{"id":8241,"date":"2019-02-05T13:19:24","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T18:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=8241"},"modified":"2024-02-05T14:59:38","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T19:59:38","slug":"how-to-prepare-for-a-ux-design-diploma-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/how-to-prepare-for-a-ux-design-diploma-program","title":{"rendered":"How to Prepare for a UX Design Diploma Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s an exciting time to be a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/what-is-ux-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User Experience (UX) Designer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the demand for easy-to-use and accessible digital products grows, employers are looking for candidates who can research, understand and analyze user needs \u2014 skills you can learn in BrainStation\u2019s 12-week <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/course\/online\/remote-user-experience-design-bootcamp\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User Experience Design Full-Time diploma program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We asked BrainStation\u2019s Admissions Specialist Adriana Baiz about what to expect and how to prepare for a User Experience Design Full-Time Diploma program.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"lead-grid-container\">\n<div class=\"lead__card\">\n<div class=\"lead__image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hide--mobile\" src=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Design3.jpg\" alt=\"Icon\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"lead__content\">\n<p id=\"lead__heading\" class=\"heading--4\">Become a UX Designer in just 12 weeks!<\/p>\n<p class=\"lead__description\">BrainStation&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/course\/online\/remote-user-experience-design-bootcamp?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=BlogPost&amp;utm_campaign=blogLead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">User Experience Diploma Program<\/a> is a full-time, 12-week program that equips professionals with the skills and experience to start a new career in design.<\/p>\n<p id=\"lead__button--margin\"><a id=\"lead__button--hover\" class=\"lead__button\" href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/book-call\/user-experience-immersive?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=BlogPost&amp;utm_campaign=blogLead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Speak to a Learning Advisor<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><b>What are the Admissions Requirements? <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students entering the User Experience Design Full-Time diploma program are required to have a high school diploma (most of our students have a bachelor\u2019s degree) and complete the Prep Course challenge and a live video interview with a member of the Admissions team. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe User Experience Design Full-Time Prep Course is focused around organizing information, and helps determine whether the program will be a good fit,\u201d says Baiz. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">English language proficiency is also a requirement for taking a diploma program at BrainStation. Read more about language requirements and how to attend BrainStation as an international student in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/how-to-attend-a-bootcamp-as-an-international-student\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this blog post<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What Will I Learn During the Program?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BrainStation&#8217;s User Experience Design Full-Time program is designed to get students career-ready through project-based learning, resulting in an industry-ready portfolio at the end of 12 weeks. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe program begins with two weeks of online learning to ensure students get a strong understanding of the building blocks and fundamentals,\u201d says Baiz. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, students dive into hands-on learning opportunities that cover design research and strategy, prototyping and usability testing, user interface design, and responsive design. Students can expect to spend around 40 hours in the classroom, as well as 20 to 25 hours per week to complete projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our program materials are constantly being updated to ensure students are ready to enter the industry after graduation,\u201d says Baiz.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>I Don\u2019t Have Any Design Experience. Is This Program Right for Me? <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design experience isn\u2019t required but always a plus! A background in psychology or the social sciences is common, but above all Baiz recommends prospective students spend time understanding and researching what is user experience design before enrolling. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User experience design is often an umbrella term that incorporates many aspects of digital product design. While the program will prepare students to apply the fundamental methodologies of design thinking as an organizational framework for identifying human-centered design opportunities, students who immerse themselves in this mindset early, set themselves for success during the program. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>I Am a Designer. Is This Program Right for Me? <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The short answer is yes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Designers with UX skills can gain a competitive edge in the job market. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As design-driven businesses are currently some of the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/4-examples-of-design-led-companies\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> top-performing companies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the curriculum is created with <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the needs of the marketplace in mind.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A well-executed design considers not only the function and look of a product but the user\u2019s response.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA lot of Graphic Designers are attracted to user experience design. First, because it\u2019s pretty much the future of design, and second, it leans more towards strategy as opposed to just design. For example, UX Designers consider factors like accessibility within a digital product. It takes design to the next level,\u201d says Baiz. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What Tools Will I Need for the Program?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students entering BrainStation\u2019s User Experience Design Full-Time program are required to have a Mac computer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Prep Course challenge can be done in any software the student feels comfortable using, but by the time the program starts, students are expected to use Sketch which requires a MacOS system to operate,\u201d says Baiz. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students will be using industry user experience design tools like InVision and Sketch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHave you played around with programs like InVision, Sketch, or Photoshop? Are you comfortable with the idea of navigating and teaching yourself new software? While it\u2019s not a requirement, getting familiar with the software used in the program helps to make the learning curve smoother,\u201d says Baiz. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What Kind of Job Can I Get after the Program?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDepending on their background, students typically start in a junior UX\/UI position,\u201d says Baiz. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, BrainStation alum Gigi worked in wealth management before switching careers and landing a job as a UX Researcher at Shopify. Mike, another BrainStation alum and former Art Director, used skills learned in the program to get a job as a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI\/UX Designer at Air Canada. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\nInterested in the full-time\u00a0<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/course\/online\/remote-user-experience-design-bootcamp\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User Experience Design<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> diploma program? BrainStation\u2019s learning advisors are here to help. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/course\/online\/remote-user-experience-design-bootcamp\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schedule a call<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to learn more.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Find out what a BrainStation Admissions Specialist has to say about what to expect and how to prepare for the program. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8244,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[158,157],"tags":[385,190,122],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Prepare for a UX Design Diploma Program<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Looking for a new career in user experience (UX) design? An intensive diploma program is the best way to start. Here&#039;s how to prepare for a UX design diploma program.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/how-to-prepare-for-a-ux-design-diploma-program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Prepare for a UX Design Diploma Program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Looking for a new career in user experience (UX) design? An intensive diploma program is the best way to start. 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