From Hotel Manager to UI Designer: How My Background in Hospitality Propelled Me Into a Career in Design
Kylie Weber, Graduate
UI Designer at Syndic4you
UI Design Program
Become a UI designer
in under 9 months
Learn flexibly online
without having to quit your job
Work with expert mentors
and build your portfolio
Get a free
UI Design Short Course
Get a free
UI Design Short Course
Curious about this program?
Contact us to find out if it’s right for you
“How would you like to get in touch?”
“I’m here to help you become a UI designer”
Alana, Senior Program Advisor
Curious about this program?
Contact us to find out if it’s right for you
“How would you like to get in touch?”
“I’m here to help you become a UI designer”
Alana, Senior Program Advisor
Our graduates now have tech jobs all over the world
UI Design Program details
In this program, you will
Learn all of the skills, tools, and processes you need to become a UI designer
Work 1:1 with an expert mentor and tutor, who will give personalized feedback and insight into the daily life of a UI designer.
Receive tailored coaching from our Career Services Team to ensure you stand out at interviews
Build an impressive portfolio out of the real-world projects you complete
Land a job as a UI designer within 180 days of graduating from the program—or your money back
Fully online
5 months at 30–40 hours/week or up to 9 months at 15–20 hours/week
Mentorship
Our UI mentors are rated 4.95/5
Career support
Job Preparation Course and expert career coaching included
What makes UI design the right career?
Compassion is at the heart of design
UI designers work at an exciting crossroads. Their trained eye is used to compose a visual language of effective interactions between man and machine. They combine the hard skills of UX/UI design and prototyping with the soft skills of teamwork and empathizing with users.
UI designers are a permanent staple of tech
Despite AI’s arrival and Big Tech layoffs, UX/UI design positions continue to surge. LinkedIn featured UI designers as one of the top 15 most in-demand professions, with the U.S. national average salary at $77,832 per year, meaning demand in tech is only on the rise.
Work-life balance is baked in
Working remotely or hybrid is a top benefit of working in tech. UI design offers a career that is creative, flexible, and yes, cost-saving. Graduates go on to earn more, work on rewarding projects that solve real problems—and enjoy more time for loved ones and hobbies at home.
What makes CareerFoundry the right school?
We’re the proven path to professional success
Since 2013 we’ve helped 7000+ career changers move from diverse backgrounds like teaching, taxi driving, or opera singing to tech professionals. Our model of industry-driven curriculum, flexibly-paced learning, and expert mentorship ensure graduates land careers they love.
Learn on your schedule, backed by our Job Guarantee
Study flexibly by choosing your own timeline. Immerse yourself in the curriculum, and build your portfolio around your other commitments. Work with your advisor on job coaching and land your first role within six months of graduation or your money back—that’s the Job Guarantee.
Our graduates stand out with cutting-edge skill sets
We’re constantly evolving our curriculum to be industry relevant. That includes AI specialization courses, like Voice User Interface Design. Through research and working with industry experts, we ensure success—and our 90% graduate placement rate reflects that.
The Future of Design and AI
It’s no secret that the tech industry evolves quickly. UI designers—like all professionals—need to stay up-to-date with automation, AI, and relevant new tooling. At CareerFoundry, it’s our job to ensure you’re a top hire with industry-relevant experience.
Not only are we expanding our curriculum to help you supercharge your career and explore the power of AI—but we’re also offering regular, live events hosted by expert mentors on utilizing automation to maximize productivity.
And for those who can’t get enough, try our specialization course, Voice User Interface for Design included in program costs and uniquely built for graduates to stay one step ahead of the competition.
Create head-turning work with industry-standard tools
A pillar of your design education is, of course, tooling. Attend free workshop events and become a CareerFoundry student to gain free trials and exclusive discounts. Whether immersed as a student, or still researching UI design, prepare to explore industry staples: Figma, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Sketch, and more.
Student perks
Get exclusive hands-on work experience
- ✓ Gain real-world design experience and apply for one of our partner apprenticeships
- ✓ Build a portfolio based on real-world projects, including an optional bonus project
- ✓ Forge a stand-out applicant profile built on portfolio work, end-to-end capstone projects, industry exposure, and demonstrable expertise you can point top employers to
- ✓ Build your soft skills on external work experience placements and partner with other designers, engineers, data scientists, developers, marketers, and product managers
The Tech Fleet apprenticeship exceeded all my expectations! CareerFoundry’s education really complements the practical experience, where you work in cross-functional teams and with real clients.
Attend your first live UI design event
Join free events and skills workshops to explore product design with industry professionals! Bring questions to the Q&A, gain insider knowledge, and take the first step in your future career.
Join free, online events with leading product designers. Bring your questions for our experts!
