Updated in 2023
- What does DesignerUp do?
- Who is DesignerUp for?
- What does DesignerUp cost?
- Ratings and reviews of DesignerUp
- Alternatives to DesignerUp
- How does DesignerUp compare to Pathrise?
What does DesignerUp do?
DesignerUp is an online bootcamp that helps people learn the necessary skills to get a job as a product or user experience (UX) designer. By the end of the course, students develop a deeper understanding of UI/UX visual design, product design, and marketing strategy.
The curriculum features 74 video lessons, downloadable resources, exercises, quizzes, and a capstone project. Ultimately, participants can include their finished projects in their portfolios. During the program, students move through 11 modules at their own pace. The lessons cover topics such as design thinking, UX research & design, project & business requirements, as well as UI design, branding, and more.
1-on-1 mentorship is available as needed through DesignerUp’s private Slack channel and community Facebook group. But, mentors do not provide job-seeking assistance. Most students take about 60 hours to complete the course.
In addition to their bootcamp, DesignerUp has free webinars and blog posts. They cover topics such as transitioning from graphic design to UX design, launching a career in product design, creating a portfolio, best UI practices, and more.
Who is DesignerUp for?
People who have no experience in design and are looking to move into careers in product and UX design could benefit from the DesignerUp bootcamp. Those with design experience in a related discipline like graphic or visual design or who are already working as an entry-level UI/UX designer can participate in this course or one of their free resources to brush up on the basics and learn new skills.
What does DesignerUp cost? How much work is involved?
Tuition for DesignerUp is $497. Students have access to the course, including the free updates, forever.
To apply, candidates create an account and make their first payment. Students must pay with a credit or debit card.
Ratings and reviews
There are not a lot of reviews online for DesignerUp, but from what was found, they are generally positive. Reviewers on SwitchUp benefited from the organized curriculum and 1-on-1 mentorship. One grad noted that her mentor “was guiding my project from the very beginning and gave me valuable feedback that I could implement easily and get immediate results.”
Another reviewer coming from a graphic design background said they “already had some experience with the visual and branding so that part of the course was familiar content, but I learned a lot of shortcuts and discovered so many resources that I never knew about before.” One Reddit grad reports that the program is “well worth the price” and that “the coursework and overall philosophy directly connect with the business and marketing side of design which is of course valuable.”
Alternatives to DesignerUp
There are a number of alternative bootcamps and online resources that can help aspiring product and user experience designers, if they decide not to enroll in DesignerUp.
- Aspiring designers can consider Designlab. Similarly, it is an online bootcamp that teaches the necessary skills to land a job as a UX designer. Read more about Designlab in our review.
- One of the most well known bootcamps is General Assembly. They offer full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on a variety of topics like UX design, software engineering, data science, digital marketing, product management, and more. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
- Similarly, Skillcrush, Interaction Design Foundation, Helio Training, V School, and UX Design Institute are online bootcamps and resources with tracks in product design and other subjects.
- Or, they can look at Bloc and Big Nerd Ranch. Both cover web dev and design, but Bloc is online and Big Nerd Ranch is on campus.
- In addition, UX Pro Academy has courses for beginners as well as more experienced people. Other options are Beginex, Design Sprint School, and Memorisely, which are UX design bootcamps with part-time courses.
- Students can also consider Kenzie Academy. A full-time tech bootcamp, Kenzie offers in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design and front-end engineering. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- Another option is Flatiron School, which offers online and in-person courses in UX design, software engineering, and more topics.
- Likewise, Prime Digital Academy has full-time and part-time courses in UX design and software engineering.
- HackDesign sends weekly design lessons right to your inbox for free, which can be beneficial for product designers at any stage.
More alternatives
- You can check out Udacity and Springboard. These are online educational platforms that students can use to brush up on the basics or advance their current tech skills. Read more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews.
- edX is one of the largest online learning platforms. They have courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
- Students can also consider Coursera, Udemy, Learn UX, or Pluralsight which offer courses on a variety of topics ranging in price.
- GrowthX Academy is an online bootcamp with courses in growth marketing, UX design, and sales and business development.
- Students located in the Bay Area or looking to work in Silicon Valley can check out Tradecraft, which has tracks in product design, growth marketing, engineering, and sales.
- Similarly, Miami Ad School and Avocademy have marketing and design courses where students can build portfolio projects.
- Finally, University of Arizona Bootcamps has design, web dev, and data courses online and on campus.
How does DesignerUp compare to Pathrise?
DesignerUp is an online bootcamp that offers courses for people who want to develop the skills to become a designer from scratch. At Pathrise, fellows in our program should already have some background in their field of interest. This is so that they can participate fully in our workshops, which prepare students for the questions they will see in their technical interviews.
Pathrise helps you land the best possible job. Our mentors have years of experience on both sides of the hiring table. Fellows receive 1-on-1 support every step of the way. Pathrise focuses on technical and behavioral interviewing, as well as resume and LinkedIn optimization, portfolio building, reverse recruiting lessons, and negotiation guidance.
Our program is flexible. There are only 2-4 hours of sessions per week. Fellows can schedule 1-on-1 sessions whenever they need them. Our curriculum is personalized to address each fellow’s specific needs. The Pathrise income share agreement means that fellows don’t pay anything until they starting working at a job they love and we never require upfront payments or deposits.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps students land their dream job in tech through 1-on-1 mentorship. If you are interested in working with any of our mentors to get help with the technical and behavioral interviews or any other aspect of the job search, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
