Mento Design Academy

If you’re reading this, then you’re most likely searching for the best UX bootcamp available. You’ve made a commitment to yourself to learn UX, and you want to choose the best option, but there are a lot of choices. When I was researching what educational... Read More path I should pursue, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the options. Maybe you’re in the same boat. You’ll need to determine your preferred style of learning. How much structure do you need? Is it essential that the timeline is flexible? Is mentorship important? What type of projects will be in my portfolio? In the end, you’ll choose the bootcamp that is right for you. It will offer you the curriculum and support you need and will be within your budget. As a current Mento student, I can confidently say that my journey has been incredible. They’ve developed a top-tier UX bootcamp that stands out from all the rest. There are a lot of great things about Mento, but here are my top four: 1. Self-paced curriculum 2. 1:1 mentorship 3. Individualized portfolio projects 4. International community Self-paced curriculum If you’re like me, then you have a lot going on. Maybe you’re working full-time or have life commitments that take a lot of your energy. You might be worried that you can’t fit a UX bootcamp into your schedule. My number one doubt when enrolling was whether I’d have enough time for the assignments. Mento is self-paced, meaning that the curriculum moves at your speed. Maybe you fly through one of the sections, but then need to spend more time on the next section, that’s totally fine. This type of learning isn’t for everyone, but if you have a good support system and maintain a consistent study schedule, you can do it! 1:1 mentorship Mentorship is where Mento thrives. The weekly 1:1 calls are awesome! You can chat about your assignments, discuss industry news, ask questions, and learn from their experience. In addition to the calls, the mentors and community are available throughout the week in Slack. So if you’re stuck or have a question, you can reach out for help and know that you’re not alone. Having an experienced mentor who is dedicated to helping you succeed is invaluable. My mentor is extremely encouraging, but also offers an adequate level of challenge, which is super helpful. Individualized portfolio projects Unlike many other bootcamps, Mento allows you to choose your own unique projects. This is awesome because you get to build a portfolio that reflects the industry you’re passionate about. I’ve really enjoyed this approach because it’s taught me how to discover design problems through research, instead of just having the design prompt provided. It also positions you to have a unique portfolio that directly relates to your desired field. Coming up with unique projects may sound overwhelming, but that’s part of the journey. You’ll do research to uncover opportunities and work on creating digital solutions that are efficient, effective, and fun. International community Mento is made up of mentors and students from all over the world. This wasn’t one of my deciding factors in choosing Mento, but I’ve come to love the international community. I’ve made connections with other peers and professionals from all over the world. Wait, there’s more… They also have UI challenges, weekly study groups, and Meetup events. Oh, and every student gets a bootcamp buddy. This is super cool because you’ll have someone who’s going through the program alongside you. Together, we find support and encourage each other to excel. The truth is, Mento keeps getting better! They are consistently updating the curriculum so that the info is relevant and up-to-date. They are building partnerships with interactive design tools, such as ProtoPie and Overflow. I can say firsthand that as a student, this is awesome! I’m able to gain hands-on experience with some of the most popular UX tools. They’re continuing to add experienced industry professionals to the Mento community, including both stellar mentors as well as recruiters. I’d love for you to come join the Mento family, but I encourage you first to schedule a call and ask all of your questions. It’s important that your questions are answered so that you have peace about choosing your bootcamp. If Mento sounds like the correct fit and you’re ready to take the next step, you can use the link below and receive a $100 discount. https://mentodesign.academy/?via=patrick Regardless of whether you choose Mento or another bootcamp, I hope your UX journey is full of insight, creativity, and joy!

I spent a good amount of time researching for which bootcamps to join before I finally decided on Mento, mainly because of how the projects are personalised to you and are not the typical cookie-cutter projects. Curriculum: Holistic curriculum which teaches... Read More everything you need to know and provides extra resources you can read up on to have a better understanding. It starts off with your goals and your background and strengths and how you can channel that into your future design career, followed by how to learn and manage effectively. You will go do a simple project to go through the main design process before going into your first project proper! The content and structure is really well-thought through and builds on the previous which helps solidifying your understanding and knowledge. The assignments are really useful in training you to reflect and think of the purpose of why you are doing a certain thing. Mentor Sessions: We are to set weekly mentor calls to keep ourselves accountable as well as to clarify any doubts and questions that we have, to talk about the assignments that we've done. I found this really helpful and useful, also having someone who have been in the design industry for years really helps you understand how it is like working as a UX designer. Personally, I would prefer the feedback of assignments to be given before the mentor session so that changes could be made before the call to make it a more productive session. Other than that, it fulfills what I needed. Community: There is also study group sessions where you can talk to other students who are doing the programme together with you. Personally, I didn't really get the chance to join them due to the timings, but I really like that I got paired up with a buddy who is also doing the programme and it is really helpful that you have someone who understands that you can talk to and discuss about the assignments, help to encourage each other and to become friends with! I also really enjoyed the webinar sessions and found them really insightful since you get people who have been in the industry for years to talk about you've been wanting to know. Overall: I would recommend this programme to anyone who would like to transition into UX design, it is not easy but it is possible! I managed to get 2 internship offers after completing first main project and it would not have been possible without Mento! It equipped me with the skills and knowledge that I needed and the constant practice of understanding the whys really helped!

