SYLLABUS | FULL-TIME

Product Design
Our live in-person or online program. Become a
product designer in as little as 15 weeks.
Table of Contents

Why Product Design? 01

Program Overview 02

Curriculum 04
Prep: Product Design 04

Phase 1: UX Process 04

Phase 2: UI Process 05

Phase 3: Studio 1 06

Phase 4: Studio 2 07

Phase 5: Portfolio 08

Alumni Highlights 09

Program Pace & Schedule 11

Why Flatiron School? 12

Contact Us 13

flatironschool.com
 Why Product Design?
Flatiron School’s Product Design course takes a modern approach to teaching
digital design - one which is frequently validated by hiring managers and that
will leave students fully prepared to pursue a variety of career paths.

COMMON PRODUCT DESIGN CAREER PATHS

PRODUCT DESIGNERS | Average salaries: $94,802

Also called UX UI Designers, Product Designers have ownership over the entire UX and
UI process. They may work on product roadmaps, analyze projects for ROI (return on
investment). (salary from ZipRecruiter, as of April 2022)

UX DESIGNERS | Average salaries: $98,816

Also called User Experience Designers, UX Designers focus on the total user experience
with a digital product. (salary from ZipRecruiter, as of April 2022)

UI DESIGNERS | Average salaries: $89,780

Also called User Interface Designers, UI Designers focus on the visual experience of
a digital product, such as fonts, colors, and animations. (salary from ZipRecruiter, as
of April 2022)

“Products” can mean many things but at Flatiron School our Product Design
course focuses on designing digital products, such as websites or mobile
applications.

Our course is crafted so anyone and everyone can be successful, regardless of

skill level, artistic background, or coding knowledge. The course starts with
ethical and inclusive design principles then progresses through UX and UI
concepts, which includes instruction on cutting-edge tools like Figma.
Students will end the course with a portfolio of project work intended to
catch the eye of hiring managers.

flatironschool.com |1
Program Overview
Ethical and Inclusive Design
One of Flatiron School’s core values is Nurture Difference. In our Product
Design course we feel the responsibility to lay the foundation for our
students in accessible, inclusive, and ethical design. This includes learning
from people with a range of perspectives, while advocating accordingly in
their new careers.

User Research
Product design starts with knowing who will use your product and what they
need to accomplish. You will learn the best user research methods for
gathering data to inform your design choices. The Product Design course
guides you through several rounds of practical user research through guided
practice and real-world projects.

Data Analysis
The best product designers interpret data gathered from their research and
generate insights that will drive product features and user interactions. The
Product Design program teaches you how to synthesize research and create
deliverables that help other stakeholders understand users’ needs.

Prototyping
Interactive prototypes give UX/UI professionals a way to get feedback from
real users about whether design choices meet their needs. The Product
Design program walks you through industry-leading software like Figma and
Webflow to create dynamic prototypes for user testing.

User Testing
The only way to know if your design choices meet the needs of users is
through user testing. Every product is different and designed to solve
specific problems. The Product Design program teaches you a set of tools
and strategies to get the most out of your user testing sessions.

flatironschool.com |2
UI Design
Beautiful, well-designed digital products can be a joy to use. An essential
step in the product design process is creating the visual language that users
will find accessible, easy to understand, and attractive. The Product Design
program will teach you how to employ visual design foundations to create
high-fidelity visual mockups using industry-leading tools.

Collaboration
Product designers work alongside other stakeholders in the product design
process. You will help guide a product to success by communicating users’
needs to designers, developers, and business stakeholders at every step of
the product journey. The Product Design program will teach you how to
communicate effectively with peers using design deliverables and to lead
through user-centered principles.

CURRICULUM

PHASE 1 UX Process

PHASE 2 UI Design

PHASE 3 Studio 1

PHASE 4 Studio 2

PHASE 5 Portfolio

www.flatironschool.com 5
flatironschool.com | 32
Curriculum
PREP
Product Design
All students are required to complete pre-work before the start of Phase 1 to
have a working knowledge of UX and UI processes. During pre-work,
students prepare for success by familiarizing themselves with the the tools
and processes they will utilize during the Product Design course including
Figma and Webflow.

