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Telerik Academy Upskill

Power up your career
with the UX and UI Design
skills of tomorrow

Apply now

Overview

Become a well-rounded UX and UI designer

Created by practitioners for practitioners, the Upskill UX/UI Design program will help fast-track your career with the hands-on skills companies demand.

To enroll, you need to have some design, illustration, or visual arts background
During the program, you’ll master the secrets of great UX and UI design and start crafting digital experiences for every screen
Upon graduation, you’ll be able to instantly use the new skills at your job or start a new career

Program duration

3 months. You can combine the program with your job or studies

Lectures

Monday - Wednesday (6:00-9:00 pm).
2 to 3 times/week. Start: Sept 15

Commitment

6-9+ hrs/week plus additional time for self-prep and assignments. You’ll have 2 weeks of vacation

Format

Lectures will be held online. Onsite networking events (optional).

Language

Conducted in Bulgarian, but all learning materials are in English

Advantages

Unparalleled
learning experience

1The most complete UX/UI Design program For 13+ years, we’ve been perfecting our programs with a fanatic focus on quality and practical experience. So you can supercharge your career in 3 months vs years with other courses.

2Unique learning experience At par with the leading international programs, minus the impressive price tag. Our holistic programs reinvigorate online training. They are meticulously crafted and paced to keep you constantly engaged and to accelerate your progress.

3Instantly transferable skills In a close to real-work environment, master two of the most in-demand and highest-paid design skills you can immediately apply to your job. Build an impressive UX/UI portfolio to help you jumpstart a new career.

4Learning from the best Get access to some of Bulgaria’s best experts and brightest minds, who share real-life experience and know-how and become your mentors. Guiding you every step of the way.

5Professional network and Mentor programWork in groups with ambitious, like-minded professionals, where you learn from each other, and expand your knowledge and skills. Grow with dedicated group mentors and receive expert guidance and support.

6Investment in yourself Set yourself apart both inside your company and in the job market. Our alumni share the program pays for itself many times over with the opportunities it creates.

7Cutting-edge tools Get free access to leading tools such as Figma and Microsoft Office365 during the program. Work with the most collaborative design tool in the industry, Figma, and build a real-world project with it.

86 months access to course material Gain continued access to video content, templates, and reference materials for at least 6 months after graduation.

100% success, 100% confidence

15+

years experience

100%

consider their Telerik Academy
education a good investment in
their professional development

100%

confidence in the value of the
program and its impact on the
life of the students

The role of the UX/UI Designer

What do UX Designers do?

UX (User Experience) designers serve as the voice of the users. Laser-focused on how something works and how people interact with it, they are vital to every digital product organization.

What do UI Designers do?

UI (User Interface) designers make sure that every interaction with the finished product aligns with the vision of the UX designers. UI professionals obsess over the look of the product, define interaction models, design layouts and build prototypes.

Application

Is this for me? Yes, if you're

Designer, illustrator, visual arts student, or graduate eager to join the IT industry
Design professional and want to stand out in your current job
Company looking to upskill your employees. Get in touch

Do I need previous experience?

No previous UX or UI experience is required but you must show some design or illustration skills.

How can I apply?

Submit your online application
Demonstrate at least basic design/illustration skills by submitting a portfolio with your designs or a sample of your creative work
Not confident about your portfolio? We’ll help you sharpen it with our free pre-course training
Some candidates might also be invited to attend an interview

Timeline

apr
may
jun
jul
aug
sep
oct
nov
dec

Apr 16 - Aug 17 | Submit application form and portfolio
Apr 16 - Jul 6 | Apply to
pre-course training by submitting application form and portfolio (optional)
Jul 14 - Aug 17 | Join online
pre-course training (optional)
Sep 15 - Dec 18 |
Study at Telerik Academy Upskill

Important dates

Apr 16 - Aug 17 | Submit application form and portfolio
Apr 16 - Jul 6 | Apply to pre-course training by submitting application form and portfolio (optional)
Jul 14 - Aug 17 | Join online pre-course training (optional)
Sep 15 - Dec 18 | Study at Telerik Academy Upskill

preparation

Free pre-course training

Boost your Upskill UX/UI Design application with our free pre-course self-study training and expert-led Q&As.

It’s perfect if you:

Want to increase your chance to be admitted into the program
Are eager to refresh and ramp up your design knowledge before the program starts
Have been learning design (on your own or in a course) and want to check if you are ready to upskill

What you’ll finish with:

Enhanced knowledge of the design fundamentals, essential for UX and UI designers
Tips and tricks from our trainers and additional practical experience
Elevated design portfolio that will help earn your spot in the Upskill UX/UI program

Prerequisite

Complete your Upskill
UX/UI Design application and submit your portfolio by Jul 6 to start from session 1

Eligibility

Participants in the
pre-course training will be selected based on their application and overall motivation.

Schedule

Curated materials will be published every Monday in the Jul 14 – Aug 17 period. Q&A sessions with our trainers will be held every Thursday in the Jul 14 – Aug 17 period from 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm.

Apply now

Program details

Тhe Upskill program at a glance

Hands-on
training
Tailored learning
experience
Learning online
from anywhere
Two-week trial
period
Built to fit
your schedule

Hands-on training

Every topic is paired with hands-on assignments, covering all key UX/UI responsibilities. By the end of the program, you’ll develop and present an end-to-end digital product design and craft a compelling UX/UI portfolio.

Tailored learning experience

Class sizes are up to 35-45 people for the best possible learning experience. Our trainers become your mentors - track your progress, provide feedback and individual support and guide you all the way through.

Learning online from anywhere

Enjoy an unparalleled program from the comfort of your home. We transitioned every aspect online to keep the same renowned high quality, engaging experience and hands-on training.

Two-week trial period

Be 100% confident this is the right training for you, with our thorough candidate selection and two-week trial period. If you drop out in the first two weeks after the program starts, you won’t pay any tuition. Simple as that.

Built to fit your schedule

With classes up to 3 nights a week, this Upskill program allows you to balance all your responsibilities. Perfectly fitting your busy schedule.

Validated by the industry

Curriculum

Meticulously designed curriculum

Learn how to create user-centric designs with the latest UX and UI methodologies.

01Weeks 1-2
02Week 3
03Weeks 4-6
04Week 7
05Weeks 8
06Weeks 9-10
07Week 11-12
08Weeks 13-14
09Graduation

UX Design fundamentals

Learn why good UX matters and how to create it
Understand UX methods and techniques
Get to know your team and receive your project assignments for the duration of the program

Strategy

Learn how to research and balance Business goals and User needs
Discover how to conduct stakeholder interviews to set business goals
Practice conducting user research in order to understand your users
Analyze some real-world cases in terms of Business Strategy
Find out how to describe your users with Personas and define functionalities with User Stories

Scope

See how to gather and agree on all the different kinds of requirements right from the start
Start utilizing brainstorming and workshops when researching for insights
Prioritize features of the product, based on goals and technical feasibility
Present your findings as a team in front of your peers and trainers

Structure

Start organizing the information and navigation of your digital product
Learn how to create clear paths for visitors and enhance the user experience
Master designing and visualizing interactions between the user and your product
Find out how to test ideas and fail forward with a minimum effort
Differentiate between UX mapping techniques used to build common ground within an organization

Skeleton

Understand the importance of prototyping
Practice different types (fidelity) of prototyping

Usability testing and Heuristic evaluation

Learn why conducting usability tests is important
Get familiar with ways to effectively plan and moderate usability tests and report findings
Learn how to conduct usability studies, experiments and remote usability tests
Find out how to carry out a Heuristic evaluation (expert review) and when it's applicable

UX Writing (Content Design)

Understand why and how UX Writing should be integrated in the UX Design process
Learn how to use language to create and enhance user experiences through clear narrative, word choice and information hierarchy
Practice writing microcopy and master best practices when designing constructive conversations between users and the system
Write frictionless copy in digital products

Self-preparation

One week free of classes to unwind. You’ll be able to further strengthen your skills through reviewing the provided resources and working on team assignments

Midterm presentations

Present the UX research and strategy of your project together as a team in front of your peers and trainers

UI Design fundamentals

Start easier with visual research and inspiration
Communicate visual ideas through moodboards
Learn the basic principles of visual design for user interfaces
Discover the importance of creating visual hierarchy and how to master it

Web-based design

Discover the fundamental principles of web design and how to design web and desktop applications
Study the most common layouts in web and product design for desktop
Understand and use the most common building elements of desktop UI and best UX practices
Learn how to achieve visual hierarchy in your UI designs

Mobile-based design

Responsive vs. Native design for mobile screens - learn the difference
Learn how to design a good mobile navigation
Find out the most common screens and elements for mobile apps
Get introduced to UI for watches and wearables

IoT-based design

Learn the industry trends from a leading practitioner
Discover the general architecture of a standard system
Find out some of the UX/UI specifics and challenges in IoT
Hear some real-world case studies

Layout & grids

Find out how to make your life easier by defining a spacing and sizing system
Learn how to take advantage of a grid when building layouts
Get to know the different kinds of grids
Understand the importance of using white space to create structure and hierarchy

Typography in UI

Explore the basic font classifications
Learn how to establish a type scale and choose fonts for your projects
Get practical tips on working with type and apply them to your product

Colors in UI

Learn the foundation of the color spectrum
Understand different color combination models
See what some of the meanings behind primary colors are
Consider accessibility when picking colors
Get some pro tips on working with color in UI and apply them in your projects

Self-preparation

One week free of classes to unwind. You’ll be able to further strengthen your skills by reviewing the provided resources and polishing the UI of your products

UI in design systems

Understand what a design system is and why complex products and projects need one
Learn the basic components of design systems and some alternatives to them
Hear from leading industry practitioners how they create, maintain and work with design systems

Animation in UI

Find out what is Motion Design and what are the basic principles of animation
Learn about the UX principles of animation and how to apply them in your UI designs
Get tips on the animation process and see some interesting case studies

UI tips & tricks, handoff

Find out how to incorporate and use illustrations and photos into the UI designs
Learn how to use motifs in your designs
Get tips on working with UI elements, colors and borders

Presenting design work

Learn how to structure and present your designs and master tactics how to leverage feedback
Find out how to start working on your portfolio right now and how to structure case studies
Get tips on crafting a stellar CV

Putting it all together

By now, you have designed a mobile application for a product, a web version of some or all features of the product and a marketing website or landing page for it
Take time to polish the user interface, conduct final user tests of all aspects of the product and structure your presentations

Final presentations

Present the UX strategy and complete User Interface of your project, together as a team, as well as individually, in front of your peers and trainers

Graduation

Congratulations! You’re now a UX/UI Design expert.

You will receive a Telerik Academy certificate – widely recognized in the IT industry in Bulgaria.

Your team

Leading industry
experts – your trainers

Learn from the best. You'll be trained by leading practitioners eager to share their know-how and experience.

Lead
trainers

Ivelina Pavlova

Senior Product Designer,
Intellias

Contributed to the success of:
Bica Services, Scalefocus, NitroPack

Iva is a detail-oriented designer passionate about various design aspects, from graphic design to motion graphics and User Interface. With a strong understanding of user behaviour and design principles, she's an extrovert committed to delivering digital products that engage and excite users. Working for numerous startups crafted her open-minded design skillset in prototyping intuitive interfaces.

Pavel Gospodinov

Senior Product Designer,
World Bank Group

Contributed to the success of:
World Bank Group, NetNation, Cordego Ltd., HCLTech

Pavel has been in design for 7 years. He started as a robotics teacher and front-end developer, but soon discovered his passion for creativity, leading him to graphic and UX design. His drive to help others pushed him toward creating user-centered solutions and interfaces that solve real problems. He later co-founded a web-based startup, gaining valuable experience working with diverse teams. Today, he’s part of the UX team at the World Bank Group, mentors through ADPList and Mentor the Young, and hosts the UXPRESS Podcast, dedicated to sharing insights within the UX community.

