We caught up with Ashley Janelle, an award-winning User Experience Designer with a blend of corporate insight and entrepreneurial spirit. Currently at Amazon, she also founded the globally recognized Empathive UX Bootcamp, which has cultivated a thriving community of over 28,000 aspiring UX professionals. Through her 16-week course, she empowers diverse designers to build portfolios, master interviews, and transition into successful UX careers. Her passion for mentorship is reflected in the achievements of her graduates, who have landed roles at major companies like Meta and Amazon Games, as well as exciting startups, shaping the future of the design industry. Here, she shares her journey into the world of UX and shares how others might do the same.
Can you share your journey into UX design and what motivated you to start your own UX bootcamp, Empathive?
I went to school for interactive arts and media and was working as a graphic designer for a while before wanting more out of my career. That’s when I decided to go into UX and did that via Bootcamp. Going through the process of a Boot Camp made me realize how much was left out of the experience and I wanted to create something that I knew was set students up for success.
What are some of the biggest challenges aspiring UX designers face, and how does your bootcamp help them overcome these hurdles?
The ultimate biggest challenge is knowing what should go into their portfolio. The way that our class is structured is that each project will go into the portfolio so students don’t have to worry about picking and choosing. We make sure that every problem is a current industry problem. This ensures that our students are learning how to solve problems that are relevant and allows them to have relevant skills.
What do you think sets Empathive apart from other UX courses or bootcamps, and how do you ensure your students are prepared for real-world UX roles?
What sets my students apart is the fact that there is a mentor that they work with one on one throughout the duration of the course. Many schools have a one to many set up or there is no instructor at all. This I believe, especially in a virtual setting can set students up for failure. I want to make sure that each student is carefully guided through all of the work and projects in the class and has one person that they can talk to at any time.
The way that I designed the course is that students are working as if they are already junior designers at a company. I’m mentor students just as I would mentor someone at the company that I work for. I don’t treat my students as newbies in the field, I treat them as, experienced designers.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career change into UX design, especially those who may feel hesitant or overwhelmed by the process?
I would say that you should probably try a UX Bootcamp. The right Bootcamp takes a lot of the anxiety off of you because a lot of the work is already done for you. There are self taught routes as well, however for someone who is considering a career change and feeling hesitant, a lot of that anxiety can be reduced by taking the right course. I would also encourage them to not be overwhelmed and hesitant and excited about the possibility of something new.
More about Ashley and her work: https://www.ashleyjanelle.com
Check out her blog : https://www.ashleyjanelle.com/blog
User Experience bootcamp website: http://empathive.com
Follow her on Socials :
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNQ0dXSvnYtxYWCqvnHBvsQ
Instagram: http://instagram.com/theashleyjanelle/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyjackson13/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyjanellee
