UX Academy: Onboarding & Getting Started

 

 

 

 

This article covers everything you need to know about onboarding and getting started with your UX Academy course—from just after enrollment to the course launch. For information about the course after it has started, check out this section.

Questions covered in this article:

 

 

 

 

 

What to expect after enrolling

If you've enrolled in UX Academy or are about to enroll, we understand that you probably have some questions regarding what happens afterwards. This article will cover everything that happens during the enrollment process, and leading up to the launch day itself.

When you enroll

  • Deposit Fee: In order to reserve your spot in UX Academy, you will pay a $399 deposit fee at the point of enrollment which will go towards your tuition. Please note that this deposit fee is required in order to enroll, and it is not the same as your Design 101 discount which is also credited towards your tuition.
  • Set up your profile: In your confirmation email after enrollment, you will be led back to the Designlab site so you can fill out your profile information.
  • Pre-course survey: This is a crucial step in the enrollment process, which will help us figure out things like your payment plan option, your mentorship preferences, etc. We need this step to be done as quickly as possible after enrollment to ensure a smooth launch process.

After enrollment

  • Tuition Confirmation: After you fill out your pre-course survey, we will send you a confirmation email which details your tuition. If anything looks off, please let us know so we can fix it.  
  • Climb Credit: If you are paying via Climb Credit, ensure that you apply ASAP since your loan will need to be approved prior to being launched.
  • Final Tuition Reminder: The Wednesday before the course start date, we will send you a final confirmation email with your tuition details in case you'd like us to make any changes (i.e. you want to change your payment plan option). Please note that in order to send this, you will need to have your pre-course survey completed.
  • Student Agreement: This is the final pre-launch communication we will send before the course start date. The Thursday before the course start date, we will send your student agreement for you to sign. This is another crucial piece that needs to be taken care of before launch, as we will not be able to fully process your enrollment unless this is signed.

Launch day

Here is what you can expect on launch day:

  • The Launch email, Mentor Introduction email, and Discord invite are sent out no later than 5 pm ET on the scheduled launch date.
  • You'll be able to access your UX Academy coursework at any point after you receive these emails, so don't worry if you aren't available that day or at that exact time.

After you receive the launch email:

  • Get acquainted with your mentor.
  • Go to your dashboard and schedule a time for your first session. 
  • Introduce yourself to your cohort channel in Slack.

After that, you're ready to dive into your work! 

Please note you won't have access to the actual coursework until your official launch date.

It's totally fine if you're not available on the start date!

You work through the online curriculum (lessons & projects) at your convenience throughout the duration of the program. The only “scheduled” portion of the program are your mentor sessions, which you'll arrange with your mentor for times that work best for both of you.

We generally say that if you can start working on the material anytime within a week after the start date then you should be able to stay on track to finish by the end.

 

Equipment & design software for UX Academy

Since our courses are focused on applying learning about design fundamentals in digital design projects, we recommend using Sketch or Figma. As well as being user-friendly and easy to learn, they are also cutting-edge, collaborative design tools used by professional UX and UI designers today.

Figma is browser-based, works on any computer, and is free for individual users. Sketch requires a Mac, and you need to buy a license—but you can get 50% off via our Perks page. (Note that you’ll only be able to access the perk once your course has started, so if you’re installing it ahead of time, get started with the trial version and upgrade later.)

To help you get started, you can learn the basics of these packages through our free Sketch 101 and Figma 101 email courses!

Here’s some other software you might be interested in exploring during your course:

As for computer hardware, you can use either Mac or PC. However, note that some packages like Sketch will only work on Mac—and Macs are still the de facto industry standard amongst designers.

 

Design tools and UX Academy

If you’re planning to take UX Academy, we expect you to have a basic understanding of the design tools listed above before starting the course. You must use an industry-standard design tool like Sketch or Figma, and it’s your responsibility to provide the software you need for the course.

You can check out all of the software discounts and special offers available to Designlab students over on our Perks page. You can also access Adobe software through a Creative Cloud subscription.

One of our goals in UX Academy is to introduce you to a range of industry-standard tools that you'll be using throughout the UX process. We want you to be comfortable picking up new tools and understanding their workflow—this is part of life as a professional UX designer. By the end of the course, you will have a personal toolkit of software that will equip you to solve design problems in the wild.

An important thing to remember is that design is not software—software is simply a tool for executing a design idea that you’ve developed. Learning to problem-solve and think like a designer is the real challenge. Any software know-how you lack is often just a Google search away!

Finally, remember that as you work through any of our courses, your mentor may be available to help with specific questions you have about design tools or how to accomplish specific tasks.

Would you like to see us offer email courses or tutorials for a specific design tool? Let us know!

 

Tips on time management

Learning how to best manage your time will help you stay on track with your course and produce your best work. We've listed some tips, tools, and techniques to help you find your unique productivity flow. 