Guest
lecturers

Philip Rusev

UX Designer,
The World Bank Group (via HCLTech)

Contributed to the success of:
ShopAccelerator, MELANIN

Philip has 3+ years of experience as a designer. He started as a web design freelancer and now works as a UX Designer at a large company with a design team of more than 50+ people. Besides design, Philip has always been really fond of sharing his knowledge and helping people grow. He is actively sharing design-and-work-related educational content online.

Julian Kuntorov

Freelance Product Designer & Entrepreneur

Contributed to the success of:
Daye, Heineken, Visa

Julian is a digital product specialist with a multidisciplinary skillset in design and development. He brings more than 10 years of experience in agencies and product companies across healthcare, advertising, and tech. He’s currently freelancing while building his own company in the career development field.

Polya Vassileva

Head of Design & UX,
Telerik Academy

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Progress, Campus X, Telerik School Academy

Polya has over 15 years of experience in the field of marketing, UI and experience design. She has headed creative teams for companies like Telerik and Progress, as well as crafted numerous on-screen products in the e-commerce, service and software sectors, for industry giants and startups alike.

Milen Donev

Founder,
UX Bulgaria

Contributed to the success of:
Remix by ThredUP, Design Picnic Studio

Milen has 25 years of design experience. For the past 8 years, his focus has been on UX, consumer psychology, team management and training young designers. His work with software developers, QAs, marketing and data analysts, gives him a holistic understanding of creating a digital product. He spent 5 years leading the UX department at Remix, one of the largest online fashion stores in Europe, owned by the American giant ThredUP. Founder of the Bulgarian UX community and mentor.

Assen Tzekin

Principal Designer,
OfficeRnD

Contributed to the success of:
SAP, Telerik

Assen's creativity spans over multiple platforms. Formally trained in graphic design, he discovered UX design in university and has been practising it ever since. Combining curiosity, vision and innovation, he strives to deliver practical solutions to real business problems through different mediums. Be it a branding project or a new software solution, his human approach, designing with heart and collaborating have allowed him to help clients across the world.

Autumn Kotsiuba

Senior UX Writer,
Quantive

Contributed to the success of:
Wix.com

Autumn is a UX Writer who's biggest belief is that writing is design. Originally from the US, she has worked as a UX Writer in Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Poland. She currently works for Quantive with a focus on teaching designers about the power of copy.

Trainers
from previous
editions

Svetlin Nikolaev

Senior Director, DX UX & Emerging Products
Progress

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Coca-Cola, Audi

Svetlin has 17+ years of experience as a visual and UX designer. Prior to joining Telerik/Progress, he worked for a leading agency with accounts such as Coca-Cola, Audi, Tuborg, ELLE. Leading the Telerik DevTools design team, he’s responsible for the UX of developer tooling products and services.

Plamen Motev

Type Director,
Fontfabric

Contributed to the success of:
Nike, Hyundai, US national football team

Plamen is a designer who believes that aesthetics and functionality should go hand in hand. His strong focus on typography brought him to Fontfabric type foundry, where he is responsible for the creative team. Plamen has more than five years of experience in leading retail and client’s projects for the international market.

Iliya lazarov

Creative Director

Contributed to the success of:
Bolt, ThredUP, Disney

Iliya is a Creative Director who delivers growth for ambitious global brands. He has 17 years of international experience with agencies, start-ups, and tech companies like Bolt, ThredUP, Disney, Danone, Lego, London Business School, Unilever, and Kit-Kat. Iliya loves pixels especially when they tell powerful stories that change behaviour. His favourite job is to inspire and lead creative teams that make a big difference. Currently, Iliya is freelancing and consulting for international direct-to-customer and sustainability brands.

