gSchool's Experience Architect Program is an intensive, six-month training program turning passionate designers into skilled experience architects. When you graduate, you'll be ready to get the job you’ve been dreaming of, design your own digital products, or better influence the design of software you’re already working on.
If you’re looking to become an exceptional practitioner in user experience (UX) design and you’re not afraid to dig in or take your skills to the next level, then you’re ready to go. No design background is required. You should, however, be ready to demonstrate what you think makes a good user experience, and show us your passion for making better user experiences.
After all is said and done, you’ll be able to lead a UX project from research to prototyping for mobile, web, and desktop apps. At the halfway point, you’ll have the power to conduct research, create user flows, and crank out wireframes. Then you’ll jump right into practice projects with a huge number of industry experts on hand to learn from while you’re honing your mad skills. The more you know, the better job you’ll get.
Being a UX designer doesn’t just mean you know how put together a set of wireframes.
You’ll know how to gather intel that informs the user experience and narrate a customer journey that creates change for businesses. You’ll also learn techniques for building buy-in and running workshops. And you’ll design for consumption in the digital space all while learning how to scope, manage, and sell your work.
Every weekday you'll have structured sessions 9AM-4PM including full-class instruction, hands-on workshops, design reviews, and guest speakers.
You’ll create practice projects that sharpen your skills, deliver final presentations to industry pros, and tap into the talent of our design mentors. The last five weeks are spent working on projects with real user experience challenges. Not to fret, every hour is spoken for.
EffectiveUI has been making its mark on the digital experience since 2005. No other company has the expert team that knows what it takes to design an interface that creates a customer response.
"We meet so many talented designers with an interest in specializing in UX, but who don’t have the specific experience or training. This program will help give designers the very specific, unique, robust skillset needed to secure jobs in this high-demand field."
— Anthony Franco, president and founder, EffectiveUI
The program is $20,000 per person and $5,000 scholarships will be available for qualified applicants. Tuition includes a new Apple laptop and participation in the program — other living expenses are up to you.
We've also setup a deferred payment option with payments beginning after the program is completed. With a down payment of $5000, the balance of the tuition can be paid over a five year period. Contact us at ea@gschool.it to learn more about scholarships and payment options.
We believe in the strength of diverse communities and welcome persons of all creeds, genders, races, orientations, ages, and abilities. No design background or other credential/diploma is required. You may have experience in anthropology, marketing, development, physics, or something completely different. We’re interested in your curiosity, empathy, communication skills, problem solving abilities, and passion for improving digital experiences. The application requires:
We have room for 24 students. If you seem like a promising fit, you will be asked to give a 30 minute presentation in Denver or remotely via Skype. We’ve included key application dates in our timeline.
To participate you must be onsite through the entirety of the program June through December at Galvanize's G1 building (map)
Beth Koloski, Lead Instructor
Beth Koloski is a Lead Experience Architect at EffectiveUI and has more than 12 years of experience designing user interfaces. Prior to EffectiveUI, Beth was a senior interaction designer at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, texturemedia, and Foci.
Michael Salamon, Lead Instructor
Michael Salamon reigns as a user experience practice lead and the head of EffectiveUI’s user-centered design team. With more than 20 years of experience, Michael’s work spans print, web, mobile, interactive, motion, illustration, and animation.
Jason Bowers, Supporting Instructor
Design is not just his job. Jason Bowers can’t help but evaluate the aesthetics and engineering of the world around him and constantly question how things can be better. As User Experience Designer at EffectiveUI, he brings this curiosity and perfectionism – along with 20 years of experience – to design engaging interfaces for clients.
Julia Barrett, Supporting Instructor
As Director of Customer Insight at EffectiveUI, Julia Barrett discovers key insights that inform user experience design decisions. She’s a cognitive science guru who is armed with the methodology to unravel mindsets that make huge impact for users and businesses.
Anthony Franco, Supporting Instructor
Anthony Franco is best known for founding EffectiveUI in 2005 with the core belief that technology lives up to its promise to humanity only when it is well-designed. He is a zealot when it comes to creating useful, usable, desirable and buildable interfaces, and has helped manage the creation of hundreds of award-winning digital products for many of the world’s most recognizable brands.
Dan Saltzman, Supporting Instructor
Dan Saltzman has won multiple awards as a lead experience architect for EffectiveUI. His experience includes more than 10 years designing for software and mastering design strategy that tackles complex business challenges through killer design thinking.