Back in 2014 when the concept of TNDS started taking shape, I was a Web Designer teacher and working as one myself. In the years before that, Web Design was something which sat between design and code (good designers knew how to code) and UX design was merely a topic we would learn about and try to apply mostly in web and the early mobile apps projects. Maybe some “cloud” software if it existed. Things were quite different and, as long as I was aware, there wasn’t a lot of people who would call themselves UX Designers, even at an international level.
So it was only natural that the school I was conceiving turned out to reflect a reality that was becoming obsolete.
As the first cohort progressed back in 2017 and we started applying our learning framework, I eventually realised that I was limited by my own vision of a changing industry. Designers were no longer just creating for the web and new roles had emerged. The literature around the topic reflected that, as well as the reality of some of our guests.
So, long story short, I don’t remember making big adjustments during TNDS1, but when the time came to define a plan for TNDS2, we definitely had that into consideration. We even decided to further widen the learning spectrum and include the possibility of students becoming front-end developers, which in itself turned out to be another big mistake! Read more at Lesson → It’s difficult to maintain a mixed cohort of designers and developers
The frameworks and programs that came later were also constantly adjusted to the reality of the positions companies were hiring for, as a way to make sure we stayed relevant. Some core learnings remained the same but the context in which these things are done makes a huge difference.