Designlab Review

Want to supercharge your UX/UI design career with support from industry professionals? Look no further than the specialized design platform Designlab.

Designlab offers one-on-one mentorship and hands-on projects. They emphasize learning through iteration, responding to constructive feedback to create top-notch UX/UI products. Graduates of their courses on UX Research, Strategy, UI Design, and Interactive Design have landed jobs at prestigious companies like Samsung, Microsoft, and Deloitte.

But as a premium learning platform with significant course fees, is Designlab worth the money?

In this Designlab review, I’ll be covering everything you need to know to decide whether it's right for you. From an insider look into Designlab’s flagship UX Academy to what other users thought. I’ll guide you through the pros and cons of the platform to help you make an informed decision.

This detailed review will cover everything you need to know about Designlab, including:

• What is Designlab, and who are the instructors?
• How does Designlab work?
• How much does Designlab cost, and free trial
• What a lesson is like
• Best Designlab resources
• Designlab for business 
• How I reviewed Designlab
• What I liked and thought could be improved
• Who Designlab is for
• Can I buy Designlab as a gift?
• Tips for finding great courses on Designlab
• Is Designlab legit?
• Designlab refund and alternatives
• What others have said
• Evaluating Designlab
• Is Designlab worth it?
• FAQ

Let’s get started!

What is Designlab

Specializing in UI and UX online courses, Designlab offers a range of courses to suit your learning needs. From their intensive UX Academy and UX Foundations ( a 4-8 week beginner course covering key concepts and practical skills), to advanced, in-depth courses on digital product design. You can also take short courses in Design 101, UX Research, and Strategy, and more. Designlab believes education should be both rigorous and affordable. It offers flexible payment plans to make the courses as accessible as possible.

This is mentor-led online design education. Every Designlab student is paired with an expert designer as their mentor, providing a continuous cycle of feedback to grow their skills. There are also hands-on assignments, peer-review sessions, and portfolio-building Design Challenges. 

Designlab has had over 19,000 students, has delivered over 240,000 one-on-one mentor sessions, and is the winner of Course Report’s Best UX/UI Bootcamp and Best Online Bootcamp 2022, as well as Switchup’s Best Web Design Bootcamp 2017-2021. 

Who are the instructors?

Designlab’s mentors are industry professionals from tech’s most exciting companies, including Logan Debiase from DocuSign and Belinda Hui from Tripadvisor.

How does Designlab work?

Designlab offers a range of UX and UI courses to suit your level and needs. With some experience in UX, you can apply for Designlab's UX Academy. Otherwise, you can take their shorter courses, including:

• UX Academy Foundations
• AI for UX Design
• Data-Driven Design
• Advanced Figma
• AI Prototyping Camp
• Vibe Coding Camp
• AI for Visual Design
• Strategic Business Acumen for Designers
• Advanced Usability & Accessibility
• Prototyping in Figma
• Design 101

The real star of the show is Designlab UX Academy. This comprehensive course works in phases.

Phase 1 – UX/UI Design Essentials

Covers key UX/UI design through lessons, tutorials, hands-on projects, peer review sessions, and weekly one-on-one mentor calls. Mentors leave constructive, actionable feedback as written comments within 24 hours of an assignment being submitted. This allows you to iterate on your work and continuously improve. You will meet your mentor once a week to discuss your work in depth, ask questions, and get technical help. 

Phases 2 and 3 – Portfolio and career prep

You’ll create a high-quality portfolio featuring three capstone UX design projects based on real-world scenarios. After graduation, you will receive up to 26 weeks of career support and coaching sessions with your personal career coach. The average time from graduation to employment is just 14 weeks.

To get into the Designlab UX Academy, you will need to apply by submitting your portfolio or taking a Design Challenge. Designlab will review your application and let you know within 4 business days whether you’ve succeeded. 

If you’re totally new to the field, you can enroll in the UX Academy Foundations course to get you up to speed, working on your application to the Designlab UX Academy course. 

Short Courses

There are several short courses that cover specific skill sets, such as UI Design, UX Research and Strategy and UX Interaction design. These courses have all the great mentoring benefits of the UX Academy, and range from beginner and intermediate to advanced. 