Tanya Beloreshka

Solution Strategist,
Merkle Bulgaria

Contributed to the success of:
ASDA, George.com

Tanya is a Solution Strategist at a company that is a market leader in e-commerce platform integration. She works closely with wider business stakeholders, gathers requirements, proposes solutions, and leads implementations. Tanya studied in the Netherlands and has a master's degree in Business Information Management.

Vasil Yordanov

Head of Design,
Radzen

Contributed to the success of:
Progress, Telerik, Leanplum

Vasil is a tech-savvy designer with more than 17 years of experience in crafting digital products. Prior to joining Radzen, he spent 4 years at Leanplum working on a leading next-gen MarTech product, and a decade at Telerik designing ASP.NET AJAX and Kendo UI Components. His responsibilities today cover the full product design spectrum - from research and wireframes, through customer validation, to high-fidelity UI assets.

Joro Yordanov

Partner & Design Director,
Oblik Studio

Contributed to the success of:
Nexo

Joro has 20+ years of experience as a designer and coder. He has worked on award-winning campaigns for local and international brands. In 2014 Joro co-founded Oblik Studio - a result-driven team of 20+ creatives. Since 2017 they have been partnering with Nexo, which soon after became a leading fintech institution with 7M+ users. Ex-lecturer of web design at TUES. Interested in bootstrapping and building teams.

Matey Devedzhiev

Product Designer, Interaction,
Paysafe

Contributed to the success of:
Worldbank, Fontfabric, Chickitta, TechGeek

Matey is a product designer at Paysafe with expertise in UX, UI, and motion design. With over eight years of experience, he has worked at Fontfabric, Wordbank, and on various freelance projects in localization, branding, and motion graphics. Passionate about design systems and user experience, he excels in creating engaging digital products.

Georgi Kolov

Senior Design Manager,
SAP

Contributed to the success of:
SAP, MobiSystems

Georgi is a senior design manager with vast experience in print, web, mobile and automotive design. For him, "User Experience" describes more a mindset than just a design discipline. He is passionate about creating harmonies between pixels, people, and organizations. Sharing is caring for him - that is why he is obsessed with people's development. At events, you might find him in a quiet corner sharing ideas and perspectives on how to solve problems and climb the ladder.

Georgi Balinov

Creative Director & Co-founder,
HYPE

Contributed to the success of:
XS Software, MM Group, 1% Change

George is a seasoned digital designer with 15+ years of experience in creating digital products and brands with teams and clients around the world. His main focus has always been delivering delight to people through his work. For the past 5 years, he’s been leading some of the first UX and UI trainings in Bulgaria.

Boris Angelov

Principal Product Manager,
Payhawk

Contributed to the success of:
Elevate, AUBG

Boris is an experienced product manager with a background that ranges from launching finance products to bringing payment programs to life. He currently leads the Spend Management product area at Payhawk. Alongside his extensive product expertise, helping people grow has always been central to Boris's career. He began by partnering with a local VC to create the first University Accelerator program at AUBG—Elevate.

Tzveta Dinova

Accessibility Lead,
ASOS.com

Contributed to the success of:
HSBC, Barclays, The British Museum, Lego

Originally trained as a designer, Tzveta was always interested in user-centric design solutions. After working first-hand with young people with disabilities, she became interested in addressing accessibility on a larger scale. Her experience in digital accessibility was gained through working with brands such as HSBC, Barclays, The British Museum and Lego.

Ivan Draganov

Senior Product Owner,
Merkle Bulgaria

Contributed to the success of:
Adidas, Clarins, IATA

Ivan has 12+ years of experience as an IT Business Analyst and Product Owner. He works closely with all kinds of stakeholders, including clients SLT, UX/UI departments, dev teams and products' end-users, while being the connection between them. His passion is building second-to-none software products, and he's been doing it for clients like Adidas, Royal Yachting Association, Clarins and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Alexander Kitov

VP of Product,
Telerik Academy

Contributed to the success of:
ZenGo, Paysafe, betahaus

Alexander has over 12 years of experience as a product manager and entrepreneur. Prior to joining Telerik Academy, he worked for Paysafe and ZenGo. Before that, Alex co-founded betahaus (the first coworking space in BG home to startup and freelancers) as well as Perpetto, an ML-driven product discovery and personalization software. His responsibilities today cover the full product management spectrum - from upgrading Telerik Academy products and services to developing entirely new ones.