There are many invaluable experiences from learning with Mento, which I'm forever grateful for, the most meaningful for me is that Mento allows me to be myself in my learning journey. This has totally changed the way I learn. At the beginning they guided... Read More me to get to know myself better, what my goals are, my unique background, my super powers, my learning style, how to manage time to be productive, and this really is a big push for me. Mento understands that everyone is unique and their journey & pace is different. My journey to design is a bumpy one, there are external & internal obstacles, and it's very heartwarming that Mento created such an environment when I can be open about all these. Not only that, they helped me to find solutions to be able to move forward. I'm also very thankful for the people in the community for how warm, supportive, caring they are (the mentors, students, and support team). The community that would celebrate with you during good times, lift you up during the tough times, and always be there in between in your learning journey. It's a privilege to learn from Mento curriculum, the structure, the materials and practical assignments making it easy to understand and follow through, but even when things got blurry, I know that I always have the community I can turn to & the mentors who are the industry experts I can learn a lot from. Another big push for me during my learning journey is that Mento curriculum always asks us to train our why muscle with their assignments, to find & to explore the reasoning behind the design decisions. All in all, Mento is beyond educational platform, it's also a community that cares for us as a person and our dream in design.

The best part of Mento Design Academy is the community that they have. The community is friendly and helpful. I love that they also have a bi-weekly study group session - it makes me feel like I'm not going through the journey alone. The curriculum is... Read More well-written and easy to follow. If you're looking for a boot camp to transit to UX, look no further!

It’s one of the best investment I’ve done in my life! I enjoyed my learning with the curriculum, my mentor and my peers! I really appreciate that the mento team constantly iterates to provide us a better learning experience and a supportive community.... Read More The curriculum does not only teach you things you need to know to complete your Bootcamp projects but things you need to know as a UX professional! What surprised me is that even though I haven't completed my bootcamp, I already got referrals to interview and now I am really grateful that I am doing an internship program in Europe which has been my goal for a long time.

The best part of Mento Design Academy for me is the mentorship program. My mentorship sessions gave me the professional and personal guidance I needed to transition into UX Design. I couldn't be happier with my experience! I thought the curriculum was... Read More very well organized, and the materials were educational and easy to follow. I also enjoyed the family-like slack community and networking opportunities Mento offered, which helped me learn UX without feeling alone:)

When I decided to make a career switch to UX design, I wanted to join a bootcamp that would truly make me job ready i.e. to be equipped with real-life skills so that I can be confident enough in interviews and perform in my first job. After months of... Read More research, I landed on Mento Design and since then, I never looked back. Joining Mento was a decision one would not regret. Why? Firstly, I find Mento's curriculum practical, and it is created and updated by UX designers who have many years of valuable experience and are currently still practicing. Secondly, I love the 1:1 mentoring sessions I have with my mentors Madalina and Radu. They are just so wise, patient, and willing to share their knowledge and teach to their best ability. Thirdly, the community at Mento Design is absolutely lovely and supportive. From mentors to students to staff who help out with the curriculum, I have experienced endless kindness and support. I enjoy our study group sessions where we provide feedback to help one another be better designers. If you are thinking twice about whether to join Mento, I would say stop hesitating and book a call with Mento to get to know more about the curriculum and the mentors! You will never regret it like me :)

Before enrolling with Mento I spend some good 6 months searching and reading about all the different options out there. Although they seem to be very similar at first glance, the professional background of the Mento team Makes them stand out. I Have always... Read More been a bit sceptical about all the Bootcamps out there that “promise” a quick transition in UX within 6 months, And since my first “get to know” call with Radu, He was very transparent by setting The right expectations. Their successful careers, honesty by setting the right expectations and a curriculum that offers you the chance to work on real projects - In my personal experience that was what made them “different” from the others. You might be a bit unsure about reviews, but trust me: Book a call with them to get to know the program and you won’t be disappointed.

I first became interested in UX because I already work in the design field and felt it would be a seamless integration into my life. I spent months figuring out and doing research on the multitude of UX bootcamps out there to try and get the most because... Read More I have a very tough lifestyle to fit studying into. The priorities for me were flexibility, practicality, and community-- all of which Mento filled effortlessly. My mentor, Radu, is super understanding about my current job demands and helps create feasible plans around my schedule. Mento not only teaches you valuable and well-articulated curriculum about UX but even time management and being more productive with the time you have. The mentors also take the time to get to know you, your skills, interests, and weaknesses to plot out an effective plan of action for learning and creating your portfolio. In doing so, none of this really feels like work but something you get to do and are excited to work on. Another huge pro to this bootcamp is the community that other courses may lack. Mento really puts a lot of effort into building a family that is extremely warm and supportive. It's a great motivator in the course to talk to others in different areas of progress and learn from each other. The community has a close Slack community that spreads fun informative articles, words of support, and weekly meetings to problem solve or show work. While I am still in the midst of working on the course, I can see that the bootcamp puts a very active effort in placing students because I see the energy behind mentors and willingness to help network. I feel many of my acquaintances have gained cool opportunities and I cannot wait for my turn! This course is extremely positive and cares a lot about us individuals!

The program provided just the right amount of structure I needed to learn the UX/UI design process all at my own pace. The curriculum is very relevant, with enough resources and assignment to practice the material learned. In addition, Mento Design Academy... Read More provides so much support to caters to whatever area additional help is needed, including job/interview support. The Mento community is so supportive; even though you are completing the boot camp solo, you very much apart of a group.