Introduction to Design 

Learn whether a career in design is for you. Learn design fundamentals by working through projects with 1-on-1 mentorship from an industry expert.

Your own mentor, focused on your success

Each week, you get 30 min of 1-on-1 time with your personal mentor, a UI/UX Design expert. You can expect:

Learn design and get assistance on any problem, big or small from an industry expert 1-on-1

Personalized learning support

Your own individualized agenda

Decide what you want to talk about, from weekly deliverables to industry topics, career advice and more

Inspiration and motivation from the best

As an experienced UI/UX Designer, your mentor is your window to the world of design and beyond

Meet some of the mentors

Earl Friedberg

UX Lead

John Maier

Sr. Director - Product Design

Elsa Ho

UX Researcher

Ali Rushdan Tariq

Sr. Product Designer

Our world-class mentors are hand-picked for their experience and love of teaching.

Pricing

You can complete the course in 4 weeks if you put in ~10 hours per week.  However, you can work at whatever pace suits you best!

$490 $349

What's included in the course fee:

Access to a community of aspiring designers and design experts, including weekly Office Hours with mentors and UX and UX/UI Career Track alumni 

4 weekly sessions (30 minutes each) with your expert mentor

Lifetime access to a curriculum created by design experts that features proprietary learning content and projects 

Dedicated student advisor, student operations support, and teaching assistant who can troubleshoot design tools 

Preferential application review and admissions fast-tracking upon successful course completion for our design career tracks -- you can also use your tuition toward the tuition for our UX Design Career Track or our UI/UX Career Track if you go on to take one of those

What you'll learn

Download a detailed syllabus

$490 $349

Price

Duration of the program

4 weeks

Support

Weekly calls with mentor and 1 career coach call

Don't see your question here?

Frequently asked questions

Cohorts begin every Monday

About the course

Want to get a sense of what the life of a designer looks like before deciding to pursue the field?  If so, this course is for you. In this mentor-led course, you'll spend ~4 weeks learning foundational skills in UI/UX design, completing hands-on projects, and learning more about what the day-to-day life of a designer looks like. This course will allow you to evaluate if a career in design and a self-paced, online program with plentiful 1-on-1 support is right for you.  If you decide it is, this can be a great first step toward that future!  

See what it's like to learn with Springboard

Explore the world of design, and try the Springboard learning experience using this 4-week course.

You will get a call with a career coach during the course to understand what your path in design might look like.

Work 1:1 with a career coach

Learn 1:1 from an expert mentor

Build your first design project

Build an end-to-end design project that allows you to gain hands on experience with design tools.

Learn more about the design industry from an insider. Get feedback on projects and validate your ideas.

Understand the ins and outs of the design industry, including the processes designers follow, the tools they use, and what a day in the life of a designer looks like.

Have introductory design skills you'll build while working through an end-to-end design project

Have experience working with Sketch or Figma, two of the most popular design tools used by designers all over the world

In this 4-week course, you will

Is the program right for me?

This course is for people who are interested in UI/UX, but are not ready to make the full leap to switch careers.  It is structured to give you a good introduction to, or refresher in, design concepts as well as some of the technical skills you will use in a future in design. No prior design experience is required, all you need is a desire to learn. 

You'll complete an end-to-end design project that will allow you to apply skills covered in each unit of the course. Total hours - 50 

When can I start the intro course?

The intro course has cohorts starting each Monday. Simply click “Enroll Now” and select the cohort that best works for you.

How long is the course?

The total estimated workload is 50 hours that is expected to be completed in 4 weeks. You may complete the course faster with previous design experience or if you are able to dedicate additional time to the material. You may also need more time or longer to complete if you are brand new to design or have a constrained schedule-- no problem, students will have lifetime access to the course.  You will be limited to four mentor calls but can continue to work on this flexible, self-paced course for as long as you need

Are there any prerequisites for this course? Do I need to know Sketch?

No prior design experience is required, all you need is a desire to learn.

Is there any software I have to download before taking the course?  Will I have to pay for access to this software in addition to paying tuition for the course?

Students will need to have a computer with a system that is compatible with either Sketch or Figma.

Does this Introduction course guarantee I get accepted into the UX Design Career Track or the UI/UX Career Track?

This course is focused on giving you an introduction to the world of design.  It is not built to prepare you for our technical skills surveys and enrolling in this course does not guarantee admission into the UX Design or UI/UX Career Tracks. 

How do I transition from this course to the UX Design Career Track or the UI/UX Career Track?

You may apply to these Career Tracks at anytime, even after enrolling in the Introduction course. As soon as you feel comfortable that design and on online education model are the right path for you and that you want to pursue a future in design with Springboard, we encourage you to fill out an application and take the technical skills survey. 

What role does my mentor play?

You’ll interact 1-on-1 with your personal mentor every week in a 30-minute video call. Your mentor is there to help you understand the material, push you to succeed, assist with any technical or broader questions, and offer insight into the world of Design. Feel free to craft your mentor relationship however works best for both of you!

What additional support will I have?

You will be invited to join our broader weekly Design office hours with all current UX Career Track and UI/UX Career Track students. You will also have access to the community, where you can ask technical questions or seek assistance from fellow classmates or the course community manager, an expert designer, as well as a TA that can answer design tool-specific questions. Furthermore, you will have the support of a dedicated student advisor, there to assist you throughout the course. Finally, your classmates! You aren’t going through this alone and will have the support of others starting out on their own unique design journeys.

Will I have lifetime access to the material?

Yes, once you enroll you will have lifetime access to the curriculum and exercises. You will not however have lifetime access to the mentorship. You will receive 4 mentor calls, one per week, for the expected 4-week duration of the course. 

What happens if I need more than 4 weeks to finish the material?

You will have 4 weekly mentor calls once the course starts and you will be paired with your mentor before the official start date. If you need additional time to complete, you are able to continue through the curriculum without a mentor beyond 4 weeks for as long as needed as you will have lifetime access.

Does this course make me eligible for the Job Guarantee?

Job Guarantee eligibility for the UX Design and UI/UX Career Tracks is determined independently of the Introduction course. To see if you qualify, please review our Job Guarantee language for the career track you are interested in. 

What does lifetime access to my Springboard account mean?

Once you complete the course, you'll have lifetime access to your Springboard account, including the online community and office hours. Whenever our course development team updates the curriculum, you'll have the option to see it too. Lifelong learning guaranteed.

Is this course conducted online, or in person?

All our courses take place entirely online. All you need is an Internet connection.

Can my employer pay for this course on my behalf?

Absolutely! Many of our students have been sponsored by their employers. Most companies are very happy to invest in their employees' learning and development. Check with your employer on  if they can support your tuition.

If you decide to apply to our UX Design Career Track or UI/UX Career Track in the future, you can also use the tuition from this course toward the tuition for one of these career tracks.

Apply your tuition to the UI/UX Design Career Track.

UI/UX Career Track

Apply your tuition to the UI/UX Career Track