The UX Career Track, which we launched in September, is more than just an online bootcamp. With input from hiring managers, industry experts, and our own community of mentors, we designed the course to be a transformational experience, to help students not just learn new skills, but to think and act like UX designers.
The career-focused curriculum prepares you to start your career in UX design. When you graduate, you’ll have mastered design thinking, developed cross-functional communication skills, and created real-world projects that you can show off in a unique portfolio.
That’s important.
A common complaint we hear from UX hiring managers is that they receive cookie-cutter portfolios. We want every Springboard graduate to have a portfolio that stands out, so in addition to several mini-projects and one larger capstone, you’ll be matched with an outside company to complete a 40-hour project that will solve a real business problem.
We’re calling this first-of-its-kind initiative the Industry Design Project.
Through this work, you will:
- Gain real-world experience collaborating with a design team or working directly with a client for four weeks
- Dive deeper into an area of the UX design process you’re especially interested in: competitive research, user research, usability testing, redesign recommendations
- Distinguish yourself from other bootcamp graduates by building a personalized portfolio
These projects are sourced from an exceptional group of partner organizations: AngelHack, Berkeley SkyDeck, Alchemist Accelerator, and M12 (formerly Microsoft Ventures).
AngelHack is a hackathon and innovation management organization that has introduced hackathons, virtual competitions, accelerator programs, meetups, and developer marketing to more than 100 cities around the globe. Its community of developers, startups, and entrepreneurs is over 160,000 people strong. Co-founded in 2011 by Sabeen Ali, advisors include Mark Cuban, Ben Parr, and Frank Vial.
One of the first in-house public research university accelerator programs, SkyDeck Berkeley is the startup launchpad for UC Berkeley-affiliated entrepreneurs. Founded in 2012, SkyDeck’s more than 115 advisors and 27 partners give back to the program’s SkyTeams in the form of mentorship, as well as legal, financial, and technical resources.
The Alchemist Accelerator is a venture-backed initiative focused on supporting the development of seed-stage ventures whose revenue comes from enterprises. Launched in 2012, it recently held its 20th demo day and counts MightyHive, LaunchDarkly, and Matternet among its alumni.
M12 is the venture capital arm of Microsoft, offering early B2B companies access to the tech giant’s ecosystem. Launched in 2016, the organization’s more than 70 investments include Bonsai, Comfy, and Frame.
Many of the portfolio companies from these accelerators have raised millions of dollars and launched cutting-edge products across every category—and now they are eager to work with UX Career Track students.
“Springboard helps AngelHack startups advance their skills and their careers with their online workshops, classes, and mentors,” said AngelHack’s Shanen Lautan. “We’re more than happy to partner with a company that offers education for individuals in the tech and business industry.”
If you’re looking for a flexible, mentor-guided UX course that emphasizes hands-on learning, consider the UX Career Track. Through the Industry Design Project and other practical work, you’ll graduate with a personalized portfolio that will set you up for success.
If you’re interested in partnering with us to get exclusive access to pro bono UX talent for your company’s next project, you can find out more here. And you can reach out directly to Siya at partnerships@springboard.com.
Since you’re here…
Are you a future UX designer? Enroll in our UI/UX Bootcamp and join over 10,000 students who have successfully changed careers with us. Want to get wireframing right this second? Check out our free UX design course today.