Vladimir Yordanov

Interactive Director,
Oblik Studio

Contributed to the success of:
Nexo

Product Designer with broad experience working on different-sized projects with responsibilities ranging from Web Development, User Interface Design, Motion Graphics, and Product Design with a heavy focus on User Experience. His background as a Web Developer, diploma in System Engineering, and Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design are combined in his job as a Head of Product Design for Nexo. He focuses on delivering high-quality user experiences based on research, data, and business needs.

Stefan Ivanov

Senior Design Manager,
Quantive

Contributed to the success of:
DIVAL, Stepsss, Infragistics

Stefan is a seasoned UX practitioner and interface designer with background in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction. Besides crafting design and developer tools for the enterprise, he has a solid track record in design leadership, having orchestrated numerous UX courses and conferences in Bulgaria.

Zhana Yurukova

Lead Solution Strategist,
Merkle Bulgaria

Contributed to the success of:
Clarins, Mugler

With extensive experience in e-commerce, Zhana focuses on keeping clients up to date on the newest, most exciting features and integrations that can be implemented on their e-commerce platforms. She loves when her work has a real positive impact on the customer journey. Under her supervision, a client reached two million pounds sales in a single month on a single platform which was more than an 800% increase.

Anton Georgiev

IT Business Analyst,
Merkle Bulgaria

Contributed to the success of:
Clarins

Having worked as an eCommerce Account Manager for 4+ years in the past, Anton’s main goal as a Business Analyst is to maximize the synergy between the client and the development team through effective communication and efficient user story writing. He likes to give the development team the opportunity to influence user story writing and UX requirements gathering and feels most rewarded when the whole team can see the positive result of their work. Since joining Merkle, Anton has been heavily involved in several Clarins website projects.

Pre-course
trainers

Anjelika Manova

UX/UI Designer,
Fourth

Nevena Partinova

Product Designer,
Quantive

Valentin Likyov

Product Designer,
VMware

Contributed to the success of:
Progress, Telerik, Webfactory

Valentin started his career as a Web Designer and later transitioned to an Interaction Designer position within Telerik’s web marketing team. Since 2017, he has been working as a Product Designer at VMware shaping the future of enterprise software for cloud automation. He focuses on ease-of-use and user behavior patterns in apps and websites.

Martin Bonov

Design Director & Founder,
Kickflip

Contributed to the success of:
Tavex, LimeChain, Perpetto

Martin is a detail-oriented designer passionate about bringing functional, social and emotional value to the users. Over the years he has explored various areas of user experience, interface design and front-end development while launching more than 200 websites and digital products.

Pavel Pavlov

Design Director &
Co-Founder, FourPlus

Contributed to the success of:
Goethe Institut, Ivet Fashion, Arpha Publishing

Pavel has 15 years of experience in Graphic Design, with a key focus on Motion Design. His experience spans from creating UI animations and concepts for the automotive industry in Germany and the US to helping launch India’s biggest telecom and teaching Motion Design courses in Martinique and the National Academy of Arts in Sofia.

Alumni Success

Meet our alumni

Our graduates excel in their UX/UI design careers.

There is no other place in Bulgaria, where you can find so much knowledge about the UX/UI field, presented in such a hands-on and structured way.
It’s an intensive 3-month bootcamp, where you’ll learn the end-to-end UX/UI design processes and meet leading speakers from top companies.
Hristo Andreev
former Marketing Professional, now Product Designer, VMware
Read Hristo's story

I needed fast-track guidance in a broad spectrum of themes - from the UX basics to UI Design best-practices and Design Systems management. Luckily, Telerik Academy happened to provide just that.
Lyubozar Dimitrov
Creative Director with extensive design experience, who was stuck between tight deadlines and rapidly shifting UX/UI goals, Rhythm Engineering
Read Lyubozar's story

It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You learn the best practices from industry-recognized gurus. They're your mentors, guiding you on the way to your dream job. You also meet and work with amazing people – your fellow learners, sharing ideas and improving yourselves together.
Daniel Dungyov former bartender, now UX/UI Designer, Finovation
Read Daniel’s story

Apply now

Portfolio projects

Start creating rich prototype designs and build an impressive UX/UI portfolio to showcase your new skills.

