Announcing DigitalCrafts' UX Design Bootcamp

Today, I'm excited to announce something that we've been working on for some time. To complement our web development programs, we are now offering UX Design bootcamps! The first class will kick off this fall, and we're looking forward to expanding our trainings to serve even more students across the country.

What Is UX Design?

UX designers make everyday products, services and technology as user-friendly and accessible as possible. UX design focuses on the structure behind the elements a user interacts with. For example, a UX designer is responsible for deciding how a button should perform when a user clicks it. Drawing upon user research, psychology and design, UX designers focus on more than usability—they also make products efficient and fun to use, too.

What You'll Learn in Our UX Design Bootcamp

We're starting with a full-time option for our UX programs, with part-time UX training beginning in 2022. Here's what you'll learn in class.

UX Design Fundamentals: During your first two weeks, you will gain a core understanding of UX research. You will learn different UX research methods and how to present your findings.

Information Architecture: In this module, you will assess the structure of an existing website. You will learn the fundamentals of information architecture and how to apply it to content strategy.

UI Design: You will gain understanding of visual design fundamentals and learn how to apply them in order to create hi-fidelity wireframes for various user interfaces. You will also redesign an existing mobile application to delight and surprise target users.

Interaction Design: Building upon previous lessons in visual hierarchy and journey mapping, you will create interactions that guide users. You will learn to create micro-interactions and how to measure the success of those interactions.

UX Engineering: You will learn the basics of web development and how to communicate with a developer. Using Webflow, you will begin working on your custom online portfolio.

Design Leadership: You will build your portfolio, write an article about UX, and practice interviewing for your first job as a UX designer.

Throughout the course, you'll learn how to do user research, build personas and how to create user journeys, in addition to sitemapping and mental modeling. You'll also learn about usability testing, wireframes and accessibility, plus we'll teach you how to put your work together in a way that ensures a smooth handoff to the developers who will build your designs in your next job as a UX designer. Each module includes a project that you'll build either on your own or in a group.

Applying to Our UX Design Bootcamp

The admissions and financing options for our UX programs will look much the same as they do for our web development programs. The admissions process is just two steps:

• Submit your application
• Meet with our team to make sure it's a fit for both sides

Upon your acceptance, we'll send you an email with details about next steps like submitting your deposit and the pre-work you'll need to complete before your class begins.

Paying For Your UX Design Bootcamp

You have a handful of payment options when it comes to your tuition:

• You can pay your tuition upfront using a check, debit card or credit card. We'll send you an invoice about two weeks before your class starts if you choose this option.
• You can finance your tuition using either of our preferred lenders, or you may choose another lender of your preference. Learn more about your financing options.
• Scholarships are available, including our You Belong in Tech scholarship, a $1MM fund that offers partial scholarships to all Black, Latinx and women students—no essay required.

If you're not sure which payment option is right for you, that's ok! You can decide after you apply, and you can change your mind until class begins. Note: We are currently able to accept some VA funding for our web development program, but are not yet eligible to do so for our UX Design bootcamps.

Finally, special pricing is available just for the first cohort—and if you're an alumnus, you'll get 20% off your tuition.

Getting the Job After Graduation

Students in our UX Design program will get the same support from our Student Success team that all other students receive. Our Student Success Team will provide you with as much guidance as possible, including the opportunity for mock interview practice, resume reviews and lectures on strengthening your online presence. They will also coach you in creating a portfolio that clearly demonstrates your new skill set to employers, showing off all that you've learned in our program.

Job titles you might expect to receive in your first UX role include UX Designer, Junior Product Designer, UI Designer or UX Researcher.

How to Get Started

To get started, read more about the program and apply when you're ready. We can't wait to see you in class!