Users pay per course, and for the pricier UX Academy, users have a range of different payment options. You will be enrolled with a cohort of other learners, providing support and community throughout your learning journey. There are also plenty of incredible free resources, such as 7-day courses delivered via email, ebooks, color charts and more. 

Designlab is all about creative collaboration, and its commitment to mentorship really sets this platform apart. 

How much does Designlab cost?

Short courses cost between $399 and $999. The UX Academy Foundation costs $7,749-$10,383.

There are several different pricing structures for the Designlab UX Academy:

Upfront Payment

With a course deposit of $399 and a one-time payment of $6,850, the total cost is $7,749.

6 Monthly Payments

With the same $399 course deposit and six monthly payments of $1,291 per month, the total cost comes to $8,149.

Flexible Long-Term Financing

Again, with a course deposit of $399, monthly payments range from $234 to $271. This brings the total costs to anywhere between $8,682 and $10,383, depending on your financial situation.

Compared to college tuition fees, the prices for this premium course are relatively low. And you’ll be benefiting from long-term one-on-one tuition from industry professionals, as well as hands-on learning and the ability to build an impressive portfolio. 

Shorter courses are $499 per course, whilst the Designlab UX Academy Foundations costs $599. Taking this course offers a $500 discount on the Designlab Academy Course.

Designlab free trial

Designlab doesn’t offer a free trial. However, you can take a look around the website for free, as well as download an in-depth syllabus to learn more about their services and specific course content. 

What a lesson is like

Lessons are a mixture of theory, instructional text, videos, and practical assignments. The content is written and reviewed by experts, and weekly mentoring sessions help students clarify the material and take their learning further. Students complete subject-based projects using their new skills. These are reviewed by peers and mentors, simulating the real-life UX/UI design process. 

Best Designlab classes

The best Designlab course for you will depend on your own specific interests, career goals, and experience levels. Designlab has a relatively small selection of courses, which means we can give you an insight into each one to help you work out which might be the right fit for you. 

UX Academy

UX Academy Foundations: Foundations is Designlab's introductory course for new designers with no prior experience. Students learn core visual design skills through hands-on projects, build proficiency with Figma, get exposure to AI tools, and receive 1:1 mentorship from an experienced designer. This course is designed to prepare students for Designlab's career accelerator program, UX Academy.

UX Academy With options to complete part-time (20 hours a week for 30 weeks) or full-time (40 hours a week for 15 weeks), this comprehensive UX/UI course will give you a unique, high-quality portfolio aligned with your career goals. Phase 1 of this program includes modules on User Research, Information Architecture, and User Interface Design, whilst Phase 2 is all about portfolio and professional career prep, creating a standout portfolio with three capstone UX design projects based on real-world scenarios. After graduating, you’ll retain access to career services and support, with up to 26 weeks of coaching with your personal career coach. Throughout the course, your work will receive personalized feedback, and you’ll get a weekly one-on-one call with your mentor.

Short Courses

AI for UX Design — Learn to integrate AI into the design workflow, streamline research, generate stronger ideas faster, create prototypes more efficiently, and amplify output.

Data-Driven Design — Learn to better leverage data in the design process, run quantitative experiments, and align design work with business goals.

Advanced Figma — Master more complex Figma features like auto layout, build robust component libraries and design systems, and apply effective product design strategies and workflows.

AI Prototyping Camp — In this 4-day intensive, students learn to ideate, prototype, and ship using leading tools Figma, Make, and Lovable.

Vibe Coding Camp — In 4 sessions across 4 weeks, this program is for product designers, PMs, and builders who want to go beyond static or no-code prototypes and start creating real, working web experiences. While AI Prototyping Camp helps you generate screens, Vibe Coding Camp helps you bring those screens to life with interactions, data, and deployment.

AI for Visual Design — Go beyond prompting one-off visuals and build a repeatable creative workflow. Work with leading AI models, build skills that transfer across tool stacks, learn the art of crafting effective prompts, and generate dynamic, production-ready visuals and video.

Strategic Business Acumen for Designers — This course bridges the gap between design and business strategy, teaching students how to align their design work with business goals and become a strategic partner within their organization.

