From Graphics to UX/UI: Tiago’s Career Move

Meet Tiago Marques, a freelance graphic and motion designer from Berlin. After getting requests from his clients to do some UX/UI work for them, he decided to start a UX/UI bootcamp to expand his skills and the services he offered. Despite having close to 20 years of design experience, Tiago still feels like he learned a lot and benefited from learning UX/UI.

We also benefited a lot from Tiago coming to campus. We liked him so much that we asked him to join our admissions team, a role he now combines with his freelance UX/UI and graphic design work.

My name is Tiago. I'm 37 years old. I come from Portugal, Lisbon, and I've been in Berlin for too long. I mean, 10 years, which is longer than most people. 

What did you study?

I attended the UX/UI bootcamp. At the time it was just UX/UI without AI. 

My experience was amazing. First of all because I did the bootcamp on campus. And on campus it’s a different experience. You meet a lot of people. You network. You are always with your coaches, with everyone that works in the company as well. There's no distinction between who works here or the students, so everyone talks with everyone.  So it was an amazing experience. 

I did a lot of networking. I made a lot of friends as well, and the course per se was amazing, even for someone that has 18 years of experience in graphic design, I was reminded of a lot of things, a lot of refreshers, and I learned a lot of new skills. 

What are the three things you liked the most?

Top three things I liked about the boot camp… 

First of all, the coaches. The coaches treat us not like students, but like people that want to advance in life, and they actually don't evaluate us in a bootcamp as students, they will help us to reach our maximum potential as well. And for me, that's incredible. 

Second: the curriculum. Very well structured curriculum. I think the curriculum gives all the weapons necessary for me to go after the bootcamp and immediately apply to a job.

Number three, definitely Friday beers.

What made you want to do a bootcamp in this specific field?

Because I was already a graphic designer and motion designer, and I was being asked by my clients at a time that they wanted to go more to app design and to more UI design scenarios. 

And obviously, because I was not certified to do those things and I didn't have enough knowledge, I decided to do this bootcamp. 

Why did you choose a bootcamp and not something else?

Because the bootcamp gives you the same curriculum as, for example, university studies during three years. 

It's faster, it's hands on, and the teaching methods are, for me, way better. It's not just a lecture, It's project based, and gives you already some work for you to put on your portfolio so you can present to your clients.

How did you hear about this bootcamp?

The academy came to me while I was researching several schools, honestly, because obviously we do our research, and as well it was recommended by a lot of people.

What job would you like to do after graduation?

After I graduated, I continued to have a job as a freelancer, had some clients. 

Obviously, the world of design declined a little bit, but yeah, I still had the same job and doing amazing projects with the same brands, and it was really cool.