How to choose the best UI/UX Design Course or Bootcamp in 2022?

Can I get a job in UI/UX without a degree or any previous experience? How to build a UX portfolio with no experience? Shall I join a course or Bootcamp? There are so many available online courses and Bootcamps, how can I choose the right one for me?

Being a UI/UX beginner, you might be a bit overwhelmed. But don’t worry! I will give you a lot of tips and recommendations as a senior UX designer/mentor and the founder of Flowhack, so that you can kickstart your learning journey!

Can I get a job in UI/UX without a degree or any previous experience?

Most hiring managers don’t expect a college degree from a UI/UX designer but they do expect to see a great portfolio as well as strong technical and teamwork skills.

The students I’ve mentored all had no degree or previous experience in UI/UX and were doing all kinds of other jobs before. Despite that, they have successfully landed their first designer jobs, so the answer is YES! I’ve also collected some of the best portfolios from my students which are all completed within a few months and they are now UI/UX designers.

In my other article, you will find a step by step guide to get your first job in UX design: How to become a UX designer from scratch?

I need to build a UX portfolio from scratch, where shall I start?

For career-changers with little to zero  UX design experience, a strong portfolio holds the key to stepping into this new career. Therefore I’ve provided a detailed guide in my other article: How to create a UX design portfolio with no work experience? Remember: A good UX portfolio is about showing the process, not only the end result.

Shall I join an online course or Bootcamp?

Yes! Structured training and hands-on exercises give you a more systematic understanding of all aspects of UI/UX design and the process of real projects, so I highly recommend it.

Do online courses provide you with enough knowledge to get into a UI/UX design?

Online courses are a great start to learn UI/UX design. They are mostly self-paced and quite affordable so you could study besides your current job. I have taught myself UI/UX through online courses, however, my university degree is in industrial design so I already had a design portfolio.

If you are coming from a non-design background, then I recommend you to first complete an online course and get some basic knowledge, then find a mentor or join a Bootcamp so that you can work on projects and get professional feedback to improve your work.

Some high-quality online courses that I’ve taken with certifications which you could add to your LinkedIn profile:

Interaction Design Foundation courses (Flowhack is an education partner of IDF and you get 3 months free with this 25 % discount link)
Coursera — Google UX Design Certificate

Bootcamps cost a lot more, is it worth the investment?

Bootcamps are designed to help you build a portfolio and get a job in UI/UX field. By the end of the program, you will achieve an amazing portfolio with 1 on 1 mentor support and job preparation.

If you have the budget and time, it’s worth to invest in a Bootcamp to fast track your transition into a UX designer.

Here are the Bootcamps that I mentor at and can recommend:

*DesignLab UX foundation or UX academy*
Duration: 1 month or 4–7 months, starts every month; Cost: $499 or $6,250
Format: 4 case studies + weekly mentor video calls + group critiques + tasks reviews + career coach support + job guarantee + certification

Review: Designlab offers short courses on UX design, UI design and UX research, as well as 28 weeks UX academy. If you aren’t sure about quitting your current job and transition into UX design, this short course is perfect for you. You will be working on a case study with hands-on support from a mentor so that you can get a good idea about the design process. Their UX academy offers group critiques as well as weekly mentor calls which can be very nice to get feedback from both sides and their coursework submission platform enables you to get detailed written feedback from the mentor. This Bootcamp is great for complete beginners. 
( $500 off tuition discount link)

*Flowhack UI/UX design Bootcamp*
Duration: 3 or 6 months, starts 2 times a month; Cost: €390 per month
Format: 14 modules + 3 case studies + weekly mentor video calls + tasks reviews + career coach support+ mock-up interviews + slack peer group

Review: Most of the Bootcamps aren’t so affordable and some students still don’t manage to find a job after graduation. Flowhack UI/UX Bootcamps are personalized to students’ level and goals and helps them build a portfolio that stands out and get a job in UI/UX. The 6 months track is perfect for beginners or self-learners who want to land a job and 3 months tracks are for those who already have a portfolio and need job search support or want to get a remote job or freelance work. Flowhack graduates job success rate is relatively high because of its small size and high-quality mentorship.
(5% off tuition discount link, code: Flow22)

*Springboard UI/UX design or UX design Bootcamp*
Duration: 6 months or 10 months, starts every month; Cost: $7,150 or $11150

Format: 3 case studies + weekly mentor video calls + industry projects+ tasks reviews + career coach support + job guarantee + certification

Review: Springboard UI/UX or UX Bootcamp offers a 40-hour industry project where you get to work in a company and gain real work experience. Their UX track requires you to have at least 1-year previous design experience and their UI/UX track for complete beginners is 9 months and cost a bit more. Having real project experience is a big bonus during your job search so I would recommend this if it’s within your budget. Their curriculum is comprehensive and follows product design process.

($750 off tuition discount link, code: EK4XQ)

*CareerFoundry Intro to UX or UX design Bootcamp*
Duration: 1 month or 7–10 months, starts 2 times a month; Cost: €5325 
Format: 6 modules + 3 case studies + mentor video calls + tutor and career coach support + tasks reviews + job guarantee + certification

Review: CareerFoundry Bootcamp takes the longest to complete because their curriculum is quite comprehensive which also covers product management knowledge. You can also choose an extra specialization such as UI design or web development which are very useful add-on skills. They offer good support and feedback with mentors, tutors and career advisors. The drawback is that you have to choose one of the few case study briefs they provided.
(5% off tuition discount link)

Most importantly

2. 1. To start with, set your goal, budget, availability, evaluate your current experience level and if you need job guarantee, talk to those who are or have enrolled in the courses or Bootcamps, then you can decide which ones suit you the most.

3. 2. If you are looking for your first UI/UX design job, your portfolio, technical and interview skills are the key to a successful career transition. What the companies look for is a fast learner and a great team player who can apply a user-centred design process.

4. 3. Last but not least, this would be a rewarding journey and you’ve made a great decision to transition to a UX designer! Wish you lots of success