ADVANCED
ADVANCED
ADVANCED

BE A BETTER PRODUCT DESIGNER

For senior-level product designers who want to grow themselves, their compensation, and their responsibilities. Sessions feature our signature talks, hands-on workshops, critiques, and more.

This 12-week virtual class is on 1 weeknight per week. The curriculum below was for a previous cohort, and will be similar for future cohorts. Apply now.

EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
EVERy WEDNEsday, 7 to 9pm est, for 12 weeks
TBD

WEEK 1:
DIVEST

AGENDA

Student intros

Review course outcomes & individual project

Developing your design POV

Decolonizing & divesting from traditional (European) design perspectives, methods, and approaches to design

Collective deconstruction of a product from a divestment lens

HOMEWORK

Design a poster spread that celebrates your personal and cultural identity & heritage

SPECIAL GUEST

Azeez Alli: co-founder of Àròko Cooperative, Former Principal Product Designer at Netflix

TBD

WEEK 2:
CONFIDENCE

AGENDA

Advocating for yourself

Reframing perceived weaknesses as superpowers

Workshop: identifying your values, writing your personal statement & bio, and building a brag board (a class favorite!)

HOMEWORK

Write down your intro statement, 3 personal design principles, and 3 reasons you should get a new role, client, promotion, and/or fee increase

Get 3 testimonials showing why you should get a new role/promotion/fee increase

SPECIAL GUEST

Mitzi Okou: Co-founder of Where Are The Black Designers?, ex-Spotify

TBD

WEEK 3:
CRIT

AGENDA

Live, inclusive design crits of your portfolio, brag book, resume, and social media

Workshop: prioritize and make 3 portfolio improvements

HOMEWORK

Make 3 high-impact, low-effort changes to your resume, portfolio, & social presence based on the critical feedback

SPECIAL GUEST

Amy Lima: Product Designer at Amp/Amazon Music, Founder of Diversify Design, ex-Pinterest

TBD

WEEK 4:
KNOWLEDGE
SHARING

AGENDA

Workshop pt 2: making portfolio improvements

HOMEWORK

Update your portfolio based on what you learned from other students

SPECIAL GUEST

Ashley Kim: content creator @pashtime, Product Designer at Praxis Labs, ex-Accenture

TBD

WEEK 5:
ACTION PLANS

AGENDA

Each student presents their work, design journey, and advice for others in class pt 1

Building your personal development plan

Advanced case studies for advanced roles

HOMEWORK

Map out your existing network and identify who will be useful in your journey as sponsors, and create an action plan that you’ll complete by the end of the class

SPECIAL GUEST

Annika Hansteen-Izora: Lead Product Designer at Lex, ex-Somewhere Good, ex-Hyperakt

TBD

WEEK 6:
CLASS Q&A

AGENDA

Each student presents their work, design journey, and advice for others in class pt 2

Discuss professional issues classmate(s) has/have

HOMEWORK

TBD based on our discussion

SPECIAL GUEST

Mig Reyes: Senior Director of Product Design at Duolingo, former Director of Product Design at Instagram

TBD

WEEK 7:
COMPENSATION

AGENDA

Balancing work, people, and compensation

Setting $ expectations and your personal worth

Workshop: Salary negotiation

HOMEWORK

Update your compensation requirements for your job search and pitch deck

SPECIAL GUEST

Jared Erondu: SVP of Design at Lattice, Advisor at Designer Fund

TBD

WEEK 8:
PITCHING

AGENDA

Bring up new ideas to managers/leadership

Working with data, KPIs, and OKRs to advocate for changes you want made

Communicating design decisions

HOMEWORK

Write down 3 ways you can better pitch new ideas, and record yourself pitching; receive critique from 3 people

SPECIAL GUEST

Dan Mall: founder at Design Systems University

TBD

WEEK 9:
BUREAUCRACY

AGENDA

Navigating bureaucracy as a POC

Partnering better with Product Managers

Dealing with difficult feedback

HOMEWORK

Write down your award acceptance speech in 30 years focused on your purpose. What award did you receive? What did you accomplish? Why did you do the things you did? Rewrite your own career bio that includes a specific reference and representation of your personal brand

Write or rewrite your own career bio that includes a specific reference and representation of your personal brand. This should include your personal brand tagline

Write a 3-point annual plan of three goals you want to accomplish that will impact your team and/or organization. (Only 3 goals no more). Include how you will accomplish these goals

SPECIAL GUEST

Ovetta Sampson: Director of User Experience Machine Learning at Google, ex-Capital One, ex-Microsoft

TBD

WEEK 10:
GETTING GIGS

AGENDA

Getting gigs in unconventional ways

Applying, finding a sponsor, interviewing, great portfolios, negotiating, cover letters, resumes, and LinkedIn tips

HOMEWORK

Write your cover letter and resume (using only fonts by POC)

Update your Linkedin, resume, website, and portfolio (PDF or Figma)

Apply to 5 new roles and/or set up time to discuss with manager about promotion/additional responsibilities

SPECIAL GUEST

Grace Ling: Founder at Design Buddies, Product Designer at EA

Portfolio critiques by Terrell Griffith: Lead Product Designer at Headspace

TBD

WEEK 11:
CELEBRATING
WINS

AGENDA

Students share what each person accomplished during the class and in personal and professional settings

HOMEWORK

Portfolio and action plan due

SPECIAL GUEST

Shannon Morales: Founder at Tribaja

TBD

WEEK 12:
GRADUATION

AGENDA

Graduation activity!

HOMEWORK

None!

SPECIAL GUEST

Pinterest Recruiting Team

More flavor for less

The only thing we’re serious about is food.

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order online
More flavor for less

The only thing we’re serious about is food.

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order online
More flavor for less

the best part of your day

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