Advanced Usability & Accessibility — Deepen your understanding of universal design principles, and learn to create digital experiences that are intuitive, accessible, and inclusive for everyone.

Prototyping in Figma — Learn advanced techniques to create high-fidelity, interactive prototypes in Figma, and become a better collaborator in your organization.

Design 101 — A foundational visual design course that helps learners understand and apply design fundamentals to make visuals more compelling, effective, and polished.

Designlab for business

Designlab is available to teams and companies, and courses can be optimized to teach multiple students at once, with the option for additional discounts based on the number of students. You’ll need to contact Designlab via their Help Center Contact form for more information. 

How I reviewed Designlab

In my opinion, Designlab is worth it, especially for beginners. The Academy provides in-depth knowledge, portfolio-building opportunities, and access to industry professionals for mentorship. For those with some experience, the shorter courses also offer valuable skills and personalized learning.

What I liked about Designlab

1-1 Mentorship

Not only does Designlab offer one-on-one mentorship in its flagship UX Academy course, but it also offers personalized feedback in ALL its courses. This is because Designlab believes that the best way to learn is through feedback and iteration. This isn’t a passive learning experience — you’ll be expected to take an active part in the process by designing projects and engaging with meaningful insights from industry professionals. 

Varied Curriculums 

Designlab offers extremely high-quality learning content, assessed through a range of tasks and projects, to provide a varied and engaging learning experience. Learn by doing focused, subject-based coursework that will go towards building portfolio projects – written and reviewed by experts, these courses reflect the latest developments and industry best practice.

Community Cohorts 

Rather than completing courses in your own time, you’ll join a cohort for a specific length of time. This means you’ll have peers to learn from and build a community with throughout your course, keeping you accountable and on track. This also offers a great opportunity to get ahead with networking!

What could be improved?

Limited Course Options

Designlab has expanded its course offering significantly, now featuring a growing library of shorter specialised courses alongside its flagship UX Academy. The addition of courses like AI for UX Design, Vibe Coding Camp, and Strategic Business Acumen for Designers means there's now something for designers at every career stage. 

This is an intensive program aimed at equipping you with the necessary design skills and real-world experience.

Time-bound Courses

While working with a cohort can motivate you, the time constraints of these courses may not suit everyone. The UX Academy course requires a commitment of 40 hours weekly. Therefore, having ample free time is essential for keeping pace. However, the structured format provides weekly mentorship and peer support to help you stay on track.

Whilst working on a cohort will keep you motivated, the time-bound nature of these courses might not be for everyone. Taking the UX Academy course requires 40 hours a week, so you’d have to have a lot of free time on your hands to be able to keep up. However, the courses are designed this way for a reason, and having weekly access to a mentor and other learners will help keep you on track.

Who Designlab is for

• Total beginners who want to know more about design and UX in a supportive environment with one-on-one mentoring, before embarking on a career in this field
• Intermediate learners who want to brush up on their design, research, or data skills with quizzes and assignments
• Professionals who are interested in a career pivot from product to design by learning new skills and building an impressive portfolio 
• Anyone who wants to build a portfolio and connect with UX design industry professionals
• Active learners who benefit from one-on-one mentorship and being set practical assignments 

Can I buy Designlab as a gift?

Designlab is not currently available to buy as a gift. 

Tips to finding great courses on Designlab

Designlab’s star course is their intensive UX Academy, which has its own section on the website. If you’re not quite ready to dive in at the deep end, then you can check out their ‘courses’ section. 

On their ‘courses’ page, you can browse shorter courses: 

When you select a course, you can learn more about the course content, units, outcomes, and more before you commit. 

You will also get a detailed week-by-week breakdown, so you know exactly what you’ll be learning, and make an informed decision about whether each course will add to your skill set and help you meet your goals. 

Is Designlab legit?

With in-demand courses and one-on-one mentoring, Designlab is a legitimate platform. It's been utilized by over 19,000 students and has facilitated more than 240,000 mentor sessions. Additionally, it has earned awards like Course Report’s Best UX Bootcamp and Best Online Bootcamp 2022.

