Springboard vs Designlab

During the 400+ hour journey, I have
• Sharpened hands-on experience in data wrangling, analysis, and visualization
• Applied SQL, Python, and Excel to uncover insights from real datasets
• Developed dashboards and reports using tools like Tableau and Power... Read More BI
• Strengthened my ability to turn data into clear, actionable narratives

I've not only sharpened my technical skills but also built the confidence to tackle complex problems with clarity and purpose.

My experience with Springboard overall has been very positive. One thing that really stood out to me was the mentorship. My mentor was excellent and had experience with Fortune 500 companies, and really was, like Springboard says, a high-quality mentor... Read More who works in the field. I personally did really well with the mentorship model, which was missing from my prior university education. Having someone, especially if you're a perfectionist, to check your work every week, however long you take the course, cannot be overstated for how much it builds your confidence and prepares you for the real-world feedback process.

I do want to give context that I have a four-year degree in Psychology before starting this program, and I just wanted to gain UX/UI specific skills. While I think Bootcamps can definitely be accepted by employers, I wouldn't go into this as a substitute for a college education unless you intend on purely freelancing. I feel a degree is still necessary, however, this is cheaper than a master's degree and specifically in UX design. I don't see many people with master's degrees, so I'm not sure how necessary it is.

My biggest complaint with this Boot Camp is the timeline. I think if you're going into this for the job guarantee, you're going to come out with a rushed portfolio. I think you can either end up getting the job guarantee if you read all the fine print and work really hard, or end up with a polished portfolio, except that you won't get your money back if you don't end up getting a job. I don't think you can do both. I think the timeline of nine months to become a UX designer is way too short and wildly inaccurate, even if you don't have any family or outside issues like I did it's just not enough to come out with a really polished product, and competition is fierce. I wish Springboard just decided to be a two year program similar to an associate's degree or even maybe a year and a half without relying on this job-guaranteed nonsense to help ease people into accepting trying a new type of education.

I think we're well past the point of needing job guarantees, and this should be for serious students who just know that this will personally develop their skill set. Again, if you want to polish up your skills this program is great, especially if you prefer structure and mentorship like I do, but if you're going into it only because it's cheaper than a four year degree, and because you have that plan to fall back on to potentially get a refund, I don't think you're going into it for the right reasons. Even if you do end up taking on some debt it's less than a college education anyway. Take your time work with your mentor and you'll have a great experience.