PHASE 1
UX Process
In Phase 1, students will learn the essential components of the UX (User
Experience) Design process, including standard tools, best practices, and
deliverables. Students will learn how to conduct research and interpret
findings and create the assets necessary to communicate their ideas and
insights to other project stakeholders.

Ethical and Inclusive Design

Ethical and inclusive design means including and learning from people with
a range of perspectives. This is the foundation of our curriculum - that’s why
it’s our very first module, covered in full starting on the first day of the
course.

Foundational Research
Great design starts with research. Students will learn how to frame research
questions and how to choose qualitative and quantitative methods to
answer them. They will also develop their skills in synthesizing data,
identifying opportunities, and presenting their findings.

Ideation and Innovation

Students will get to leverage their creativity and problem solving skills to
ideate and innovate solutions for the product. Students will learn the
importance of sketching and rapid prototyping to evaluate early ideas.

flatironschool.com |4
PHASE 2
UI Process
In Phase 2, students will learn the essential components of the UI (User
Interface) design process, including standard tools, best practices, and
deliverables. Students will learn the fundamentals of interface design,
including design principles, typography, and design patterns, to create
beautiful mockups that are a joy to view and use.

Visual Composition
Students will learn the principles of UI Design. From discovering what visual designs
draw user’s attention to the best practices for content layout, students will begin to
master visual composition to effectively communicate through fonts, shapes, lines,
colors, images and negative space.

Typography and Color

Students will dive into color theory and typography. Students are encouraged to seek
instructor feedback to continually refine their skills in applying color themes to the
elements of a UI, creating visual balance, emphasis, organization, and direction of a
product.

Interaction and Animation

Students will be introduced to interaction and animation principles as they dive deeper
into how detailed designs can turn a good digital product into a great one.

flatironschool.com |5
PHASE 3
Studio 1
In Phase 3, students will apply what they learned about the UX and UI process
to create a complete set of deliverables. Students will begin with a project brief
and deliver research-informed solutions using the product design process.
Students will learn how to talk about their design choices and communicate
users’ needs to other stakeholders.

Information Architecture
Students will learn how to organize and structure information in the most
effective way by building clickable prototypes that present the interactions and
navigation possibilities of a product.

Design for Web

Flatiron School’s Product Design course teaches students the basic web
development languages of HTML and CSS.

Designing Applications
Students will design mobile apps for both Android and iOS. Google/Android
and Apple have different design philosophies and approaches to application
design. Students will learn to utilize Google's Material Design System and
Apple's Human Interface Guidelines when designing for each OS.

flatironschool.com |6
PHASE 4
Studio 2
In Phase 4, students will direct a project from start to finish while exploring
essential skills like presentation strategies, effective communication, and
design ethics. This phase will challenge students to meet the complex needs of
a real-world problem.

Product Strategy
Students will discover the essence of a good product strategy: learning how to
make good decisions. They will dive into balancing the needs of the business
and users with frameworks like Jobs to Be Done and SWOT analysis.

Working in Cross-Functional Teams

Learn to work cross-functionally with various teams from Software Engineers to
Product Managers to Marketing, Sales, and Operations.

Information Design
Information design is the practice of presenting information in a way that
reduces uncertainty and makes it accessible and easily understood by most
users. People consume information constantly–including instructions, figures,
data, and tables. Designers must work with a set of defined objectives to
ensure the right message is transmitted clearly and accurately.

flatironschool.com |7
Communicating Design
Students will practice clear writing while applying best practices for designing a
presentation - all with the intent of mastering visual storytelling.

PHASE 5
Portfolio
In Phase 5, students will create and launch an online portfolio of their best
work. They will author a case study that explains the insights and decisions
they made during the product design process. This program will challenge
students to talk competently about their work and to communicate their
strengths in UX and UI as they prepare to enter the job market.

Specialization
During the Specialization module, students will get 2-weeks where they can
choose to dive deeper in UX Research, UX Design or UI Design. This will help
students focus in areas of passion whether it is identifying opportunities
through research, improving UX through sketching or fixating on the visual
details for a world-class UI.

