RED Academy

I made the IT switch after a long career in Engineering by trying out Web Development then UX. I was initially skeptical about the UX program, not just the program at RED but at the whole concept of designing for Users. But after working on a Wordpress project with a UX design team, I began to understand the concept of User Centered design better and better. I started off by enrolling in a P/T UX course @ RED in Toronto, then after the great experience, I decided to invest in the F/T course in London, UK.

At RED - London, there was an initial teaching scheduling conflict as the main instructor had to leave and to be replaced. This caused a temporary learning gap, which was solved with the intervention of the School Manager, which I do praise his communication skills + diplomacy.

T...

I came onto the course with some skepticism. I was looking to retrain and was worried I would be able to learn enough in 12 weeks to change careers. I have to say I was more than impressed with the course and with Red as a whole. From my first conversation with Michelle who put my fears at ease to the first day where the Red method was explained. I was constantly reassured and made to feel supported by everyone.

Working with real clients was a positive and rewarding learning experience. It felt like going to work rather than being on a course which I hope puts me in good stead when looking for a job in the real world.

Tutors were all supportive and approachable with a wealth of knowledge from a wide range of real-world experience. This in itself helped me to see beyond the course ...

I have recently graduated in the UX Designer Professional program, in London. I have really enjoyed the course, the instructors are great and the the program is very comprehensive. RED is pretty much like a big family and it happened more than once that we had extra sessions given by instructors from other courses (UI, for example) because they saw we were really keen on learning more. They are always willing to help. The fact that I worked on 3 real client projects means that I have a good start for my portfolio, because I have done the project, then the case study and I had feedback on my work. Now I can just make the tweaks and publish them. The real projects made me learn a lot, not only how to apply certain tools but also on how to manage client's expectations in the UX field. I r...

I enjoyed my time at RED Academy Toronto. It's a great friendly environment and well knowledgable staff. While I was in the part-time course, it was the perfect setup to see if I wanted to pursue UX Design, as I find my career is in a bit of transition. I attended many free workshops and meet ups prior to enrolling into the part time course. The admissions team of D&V were able to answer my questions and if not, were able to get me in touch with the instructors and past alumni to answer them.

With the UX part time course I was able to learn the framework and process of user experience. Keep in mind this is a super condensed workload of say the full time program. Where in the full time program you're able to produce 3 portfolio case studies, part time you'll produce 1. It can be dau...

I was in the first cohort for the UX Designer Professional course that Red Academy ran in London and it was absolutely amazing! From the moment I met the guys at a panel discussion event they did before the course started, I knew this was the type of place I wanted to get trained at and gain experience. The entire team is extremely supportive and the course itself is very practical. It is definitely intensive but you get so much out of it in so little time. I would definitely recommend!

Studied Front-End Web Development. This course was very intensive, a lot to take in, but very satisfying as you progress. I learnt more than I could have imagined in 12 weeks. Tutors are fantastic, will encourage you to work through a problem by yourself which is the best way to learn, but are always there when you hit a brick wall.

What a great way to learn so much in such a short period of time. The hands on experience was awesome, the programme structure was great, always asking for on-the-go feedback. As a UX designer in industry now, I think the UX programme would have benefited from joining just a few of the UI sessions, especially as we have to work together a lot, so having a deeper understanding of what they do and what their goals are would be great. A lot of industry also split UX into 'UX design' or 'product design' and 'UX research', if you want to go into UX product design you need to know some UI as well as some animation tools. Perhaps you can give students the option to attend some of these classes as optional, if they want to go into that direction.

I completed the full time UX designer course in London. It gave me an excellent all round thorough training in UX. Having gone to lots of industry events since graduating I’ve realised how far ahead the course has put me. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get a job in UX!

I recently attended RED Academy's UX Designer full-time program in Vancouver, BC in January of 2018.

Pros:
- Great learning atmosphere
- Plenty of coffee, tea, hot chocolate for those late nights
- Down to Earth teachers who you can really relate to
- Very tight knit community
- Fast paced (We usually work in 3-week sprints)
- Immediate application of theory, sometimes within the same day

Cons:
- Limited career support resources (although everyone is more than happy to share their existing networks)
- Would like more feedback as a student
- Would like more time dedicated to going over technical programs
- Feedback can sometimes be a little too vague, would appreciate adhering to a standard at first, and then breaking that standard.