Success Stories
Our students go on to launch challenging new careers in the tech industry
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UX/UI Designer at Pixel Fridge
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Corey Clifton, Graduate
UX/UI Designer at Flatiron
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From Graphic Design To UI: How I Learned The Value Of Designing For The User
Francis Pujols, Graduate
UI Designer at flying saucer
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From Account Management To Product Design: How A UI Design Bootcamp Got Me The Job I’d Always Wanted
Garance Rey, Graduate
Product Designer at Modsy
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Portfolio projects
Our graduates now work at...
UI Design Program admission criteria
What you need:
The motivation to transform your career
Even though you can study flexibly, the program requires some commitment as it takes a minimum of 15-20 hours per week to complete in 9 months.
An interest in UI design
If you are already reading books and blog posts about UI, that is a great sign. If you are unsure that UI is really for you, here are some great ways to explore it:
- Take our free UI design short course.
- Learn about the difference between UX and UI design.
- Get a free consultation with one of our program advisors who will give you personal feedback on which direction to go based on your interests and goals.
Written and spoken English skills at a level B2 or higher
A computer (macOS, Windows, or Linux) with a webcam, microphone, and an internet connection
What you don’t need:
A background in design or tech
This program is designed to take you from beginner to job-ready—regardless of your background. And now more than ever, employers see bootcamp graduates as excellent job candidates. A 2021 study by Career Karma found that companies as respected as Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are some of the largest employers of bootcamp graduates. The same study revealed that, in 2020, those same companies hired up to 120% more bootcamps graduates than they did in 2019!
Unlimited free time
You can study part-time at 15-20 hours per week to finish the program in 9 months; or complete the program in as little as 5 months by studying up to 30-40 hours per week.
To learn all on your own
You can enjoy the flexibility of online learning with the accountability and one-on-one attention traditionally associated with brick-and-mortar institutions. Much like a college professor might inspire you to pursue a career in a certain field, your mentor, tutor, career specialist, and student advisor will keep you motivated and on track.
Price and payment options
Next start dates:
Pay upfront
Get 5% off your tuition when you make a one-time, upfront payment.
upfront, then for months
Pay monthly
Pay today to secure your place, and then per month for months.
€0
Only available for residents in Germany
Bildungsgutschein
Talk to your local job center to find out if you're eligible. You can download our application guide for step-by-step instructions.
Pay upfront
Get 5% off your tuition when you make a one-time, upfront payment.
upfront, then for months
Pay monthly
Pay today to secure your place, and then per month for months.
€0
Only available for residents in Germany
Bildungsgutschein
Talk to your local job center to find out if you're eligible. You can download our application guide for step-by-step instructions.
Need a more flexible payment plan?
We can set up a custom payment plan that better suits your needs. Book a call with a program advisor to learn more.
Talk to your program advisor
FAQ
1. Is UI design a secure career choice?
In short, yes. There’s a high demand for qualified UI designers in tech (and even in other sectors). "UI designer" ranks third on this list of the 19 most in-demand digital creative talent. Interestingly, the top spot on the list is occupied by "digital product designer"—a role that also incorporates UI design.
Curious about what salary you could earn? Check out our UI design salary guide.
2. Do I need to take both the UX and UI programs to learn about both disciplines?
You only need to take one program. While UX and UI design are similar in many ways, and most designers do both kinds of work at some point in their careers (and there are many companies who hire for combined UX/UI roles), we’ve built our programs to support budding UX and UI designers separately.
If usability and function in digital product design are more interesting to you (key facets of UX design), take the UX Design Program. You can always opt for the UI design specialization at the end if you want to learn UI basics.
On the other hand, if the aesthetic and interaction side of digital product design appeals to you, take the UI Design Program—it covers UX design basics along the way!
Ultimately, which program you choose should depend on your interests and career goals. Make sure you understand the differences between UX and UI—including the skills and processes that are unique to each discipline, and how UX and UI designers work together.
If you’re still undecided, book a call with a program advisor! They can help you figure out which direction might best suit you.
3. What are the prerequisites and requirements for the program?
This program is designed with the absolute beginner in mind. Meaning, there are no prerequisites or prior experience in design or tech required.
Regardless of age or background, we’ve built a learning experience to ensure your success. From the catered curriculum and hands-on exercises to one-on-one mentorship and support throughout.
What’s required*:
- Motivation to transform your career
- Interest in UI design
- Written and spoken English proficiency at a B2 level or higher
- A computer (macOS, Windows, or Linux) with a webcam, microphone, and an internet connection
4. Which tools will I use and what are the costs?
For Intro to UX Design, you’ll mainly use Marvel, in addition to others. For the immersive UX Design Program, you’ll mainly use Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch (depending on your preference).
As a CareerFoundry student, you’ll qualify for free access to the Figma Professional Plan and a free 1-year student subscription to Sketch. Adobe XD comes with a 7-day free trial, but there will be costs involved thereafter.
