Designation

DESIGNATION was a great experience that is a good choice for those looking to get into the field. They are starting to get more exclusive with admissions, which bodes well for its reputation. They put a great deal of emphasis on the virtual phase, so no time is wasted in the live phase. They have stopped offering coding instruction, so beware of that if that is one of your interests. DESIGNATION is very much what you put into it. Take advantage of the resources and especially the people and network.

DESIGNATION is a very big commitment for anyone considering joining. Being without an income for four months is stressful, but the cost of the program is fair, and if you are serious about changing or advancing your career it is totally worth it. 

The program is broken into three phases. During the Virtual Phase you work remotely. I was able to maintain a job during this part of the program. Most people don’t necessarily recommend having a job during this time, but I would actually recommend working at least part time because it allowed me to be used to the long days that you’ll be putting in during the Immersion and Client Phases of the program. 

Overall the course work brings you through the entirety of the UX and UI process, so you’ll get experience with everything. You move very quickly so you may find times where you would have liked to focus on something a bit longer (for me it was the UX research and interviewing), but you have unstructured time at the end of each day that you can carve out for that on your own.

When you move from a project that requires you to perform every step (the Immersion Phase) to working with actual clients (the Client Phase), the program really excels in giving you the opportunity to determine what is appropriate for multiple individual projects, something that other programs are lacking. I came from working in an agency environment, so I am confident that that skill is something employers are really looking for. 

The instructors are extremely helpful in a way that really sets the program apart from traditional academic environments. They are friendly, approachable, and make an effort to be available to students. 

I understand that everyone works differently, but one thing I would have liked would have been more focus on establishing an efficient workflow, even if it was just a template that I can build from on my own.

Overall, I would highly recommend DESIGNATION to anyone who is seriously considering entering the industry. You get what you put in, and you’re surrounded by great people that are trying to do the same. 

The key to success at the program is that you get what you put into it.  I was so lucky that my fellow students were all hardworking and we pushed each other to improve at a crazy fast pace, because other cohorts before/after us didn't seem to have made as much progress or done as well after the program as we did. 

In terms of job support, it really works the same way the program does – you get what you put into it. The resources are all there, and the program did a great job with introducing us to the design community, especially when we did studio tours of various companies around Chicago. The Community Director is really wonderful and definitely made me feel very prepared. I'm really happy with where I am now and am so, so grateful to have been able to make such a big change to my career in a short amount of time. 

TLDR - the program gives you all the resources you need to succeed, but it comes down to the work you put into it

I recently graduated from the Ruby Cohort. Really great experience. DESIGNATION offers a wealth of suport from industry professionals who are more than willing to take their time to give lectures and one-on-one advice. The pace is fast and intense, but if you put the time in and embrace the experience it will prepare you for an exciting new career. The staff do a great job getting you ready for the real-world and really stress the soft skills of how to talk about yourself as a designer, your work, and your experince. The one thing DESIGNATION offers that none of the other bootcamps can compete with is the opportunity to work with two clients and design for real-life applications and products. If you're thinking about a UX/UI bootcamp, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DESIGNATION. 

DESIGNATION was a really amazing experience for me. There are so many resources, instructors, and mentors to tap into and guide you throughtout the learning process. It's fast paced, but really rewarding. I feel very secure in my skillset, and although I know it's only the beginning of my career, DESIGNATION has provided me with a firm foundation upon which I can confidently build upon.

People that didn't have such a great experience in my cohort seemed to expect DESIGNATION to do the work for them. Don't come here expecting to be spoon-fed UX/UI skills. Come here expecting to do work.

That said, you're most definitely not alone - your fellow students, instructors and mentors provide such good assistance, guidance, and teaching. As you're doing the work, you're learning and growing. By the end of the process, you'll have learned and grown so much.

DESIGNATION is one of the best decisions I have made for my career. What set this program apart from other available options was their focus on students gaining real experience working with clients, collaborating with team members, and creating projects within a fast, iterative timeline. They definitely delivered. 

Even after having graduated the program I find that it keeps adding value as I continue my career as a designer. They have built an amazing active community for both students and alumni. It is a great resource for news, mentorship, advice, job opportunities, etc. 

The program itself is iterative and constantly changing based on feedback from students. These changes are driven by a team who is passionate about what they do and who work hard to deliver an engaging experience as well as results for its students. 

I graduated from the Obsidian Cohort in March 2016 and got a job offer about a month after. I spend a great deal of time looking at other bootcamp programs before finally deciding to attend DESIGNATION. I even left New York to spend a very cold winter in Chicago - that's how great the curriculum is. Unlike other programs, DESIGNATION is a full-stack program; which means that you'll learn UX, visual design, AND front-end dev. This is crucial in today's job market, as companies are looking for designers who have multiple skills.

Not only is the curriculum great, I love the people I met during the program. It's great to be surrounded by people with similar goals and interests. As some of the other reviews have mentioned, yes the hours are long and at times you will be stressed out but it's definitely worth it!