Coding Dojo has a new part-time course for UX/UI professionals

In the era of the Great Resignation, bootcamp Coding Dojo has a new, virtual program designed for what it says is one of the top in-demand skills these days: design.

Starting in January, Coding Dojo is launching a 24-week UX/UI program, designed as a part-time program for working pros to up their skills. Students will learn research and synthesis techniques in qualitative and quantitative data; create concepts, wireframes and prototypes for user testing; and create high-fidelity screens for portfolio-ready final evaluative tests. The bootcamp formerly had an IRL campus in Northern Virginia, but has since moved all operations online since the pandemic.

Douglas Bantz, lead of UX/UI and curriculum development at Coding Dojo, told Technical.ly in an email that the demand for UX/UI pros continues to rise.

“There’s a significant need for UX/UI roles across a range of industries as businesses ramp up their digital presence, and realize they need designers to create experiences for their users,” Bantz said. “With so many people accessing services that they used to do in person, there’s even more demand for businesses to create quality products and UX/UI designers are set to fill that role.”

He noted that LinkedIn named UX design in the top five in-demand skills in 2020, and Glassdoor named UX designers as one of its 50 best jobs to have.

According to Bantz, the UX interest comes from a demand for senior and mid-range designers who need to up their staff numbers and as more businesses approve spending in UX/UI. What they’re looking for, he said, are qualified designers with a clear understanding of work in a professional environment.

But what most designers are missing when looking for a UX/UI job, he noted, is a lack of client experience. To help this, the course has real client work built-in, which students can use in their portfolios upon graduation. Each student will have two portfolio pieces after completing the course, Bantz said.

Additionally, Dojo opted to make the course part-time, so both students looking to break into the industry and those already with careers can participate.

“There are many people who want to change or upskill in their careers — and can’t always afford to take the time that a full-time program expects of them,” Bantz said. “Time out of the workforce is lost income, and we don’t want people to have to be worried about paying bills while completing our coursework. We’re choosing to serve that large group of people who need to balance out life and work, and get into a career like design that values that, as well.”

Jianna Lieberman, senior product marketing manager at Coding Dojo, added that many Dojo students simply have too much on their plate to manage a full-time course.

“Whether they are employed full-time, working multiple gigs, juggling parenting or taking care of a family member, people are responding positively to flexible education solutions,” Lieberman said. “Taking a full-time program — even one as short as 14 weeks — can be a challenge. For other students, a part-time program simply feels more manageable than a full-time option.”