You will also be using other tools to help you refine your designs. These tools will be available with a free trial or with a discount, which can be found on CareerFoundry’s Perks page. For further tool requirements related to specialization courses, please view their respective pages:
5. What are the minimum system requirements?
As this varies widely, we recommend checking individual system requirements on the respective websites:
For further system requirements related to specialization courses, please view their respective pages:
6. Is the program 100% online?
Yes, the program is entirely asynchronous and online—so you can study when and wherever you’d like so long as you can get online and stay on track for graduation.
But this doesn’t mean the learning experience is isolated or lonely! You’ll have regular contact with your mentor, tutor, student advisor, and career specialist—as well as full access to our active student community on Slack.
7. How long does the program take to complete?
The program is flexibly-paced within a 9-month duration. There are three deadlines along the way that we’ve put in place to help keep you on track for graduation.
Expect to devote a minimum of 15-20 hours per week to graduate within that maximum time frame. This is considered part-time study, and matches the default pacing of the program. If you’d like to graduate in as little as five months, you can devote 30-40 hours per week to reach that goal.
8. What’s included in the program tuition?
The UI Design Program offers you a complete career change package—from expert-authored curriculum and hands-on projects, to personalized mentorship and career coaching. Find out more here:
- How it works: From curriculum details to your career change team, and beyond—here are the details.
- Meet our mentors: Get to know who the CareerFoundry mentors are and how the dual-mentorship model works.
- Career services: Everything you need to know about our personalized career coaching, Job Preparation course, Career Support Center, alumni community, and more.
- Graduate outcomes: Here’s some of the work our graduates did in the program—and where they’re at today.
9. Are there payment plans available?
Yes, we offer two payment options. You can save 10% of your total tuition by paying it up front. Alternatively, you can pay a set amount up front to reserve your place in the program, and the remainder in 10 monthly payments (regardless of when you graduate from the program).
Still not feasible for you? Book a call with a program advisor to see if you’re eligible for a customized payment plan.
10. Does CareerFoundry offer full or partial scholarships?
While we do offer an ongoing tuition reduction to active U.S. military personnel and veterans, as well as periodic, partial scholarships/tuition reductions, we do not offer any full scholarships or funds at this time.
If you’d like to learn more about any of these offers, please reach out to a program advisor.
11. What’s the refund policy if I change my mind?
If you’re not happy with the program in the first 14 days from the start date, you can simply cancel for a full refund.
If you are 60% or less of the way through the program duration (not including any extensions) and need to cancel for any reason, you may be eligible for a prorated refund. For more information, see our full terms and conditions.
12. Do I get a certificate at the end?
You will receive a signed CareerFoundry certificate when you complete the program. This will make it easy for you to share your new qualification on LinkedIn and with potential employers or clients.
13. Is the program accredited and what does ZFU-approved mean?
While the program is not university accredited, it does undergo a rigorous quality assurance and certification process with the ZFU (Staatliche Zentralstelle für Fernunterricht)—the state body for distance learning in Germany.
This process ensures that the program meets a high stand for an excellent and effective learning experience.
On successful completion of this certification process, the program is assigned a unique approval number (7330218) which can be checked against a public register.
14. Are there eligibility requirements for the job guarantee?
There are conditions that graduates need to meet in order to be eligible for the job guarantee. We’re transparent about these requirements because we want them to be easy for you to follow and because we know they genuinely help graduates succeed in their job search.
You’re eligible for the job guarantee when:
- You’ve successfully completed 100% of your CareerFoundry program as well as our free Job Preparation course.
- You’re applying to at least five relevant jobs a week.
- You live in a metropolitan area with a population above 200K people in any of the following countries: USA, Canada, European Union or EFTA countries, UK, Australia, or New Zealand (or you’re willing to relocate).
- And when you meet other qualifying criteria. Please read the full terms and conditions.
15. What kind of job can I get after the program?
Based on the program’s comprehensive curriculum, you’ll be ready to apply for and step into a junior UI design role or mid-level UI design position. You'll also be able to apply for UI/UX roles.
Keep in mind that many job ads for UI designers ask for 2+ years of experience, but it is often part of their "wishlist" rather than a requirement.
If you have transferable skills from your previous career, it’s possible to land a more senior role. Your dedicated career specialist (during the Job Preparation Course) will help you understand your transferable skills and craft the right narrative to present in your job application materials.
Want to know if UI design is right for you?
Find out with a free 5-day email short course.
Thanks!
Curious about this program?
Contact us to find out if it’s right for you
“How would you like to get in touch?”
“I’m here to help you become a UI designer”
Alana, Senior Program Advisor
How would you like us to contact you?
Book a time to speak with a program advisor
Send us a message
What questions do you have about the program? We're happy to help.
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