Tools you'll use
Thinklab is a live, hybrid UX/UI design program that takes you from foundational skills to a professional portfolio — and supports you for 12 months after graduation. Most students start with no design background.
Learn the full modern design process, build real projects, and graduate with proof you can do the work. AI is woven into every stage of the curriculum.
How you'll learn
Live instruction every session · hybrid in-person or online · project-based · small, capped cohorts with direct feedback.
Every student moves through the same arc — get ready, build the skills, then build the portfolio and the career.
Figma fundamentals, design vocabulary, and an intro to AI design tools so everyone starts day one ready to build.
Research, synthesis, design thinking, IA, interaction, UI & design systems, prototyping, testing, handoff — each with an AI layer.
Build capstone projects, assemble a job-ready portfolio, and work with us on resume, interviews, and job search.
Before the program begins you'll get access to the Thinklab platform and work through self-paced foundations so the whole cohort starts on the same footing.
What is UX vs. UI; the design roles and where you fit; how a project moves from problem to product; design principles — hierarchy, contrast, balance, alignment.
Figma basics — frames, components, auto-layout. First UI practice — recreate high-quality UI screens to train your eye. Your design, dev, and AI toolkit.
What AI is and why it matters for UX. AI in the workflow — brainstorming, inspiration, and simple tasks. You start building an AI-assisted habit from day one.
Each unit pairs core craft with an AI layer — the way modern design teams actually work in 2026. Short UI-practice exercises run between the core units from week one.
UX vs. UI in depth · design roles · the end-to-end process. Design thinking as a mindset: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test.
+AI: where AI fits in the design process, and its limits
Research types — generative, evaluative, primary/secondary, qual/quant. Interviews, surveys, JTBD, competitive & secondary research. Research plans, screeners, recruiting.
+AI: AI-assisted synthesis, clustering, and behavioral analysis
Affinity & empathy mapping · personas · problem statements. Journey maps · presenting research to stakeholders.
+AI: AI-assisted persona drafting and journey mapping
Divergent thinking — Crazy 8s, round robin, worst idea. User stories · feature prioritization · solution ideation.
+AI: AI-assisted idea validation and moodboard generation
Sitemaps · user flows · navigation · card sorting · screen states.
+AI: content categorization — plus AI ethics, dark patterns, consent & transparency
Sketching · mobile-first responsive design · red-route screens. Lo-, mid-, hi-fi wireframes · wireflows · edge cases. Usability, accessibility, and inclusion.
+AI: designing for voice-first and multimodal interfaces
Color, type, spacing, grids, iconography. UI patterns · Nielsen heuristics · Material & iOS guidelines. Atomic design · design systems. Hi-fi mockups · accessibility.
+AI: AI-assisted design variations and accessibility audits
Clickable prototypes · animation & interaction best practices. Usability testing (moderated/unmoderated/remote) · synthesis · iteration. A/B testing · analytics.
+AI: adapting usability methods to evaluate AI-driven interfaces
HTML & CSS basics for designers · responsive & flexbox concepts. Working with developers · design handoff & tools.
+AI: AI-assisted handoff — validating markup and accessibility
Presenting your work · building a case study · stakeholder communication. Psychology of design · the business of UX. Collaboration, feedback, design critique.
You'll know exactly how you're progressing — through daily checks, hands-on labs, and project critique.
Quick checks for understanding woven into each session, so the whole cohort moves together and no one falls behind.
Hands-on exercises that consolidate the day's concepts. You get regular, direct feedback on your work.
Real-world-style projects, individual and group, that become portfolio pieces by the end of the program.
Regular group crits build the single most important professional skill: presenting and defending design decisions.
Graduates who complete the coursework and final portfolio earn a Thinklab by Marketeq Certificate of Completion — representing ~440 hours of UX/UI design training — to showcase on LinkedIn, your resume, and in interviews.
Employers hire on portfolios, not certificates. In Phase 2 you'll apply everything to substantial projects you can walk any hiring manager through.
Register your domain · build your portfolio site · write your bio. Personal brand & the structure of a strong case study.
Design a new feature for an existing product, end to end, within real brand guidelines. Full process: research → IA → design → prototype → test → case study.
Design a complete mobile or web product from scratch. Generalist UX skill from research through hi-fi handoff — your flagship portfolio piece.
Refine case studies · polish the portfolio · present your work. Review against the real hiring bar before your job search begins.
A focused, full-time program — weekdays, 9am–5pm. Attend in person or join the same live class online. Schedule is indicative and may be adjusted to optimize learning.
| Module | When |
|---|---|
| Prework — Foundations · Figma · AI intro | Pre-start |
| Design Foundations & Design Thinking | Week 1 |
| User Research | Weeks 1–2 |
| Synthesis & Strategy | Week 3 |
| Ideation & Information Architecture | Week 4 |
| Interaction Design | Weeks 4–5 |
| UI Design & Systems | Weeks 5–6 |
| Prototyping & Testing | Week 6 |
| Handoff & The Professional Designer | Week 7 |
| Portfolio Setup | Week 7 |
| Capstone 1 — Add a Feature | Week 8 |
| Capstone 2 — End-to-End Product | Weeks 9–10 |
| Portfolio Review & Graduation | Week 10 |
Ten weeks, end to end — from your first research interview to a presented, high-fidelity portfolio piece. An introduction to the craft, not a claim of mastery: you leave fluent in the process and confident in Figma.
You'll get hands-on with the tools real design teams use. These are examples — we keep the stack current and adapt to the best tools available.
Career support isn't a bolt-on — it's built into the program and continues for a full year after you graduate. We keep coaching you through your job search.
Seats are capped to keep the instructor-to-student ratio high, so cohorts fill and close. Here's how to secure your place.
Submit a short application — your background, your goals, and why now. No design experience required.
A brief call to make sure the program is the right fit, answer your questions, and walk you through tuition and payment options.
Secure your spot with a $500 deposit, then complete enrollment. Once a cohort fills, it's closed — earlier applicants get priority.
Get access to the Thinklab platform and your ~40 hours of foundations, so you're ready to build on day one.
Apply now or request a call with our admissions team. Seats are limited and cohorts close when they fill.