Ecological footprint calculator
application

by Tina Kesova, Georgi Kateliev, Tzveta Partaleva, Aleksandra Nagornaia

Ecological footprint calculator
application

by Tina Kesova, Georgi Kateliev, Tzveta Partaleva, Aleksandra Nagornaia

Toy swap
application

by Maria Sufieva

Car trivia
application

by Antoaneta Elmazova

Public transport
application

by Martina Stoyanova

Discover Sofia
application

by Denitsa Kusheva, Elena Draganova, Ivaylo Popov

Discover Sofia
application

by Denitsa Kusheva, Elena Draganova, Ivaylo Popov

Car trivia
application

by Martin Tsekov

Toy swap
application

by Pavel Spiridonov

FAQ

Do I need any previous UX/UI design experience?

No. You don’t need previous UX or UI design experience to apply for Upskill UX/UI Design. But if you do, we will also consider you as a qualified candidate. To join the program, you need some design experience because we don’t teach graphic design fundamentals in this course, and they are needed to help you upskill more quickly in the UX/UI design field. You must demonstrate at least basic design skills by submitting a portfolio with your designs or a sample of your creative work in the field of Graphic Design. You also need to be 18 years of age or older.

Do I need any previous design experience?

Yes. To be considered for and accepted in the program, you need to be a graphic designer or a visual arts student or graduate. We have also had successful applicants who came from the photography, architecture, interior design, fashion design, motion or video design, print, branding or advertising design fields. Or you could be a beginner UI or Web designer wanting to upskill and develop your skillset further. Whatever your background, you must demonstrate at least basic graphic design skills by submitting a portfolio with your designs or a sample of your creative work. If you don’t have such, we recommend that you spend some time working on several graphic or UI design projects. You also need to be 18 years of age or older.

Can I choose between online and onsite training?

The program is held online. Due to COVID-19, we transitioned the program online, but we kept everything else unchanged: same high-quality training, engaging learning experience and 100% focus on practice.

While the lectures are held online, you can attend optional onsite networking events conducted during the program with your peers and trainers.

Please note that attendance is key to our students’ successful graduation. Participants must attend all classes. Up to 3 days of absence are allowed, plus the program has 2 one-week vacations.

Do you offer discounts for the NGO (Not-for-profit) sector?

Yes, if you are a candidate working in the NGO sector, you can apply for a 90% discount off the tuition fee (two per cohort).

You must submit your Upskill UX/UI Design application and follow the requirements for candidate selection. If you are invited to join the program, your employer will be required to sign a contract with Telerik Academy and cover 10% of the regular tuition fee for the program. Please note that the candidate selection process evaluates the candidate’s profile, not the NGO’s.

How much does the training cost?

The tuition fee for Telerik Academy Upskill UX/UI Design is BGN 4,100.

The fee could be either covered by you or your employer. In both cases, the fee is paid via bank transfer prior to the program start.

Another tuition fee option is to pay in installments with a loan from a bank, partner of Telerik Academy. You can benefit from a deferred payment over a 12-24 months’ period.

How can I take part in the pre-course training? What does it include?

You need to complete your Telerik Academy Upskill UX/UI Design application and submit your portfolio by Jul 7. Participants in the pre-course training will be selected based on their application and overall motivation.

The self-study pre-course training will help you get ready for our program. In 5 weeks, you’ll go through 5 essential topics: graphic design principles, composition, typography, colors and UI design tips and tricks.

