In Week 1, we set the stage for becoming a designer. You:
Explore the UX industry and see the different paths designers take.
Learn core frameworks like Design Thinking, Design Sprints, and Agile — and how they fit together.
Reflect on your own skills and strengths to better understand what kind of designer you might become.
Practice with introductory Figma exercises (recreating a screen, remixing it, critiquing AI-generated layouts).
By the end of Week 1, you have a strong sense of the industry, the frameworks designers use, and your first set of wireframe-style exercises in Figma.
In Week 2, we focus on starting projects the right way — building confidence in the discovery phase. You:
Learn how to map stakeholders and prepare for effective stakeholder interviews.
Practice secondary research — investigating a domain, competitors, and heuristics to get up to speed fast.
Explore how to pitch generative research to stakeholders by being proactive and showing the value of learning more.
Work through scenarios to simulate the first days of an apprenticeship — mapping stakeholders, planning interview questions, and digging up insights quickly.
By the end of Week 2, you have a toolkit for kicking off projects: stakeholder mapping, secondary research, competitor and heuristic evaluations, and ways to advocate for discovery when time is tight.
In Week 3, we focus on the transition from research into early design. You'll learn how to:
Cluster research findings with affinity mapping so insights turn into clear themes.
Prioritize features using structured frameworks so teams know what matters most.
Create empathy artifacts (personas, journey maps, empathy maps) to keep the user at the center.
Sketch and wireframe your first design concepts, moving from raw ideas to stakeholder-ready screens.
By the end of Week 3, you'll have your first low-fidelity wireframes — rough, simple, but connected to research and business goals.
In Week 4, we level up by turning those wireframes into hi-fidelity designs. You explore:
Hi-fi design basics: how to move from boxes and placeholders into real color, type, and layout.
Color & typography: choosing palettes and fonts that set the right mood and guide the eye.
Hierarchy & critiques: learning how to make the right things stand out, and how to give/receive feedback.
Components, grids & autolayout in Figma: building smart so designs are consistent and dev-ready.
Accessibility: quick checks to ensure designs work for everyone.
Design systems & handoff: why reusability and clear annotations matter when working with developers.
By the end of Week 4, you have your first hi-fidelity prototype screens — polished, annotated, and ready to test.
This week marks the final stage of the education phase before you move into real-world apprenticeships. The focus is on validating your designs, telling compelling stories, and preparing to share your work with others.
Usability Testing → How to run think-aloud sessions, observe user struggles, and turn findings into actionable improvements.
Generating Empathy → Using quotes, visuals, videos, and even memes to make your research insights resonate with stakeholders.
UX & Business Impact → Understanding how great design drives conversion, retention, and growth — and how to frame your work in business terms.
Writing Case Studies → Structuring your process into clear, engaging stories that highlight both design outcomes and personal growth.
Prototyping in Figma → Turning static designs into clickable flows to test interactions and present your ideas.
Vibe Coding (Optional) → Exploring AI-assisted coding with Cursor to build creative experiments and expand your toolkit.
With these skills in hand, you’re ready to start your apprenticeship projects in Week 6. Expect to apply everything you’ve learned in a real-world context, supported by mentors, and build case studies that can stand out in your portfolio.