Memorisely UX/UI Bootcamp: An honest review
Constantine Dranganas
Product Manager @IQOS Digital Services | Research, Strategy, Design & Development, Deployment
It all started 12 weeks ago when just like a freshman I started the Memorisely UX/UI Design Bootcamp.
This wasn't my first time studying this discipline, as I have already completed the UX Design professional course from the UX Design Institute and the UX Design certification course from TechLabs Berlin.
Why would I go for another course then?
I was after a live hands-on experience and Memorisely proved to be it, as it was nothing like my previous courses, with an approach to learning that is hard to be found elsewhere.
But before jumping into the details of how it did go, I have to admit that my expectations were set really high from the get-go for the following reasons:
After going through the whole Bootcamp experience myself, I can now reflect on what parts I enjoyed and what could be potentially improved.
Things I loved and that I will miss
There is nothing better than a live learning experience, either in person or online.
Memorisely wins amongst its competitors by offering students live online classes twice a week (four hours total), in addition to live workshops once a week (one hour each) and a live co-working session per week (one hour each).
This experience brings students in direct contact with their tutor and classmates while learning, allowing them to ask questions at any given moment.
The course content is put together using various online resources and in particular Figma's educational content. Each course touches upon a specific phase in the design thinking process, where the tutor outlines all information in full detail, and students are asked to complete certain activities in real time.
Throughout the course, there are two case studies available for students to complete (a mobile case and a web case) based on real digital products.
Students are always welcome to reach out to their tutor or student counselors for support in each step of their case study or get a consultation in additional areas such as career advice, portfolio creation advice, and more.
Upon the completion of their case studies - which include everything from empathizing, wireframing, prototyping, user interviews, testing, etc. - students follow career-specific workshops to start building their portfolio and apply for jobs.
On a personal level, the course content offered combined with the hands-on learning and continuous mentorship met my expectations and have prepared me to take on any project from start to finish anytime.
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To be improved
Is the Memorisely curriculum exclusive and cannot be found elsewhere?
We have to admit the fact that the majority of the course content is extracted from Figma and other established design resources, curated to match Memorisely's brand and course structure.
With regards to preparing students for the job market, I think that this is where Memorisely falls quite short. While the skills developed in such a short time are truly impressive, when it comes down to developing an industry mindset and understanding what recruiters are looking for in a candidate, Memorisely takes a more "romantic" approach to reality.
I realized that as I kept myself busy throughout the Bootcamp discussing with UX/UI mentors and senior professionals in the field, analyzing portfolios, job ads, and interview processes together.
Memorisely touches upon these areas on a surface level, without really bringing in industry experts to share real-world industry insights.
What about the cost?
For a three-month Bootcamp course, the price is quite high (the Bootcamp course had double the price of my one-year MA course from an accredited university) but is still cheaper than following the 9week Ironhack UI UX course or any other overpriced course with a super short duration.
The final verdict and next steps
If I had to rank the Bootcamp course from 0 to 10, I think that it is a solid 08.
It truly allowed me to bring my previous experiences internally and elevated my skills as someone brand new in this field.
Moreover, I got to attend amazing workshops, have my voice heard and my questions answered, complete two legit case studies that I can add to my portfolio, collaborate with people from around the world, and much more.
Memorisely's Founder and CEO Zander Whitehurst has created a safe space for passionate individuals across fields to come together through learning. There is so much power to this and I truly believe that the Memorisely community is one of the strongest out there.
Does graduating from the Memorisely UX/UI Bootcamp or any other similar course guarantee you a job?
No, this is not the case, as there are myriad other factors that can affect getting a job or not.
What it guarantees though is that you will get inspired, you will meet amazing people, will fail hard, impress yourself, and figure out if this is actually something that you see yourself doing as a job in the future.
?? To see my certification of completion makes me proud as I managed to complete a highly demanding course while working full-time and trying to balance between work and life. This speaks success to me! ??