 

Be intentional

  • Review the week's material at the beginning of each week to budget time accordingly
  • Keep an up-to-date calendar to help you visualize your time and keep track of mentor sessions and Group Crits
  • Allocate time appropriately for work (like user interviews and usability testing) that can't be done alone at home

Find your flow

  • Pay attention to when you work best: if you find you feel most creative at night, plan on doing most of your visual design work then.
  • Get to know your learning style, and experiment to see what works best for you.

Coursework tips

  • Speed up videos when you are comfortable with what you are viewing. This chrome browser extension lets you speed up HTML5 videos, even if the video player doesn't have the option.
  • Learn shortcuts in Figma, Sketch, and all other programs will make you much quicker inside of these applications due to having everything at your fingertips!
  • Stay focused on similar tasks and minimize interruptions while you work. Studies have shown that it takes 25 minutes to refocus on a task after a distraction, so snooze notifications and block out time for your work. 

Recommended tools and techniques

By deliberately scheduling and constraining tasks to a determined time frame, you can reduce procrastination and feel better about the time you spend working. Check out the following methods to help boost your productivity. 

UX Academy cohort names

Cohort Start Date Cohort Name
February 2025 Chartreuse Cohort
January 2025 Bistre Cohort
December 2024 Amethyst Cohort
November 2024 Zaffre Cohort
October 2024 Yucca Cohort
September 2024 Xanadu Cohort
August 2024 Wisteria Cohort
July 2024 Verdigris Cohort
June 2024 Ube Cohort
May 2024 Tangelo Cohort
April 2024 Skobeloff Cohort
March 2024 Regalia Cohort
February 2024 Quartz Cohort
January 2024 Periwinkle Cohort
December 2023 Onyx Cohort
November 2023 Nyanza Cohort
October 2023 Mantis Cohort
September 2023 Lilac Cohort
August 2023 Keppel Cohort
July 2023 Jade Cohort
June 2023 Indigo Cohort
May 2023 Heliotrope Cohort
April 2023 Gamboge Cohort
March 2023 Fandango Cohort
February 2023 Eucalyptus Cohort
January 2023 Dandelion Cohort
December 2022 Celadon Cohort
November 2022 Begonia Cohort
October 2022 Amaranth Cohort
September 2022 Zwart Cohort
August 2022 Yokoo Cohort
July 2022 Xabbie Cohort
June 2022 Wright Cohort
May 2022 Van Doesburg Cohort
April 2022 Uzelac Cohort
March 2022 Taillandier Cohort
February 2022 Spiekermann Cohort
January 2022 Radiohead Cohort
December 2021 Qian Xuan Cohort
November 2021 Pearsall Cohort
October 2021 Ono Cohort
September 2021 Nieminen Cohort
August 2021 Mellier Cohort
July 2021 Lustig Cohort
June 2021 Kahlo Cohort
May 2021 Janoff Cohort
April 2021 Ishioka Cohort
March 2021 Hisui Cohort
February 2021 Glaser Cohort
January 2021 Fairey Cohort
December 2020 Eisenberg Cohort
November 2020 Dwiggins Cohort
October 2020 Chwast Cohort
September 2020 Bass Cohort
August 2020 Aicher Cohort
July 2020 Zapf Cohort
June 2020 Yrsa Cohort
May 2020 Xenois Cohort
April 2020 Wingdings Cohort
March 2020 Verdana Cohort
February 2020 Univers Cohort
January 2020 Times Cohort
December 2019 Silkscreen Cohort
November 2019 Roboto Cohort
October 2019 Quadraat Cohort
September 2019 Proxima Cohort
August 2019 Optima Cohort
July 2019 Neuzeit Cohort
June 2019 Meta Cohort
May 2019 Lucida Cohort
April 2019 Korinna Cohort
March 2019 Johnston Cohort
February 2019 Industria Cohort
January 2019 Helvetica Cohort
December 2018 Garamond Cohort
November 2018 Futura Cohort
October 2018 Eaves Cohort
September 2018 Doves Cohort
August 2018 Clarendon Cohort
July 2018 Bodoni Cohort
June 2018 Avant Garde Cohort
May 2018 Zeisel Cohort
April 2018 Yoakum Cohort
March 2018 Xu Wei Cohort
February 2018 Weingart Cohort
January 2018 Vignelli Cohort
December 2017 Uccello Cohort
November 2017 Tschichold Cohort
October 2017 Scher Cohort
September 2017 Rams Cohort
August 2017 Qiu Zhijie Cohort
July 2017 Picasso Cohort
June 2017 Ora-Ito Cohort
May 2017 Norman Cohort
April 2017 Miyazaki Cohort
March 2017 Lichtenstein Cohort
February 2017 Kare Cohort
January 2017 Jenson Cohort
December 2016 Ive Cohort
November 2016 Hadid Cohort
October 2016 Gray Cohort
September 2016 Fuller Cohort
July 2016 Eames Cohort
June 2016 Disney Cohort
March 2016 Carson Cohort
December 2015 Second Cohort
August 2015 First Cohort