In-demand courses supported by one-on-one mentors? It might sound too good to be true, but I can confirm that Designlab is 100% legit. I have tested Designlab myself, and the site has been used by 19,000 students and provided over 240,000 one-on-one mentor sessions. Designlab is also the winner of Course Report’s Best UX Bootcamp and Best Online Bootcamp 2022, as well as Switchup’s Best Web Design Bootcamp 2017-2021.

Designlab refund

For shorter courses on Designlab, you can drop out of the course at any time and receive a full refund, no questions asked. 

On the longer UX Academy course, the refund policy is a little more complicated. See the Designlab website for full details, but essentially, if you decide the course isn’t for you within the first two weeks, then you’re eligible for a full refund. After two weeks, your refund becomes non-refundable. 

Designlab alternatives

If you’re after a platform that offers the same one-on-one mentor experience, then check out Springboard. This site offers courses in fields such as Tech Sales, Design, AI, and Data, and provides ongoing support from industry professionals through mentors and career advisors. 

If you are interested in the more technical side, with courses in JavaScript, Redux, and more, Educative offers courses in job interview prep, which is super valuable for job seekers and career pivots. 

Old favorite LinkedIn Learning is always a great place to start for introductory courses on any of these topics. With a monthly membership, you can explore a variety of courses rather than commit to just one, which will help you learn more about technical skills and possible career paths. 

Designlab reviews: What others have said

I wanted to learn as much as I could about Designlab, so I looked online to see what other users thought. 

The reviews and feedback that I found were overwhelmingly positive. One user recommended the UX Foundations courses as a ‘great starting point if you’re new to UX design’. They found that ‘the program lays out core principles in a structured and organized way’ and that each module covered is ‘filled with readings, assignments, and resources’. 

The only cons were that ‘a lot of the material can be found online and for free’, although they appreciated how it was accessible and ‘right there in front of you without you having to do any work’, and that they personally didn’t enjoy online learning.

Another user felt that it was a ‘great choice’ for them, as they came away with ‘a great portfolio with 4 solid case studies, and it also didn’t break the bank.’

Finally, this person found that the course was ‘incredibly challenging’, but ‘worth it in the end’. They had an ‘incredibly helpful’ mentor, but didn’t enjoy the community aspect as rewarding, but conceded that ‘you get out what you put in.’

Evaluating Designlab

Features: High-quality courses on UX/UI design, from flagship UX Academy to shorter courses covering specific skills, as well as free resources such as email courses. All paid courses offer access to one-on-one mentorship with industry professionals and a community of learners for support and advice.

Content quality: Lessons are very high quality, with plenty of hands-on experience to help you practice new skills and build a portfolio at the same time. 

Content breadth: Designlab is focused exclusively on UI/UX design, with a comprehensive UX Academy program alongside a growing suite of shorter courses covering AI for UX Design, Data-Driven Design, Advanced Figma, AI Prototyping Camp, Vibe Coding Camp, AI for Visual Design, Strategic Business Acumen for Designers, Advanced Usability & Accessibility, Prototyping in Figma, and Design 101.

Teachers: Designlab mentors must all go through a rigorous vetting process. All are design professionals who work at top companies such as Meta, Adobe, and American Express.

Supporting materials: Designlab offers plenty of additional materials and resources, including great free email courses on topics such as Photoshop, Adobe, and Figma, e-books, Webinars, and a selection of templates for UX deliverables. 

Payments & refunds: Course costs vary from $7,749 for the UX Academy to $400 for short courses. Refund policy depends on the course. 

Support: Designlab has a comprehensive FAQ section, and you can also contact the Help Centre directly for answers to specific questions and additional support. 

How to open a Designlab account

It’s really easy to open a Designlab account, but you can’t do it until you sign up for a course. When you do, an account is automatically set up. 

Is Designlab worth it?

In my personal opinion, Designlab is worth it.  This is especially true if you are a total beginner in the design field, as the in-depth Academy, the ability to build a portfolio for future employers, and access to an industry professional to mentor you are invaluable. 

If you already have a little bit of experience, there is plenty to learn from Designlab’s shorter courses too, with targeted skills and the same personalized learning experience.

Designlab’s refund policy means there's minimal risk of losing out, as you can get a full refund at any time for a short course and within 2 weeks for the UX Academy. 

Frequently asked questions