The Product Designer Portfolio

In the final module of the program, students will put together and publish a
unique portfolio that will help establish their brand and use as a reference
during their job hunt and beyond.

flatironschool.com |8
Alumni Highlights

Sabrina Hernandez
Before I became a product designer, I had many life experiences
that shaped me into the designer I am today. For example, I was
an essential worker in healthcare for many years. Life is all about
growing, learning, and redefining yourself. When starting
something new, it can be scary at first, leaping into the unknown
but remember that every experience you have acquired before
this point is leverage-able and no experience is for no reason.

Frederick Williams
When I started my job search I immediately got the
attention of hiring managers. I had so many interviews,
and it was a smooth process.

Justin Shi
Portfolio ↗

flatironschool.com |9
Debbie chan
Thank you Flatiron School for this opportunity where
I can meet genuine, down-to-earth, ride-or-die,
amazing people, learn alongside them, and all of them
are my family.

Jessica Roderick
Once you are done with the 4 months, you have everything you
need to land that role. It’s worth it!

Connor Hayward
Portfolio ↗

flatironschool.com | 10
Program Pace & Schedule
Community sparks creativity! Flatiron School’s Product Design course is not
just lectures and individual work. Full-time students’ daily routine is filled
with hands-on projects across UX design, UI design and more – as well as
endless opportunities for collaboration.

You can read more of a full-time student’s daily schedule here, whether you
are learning online or in-person.

We know that how you choose to study is as integral to your success as what
you’re learning. Paired with our online learning platform, Canvas, and
individualized support, all students have access to a personalized learning
experience.

FULL-TIME LIVE

Length 15 weeks

Time Commitment 60 hrs/week

Career Services Support Yes

1:1 with Instructors Yes

Live Lectures Yes

Assigned Cohort Yes

flatironschool.com | 12
Why Flatiron School?
Practical hands-on learning | You’ll learn in-demand market technologies and
skills, work in labs, and create a real-world portfolio.

1:1 with Instructors | Schedule sessions with instructors with various industry
experience to work on technical concepts, get feedback on submitted work, or
set project goals. Students also have the opportunity to attend community
events hosted by guest lecturers in the Product Design field.

Learn in community | You may be learning online, but you’re not alone.
Students have the opportunity to join student-led affinity groups that span
the student base, such as Women in Tech, Parents in Tech and Black in Tech.
You also have the opportunity to connect with alumni and other students at
Flatiron School to build your network.

Individual Career Coaching Support | Work one-on-one with a career coach for
180 days after program completion.

WHERE OUR GRADS HAVE BEEN HIRED

Ranked One of the Named One of the Best

Top Coding Coding Bootcamps
Bootcamps by for Q1 2020 by
Course Report Career Karma

flatironschool.com | 13
Let’s stay in touch.
Education should be the best investment you make in your future—and at Flatiron School, we’re
committed to helping you learn the skills change your future. Online and on our campuses across
the country, we provide the skills, community, and immersive, outcomes-driven curriculum you
need to launch a career in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, or product design.

Apply Today Attend an Event Chat with Admissions

Start your application Join us for a seminar or Have a question about our
for one of our immersive info session to see what program that we haven’t
bootcamps and change student life is like at answered? Our admissions
your life today. Flatiron School. team is here to help.

Apply Now See Events Schedule a Chat

This Syllabus includes summary descriptions and other information related to this Flatiron School program. For a detailed description, please consult the current
Flatiron School student catalog, available at https://www.flatironschool.com/regulatory-information, and the enrollment agreement you sign in connection with
your program.
Let’s stay in touch.
Education should be the best investment you make in your future—and at Flatiron School, we’re
committed to helping you learn the skills change your future. Online and on our campuses across
the country, we provide the skills, community, and immersive, outcomes-driven curriculum you
need to launch a career in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, or product design.

Apply Today Attend an Event Chat with Admissions

Start your application Join us for a seminar or Have a question about our
for one of our immersive info session to see what program that we haven’t
bootcamps and change student life is like at answered? Our admissions
your life today. Flatiron School. team is here to help.

Apply Now See Events Schedule a Chat

This Syllabus includes summary descriptions and other information related to this Flatiron School program. For a detailed description, please consult the current
Flatiron School student catalog, available at https://www.flatironschool.com/regulatory-information, and the enrollment agreement you sign in connection with
your program.