hands-on learning style offered in UX Foundations. The lessons were straightforward, easy to understand, and also practical for your ongoing assignments and projects. They're incredibly supportive and attentive to any concerns you have as the course goes on, anything from curriculum questions to checking in on how you're doing with your mentor. I was able to express a desire to swap mentors early on in the course, and they were so helpful in matching me with someone who had the exact coaching approach that was more compatible with my goals and learning style. 

 I have been learning UI/UX design for around a year, mainly from YouTube videos and other free resources. Then I decided to invest in my education and bought this course (I got it with a discount for $399). Looking back, I regret not doing this earlier—it gave me structure, and I learned the creative flow I wouldn’t have learned from randomly reading posts and watching videos. It wasn’t free, and you need to work on it, but even with some previous experience in web design, this was a huge leap for me. 

 The Foundation course offers a well-rounded and holistic structure that has significantly contributed to my growth and confidence as a learner. Each component of the curriculum is thoughtfully designed to build a strong foundation in UX design, from understanding basic principles to applying them in real-world scenarios. The progression of topics is smooth and logical, allowing me to absorb concepts at a comfortable pace while gradually increasing in complexity. 

I took this class to discern whether or not to pursue a career change into Product Design. This class definitely helped me make a decision! It is a very intense course for an intro or foundations class; I didn't expect it to be so detailed!  The class goes deep enough to help you decide whether or not you want to continue on to the longer, more rigorous Academy or not without making too much of a financial investment. I thought the class was well worth the money, and the staff were very supportive and encouraging.One thing to be aware of is that there is a lot of online reading; I expected there to be more videos and fewer articles (although there are videos, too).  Also, this class is  — perhaps like most things in life — entirely what you make of it. There are opportunities to get extra help with Office Hours, and to get your work reviewed by peers, but they are all optional. It's up to you to decide if you will take advantage of these opportunities or not. Even though I ultimately decided not to continue on to Academy, I'm still really glad I took this class. I have much more empathy for the designers on my team at work now, and I learned A TON! I hope to still incorporate what I learned into my daily work life in a less formal way. I'd recommend this class to anyone interested in the topic.

The UX Academy Foundations class was excellent. The content was well-structured and clearly presented. Each lesson included additional resources for those who wanted to dive deeper into the subject, and I found the material to be up-to-date.Working 1:1 with a mentor was a fantastic experience. It allowed me to get answers to my questions quickly and pushed me to think more critically. In addition to the mentor support, there was a great network of students and instructors available through Discord.Overall, this was a well-designed, engaging introductory class. Highly recommended!