Overall:
RED Academy is a place wh...

The space, people, and projects were great! I became fully immersed in the digital marketing world and haven't looked back since.

I went to school for marketing a few years ago and completed a degree. In my 5 years of university, I never learned half of what RED has taught me in the short 3 months of the Digital Marketing program. If you are looking to expand your training to include tech, looking to completely switch career paths, or just looking to learn something for you, this program is great. Highly recommend!

Attending RED Academy was one of the best decisions I've made in my life!

From the demanding project based curriculum, to the mandatory Personal and Professional Development Days, I was challenged academically and personally on a daily basis.
The journey--although extremely tough at times--allowed me to build new skills, strengthen the soft skills I already possessed, and develop a stronger sense of self which has helped me leverage opportunities in the Tech Industry and Community.

The instructors and fantastic friends I have met in the RED Community have been wonderfully supportive in the program, and continue to be outside of the program.

My only recommendation for RED would be to improve curriculum to include more Javascript coverage and a Framework like React perhaps, ...

Very open, and unorthodox approach to teaching makes for great knowledge barrier breaking for most students. Would highly recommend this school to anyone trying to get into the tech field.

In October 2017 I have started a program UI Designer Professional at RED Academy with hopes to become fluent in today's tech landscape and build my career in that field. Before I made my decision to take the course I worked as a model and an actor in the Asian market (Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok). Upon coming back to Canada I really wanted to get the skills that would allow me to start a new and interesting career and maybe one day create my own business. RED Academy seemed like a good fit.
The program started with basic training of design skills, colour theory, layouts, wireframing, idea inception, moodboards and software. We had 2 school projects and 3 community partner projects. Community partner projects were especially useful because we got to work on real projects for real ...

The part-time Digital Marketing Foundation (10 week) program offered at RED Academy in Vancouver provides a great combination of engaging real-world knowledge and practical applications of current industry products/insights in a manner that is easily digestible for students across a wide range of abilities. While the learning curve is initially very steep, instructors and TA's seem passionate about their field and willing to go the extra to help everyone learn the concepts and skills needed.

Some areas to improve include: better attention to detail for the school administration and course outlines - because these programs are fluid and changing based on trends, feedback etc it's important to ensure that any communication to students is current/correct/up-to-date with changes; also en...

RED Academy's Digital Marketing course has provided me with the tools to succeed. From the very beginning, the instructors shared great insight on industry trends and how to use various practices in the real world. I was able to put my new skills to work immediately. I would highly recommend RED to anyone who is looking to learn a new skill, brush up on their current skills or those who are curious about learning the ins and out of a new industry. The class environment was fun and I enjoyed working with/meeting new people.

Pros:
Fast paced learning environment that allowed me to excel in my Marketing career
The educators were current in the industry and were able to teach from their personal career highs and lows
Worked with real clients to develop proposal's and pitches
Networking opportunities were provided for you (with coaching on how to network effectively)

Red Academy was an invaluable jumpstart for my career. I not only had the opportunity to network with hiring (relevant) industries but I also got the support I needed to take my current role to the next level. Working with closely with analytics and other marketing tools I was able to collaborate with team members and put the data to use. I appreciated the real-world experience brought to each lesson - having industry professionals actually teach just makes sense to me.

Pro:
The school offers real-world experience and operates like an agency which was extremely valuable.
The teachers are professional and always willing to help.
You get to work with people from all over the world, and from all types of career backgrounds.
Egos are left outside and it's a safe learning environment.
Socal Fridays and a lot of Networking Opportunities
Even if you are enrolled in one course, you get a sample of all the other programs and learn how they're connected

Cons:
Lots of Turnover with Instructors which can be difficult once you get adjusted to a specific learning/teaching style
Classes are getting larger. Sometimes, teachers aren't available during workshop time when help is needed. Google can only do so much. The teachers are occupied with a lot of o...

RED is not the typical traditional factory style institution that teaches you about abstracts. RED gets you prepared for the real world applications for those who want to make an impact riding the new era of technology. RED not only teaches you, but revolutionizes the way you think about the world.