Every Monday, you’ll get access to a new collection of curated materials and receive a creative assignment. Every Thursday, you’ll participate in a one-hour Q&A session with our experienced trainers and you’ll be expected to submit each assignment by Sunday. Your work on the 5 projects will complement your portfolio, boost your application and help earn your place in the Upskill UX/UI program.

What are the requirements for the portfolio I need to submit when applying?

There are no particular design projects we expect to see, we just want to learn more about your experience and current expertise and the portfolio is a good way for you to visually illustrate this for us.

If you are a photographer or a visual artist, though, please try to dabble in and include samples of design projects in addition to your artwork. These may include (but are not limited to) layouts with typography and visuals, logos, posters and UI design screens.

What is the candidate selection process for the program?

We use a holistic review process when evaluating applicants for admission.

The final selection of candidates is not based on a simple formula of grades and test scores. Instead, we consider a variety of factors: application documents, portfolio, personal motivation for applying, etc. Some candidates might also be invited to attend an interview to additionally discuss motivation and aspirations.

What is the length/cadence of the program? Can I balance it with work or studies?

To get the most out of the program, you’ll need to immerse yourself in it for 3 months. To recharge your batteries, you’ll have 2 weeks of vacation. With classes up to 3 nights a week, this most holistic UX and UI program makes it possible to also balance work or other responsibilities.

Does Telerik Academy help alumni find new jobs after successful graduation?

As this is an Upskill program, it isn’t geared towards connecting learners and businesses. But the skills and experience you gain will help you excel in your career and/or find a new job, just like it helped our alumni reach their career goals.

How long will I have access to the course materials after graduation?

You will have a minimum of 6 months of access to our comprehensive course materials (video content, templates, and reference materials) after graduation.

Have other questions?

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Power up your career with the UX and UI Design skills of tomorrow

Become a well-rounded UX and UI designer

Program duration

Lectures

Commitment

Format

Language

Unparalleled learning experience

100% success, 100% confidence

The role of the UX/UI Designer

What do UX Designers do?

What do UI Designers do?

Application

Is this for me? Yes, if you're

Do I need previous experience?

How can I apply?

Timeline

Important dates

Free pre-course training

It’s perfect if you:

What you’ll finish with:

Prerequisite

Eligibility

Schedule

Тhe Upskill program at a glance

Validated by the industry

Meticulously designed curriculum

UX Design fundamentals

Strategy

Scope

Structure

Skeleton

Usability testing and Heuristic evaluation

UX Writing (Content Design)

Self-preparation

Midterm presentations

UI Design fundamentals

Web-based design

Mobile-based design

IoT-based design

Layout & grids

Typography in UI

Colors in UI

Self-preparation

UI in design systems

Animation in UI

UI tips & tricks, handoff

Presenting design work

Putting it all together

Final presentations

Graduation

Leading industry experts – your trainers

Lead trainers

Guest lecturers

Trainersfrom previouseditions

Pre-coursetrainers

Meet our alumni

Portfolio projects

Ecological footprint calculatorapplication

Ecological footprint calculatorapplication

Toy swapapplication

Car triviaapplication

Public transportapplication

Discover Sofiaapplication

Discover Sofiaapplication

Car triviaapplication

Toy swapapplication

Tuition model

Pay in installments

BGN 175/mo

Pay in full

BGN 3,895

FAQ

Do I need any previous UX/UI design experience?

Do I need any previous design experience?

Can I choose between online and onsite training?

Do you offer discounts for the NGO (Not-for-profit) sector?

How much does the training cost?

How can I take part in the pre-course training? What does it include?

What are the requirements for the portfolio I need to submit when applying?

Power up your career
with the UX and UI Design
skills of tomorrow

Unparalleled
learning experience

Leading industry
experts – your trainers

Lead
trainers

Guest
lecturers

Trainers
from previous
editions

Pre-course
trainers

Ecological footprint calculator
application

Ecological footprint calculator
application

Toy swap
application

Car trivia
application

Public transport
application

Discover Sofia
application

Discover Sofia
application

Car trivia
application

Toy swap
application