xd
academy

april 8–29

2024

Elephant’s XD Academy is back for 2024.

Join us in April for a month of engaging talks designed to introduce you to a career in experience and product design—with a seasoned perspective only Elephant can provide.

Sessions

Sessions

Sessions

Kick off

Introduction to Elephant

April 8 • Noon – 1pm PT
Our creative leaders will take you on a tour of what makes Elephant, well, Elephant as well as a look at some of our more recent work.
Chris Hayes, Vice President of Product Design
Chris Hayes
Vice President Product Design
Kaia Franklin, Associate Project Manager
Kaia Franklin
Project Manager
Takeaways
An introduction to Elephant, the creative agency
What makes Elephant tick, and our process for making impactful and meaningful things
A look ahead into the next few weeks of XD Academy
Requirements
Zoom

UX Design

Designing for the User

April 10 • Noon – 1pm PT
Learn the basics of designing products that are usable, enjoyable, and accessible. Attendees will gain insight to the fundamental practices of UX design including putting the user first, translating research into ideas and creating wireframes.
Daniel Tak, Senior Creative, UX
Daniel Tak
Senior Designer, UX
Conor McKiernan, Associate Creative Lead, Product
Conor McKiernan
Associate Lead, Product Design
Takeaways
An understanding of the principles of Experience Design
Why we put users in the center
Basic processes and techniques for taking ideas to designs
Requirements
Zoom

Visual Design

What Makes a Good Interface

April 15 • Noon – 1pm PT
Learn the basics of typography, color, negative space, and visual hierarchy and their roles in designing useful and memorable interfaces.
Allan Diego, Creative Lead, Product
Allan Diego
Creative Lead, Product
Xiaodie Huang, Associate Creative, UI
Xiaodie Huang
Associate Creative, UI
Takeaways
What a visual designer is and what they do
An understanding of basic visual design theories and principles
What makes good interface design
Requirements
Zoom

New Horizons

Creative Direction & AI

April 17 • Noon – 1pm PT
Learn how the designer’s role is evolving into one of a creative director and strategist, guiding Artificial Intelligence tools to reach new and creative outputs.
Thiago Duarte, Associate Creative Director, Product
Thiago Duarte
Associate Creative Director, Product
Takeaways
AI as a collaborative tool
Advantages of great writing
Why Designers are more relevant than ever
Requirements
Zoom

Motion Prototyping

Bringing Ideas to Life with Prototypes

April 22 • Noon – 1pm PT
Learn what prototyping is in the world of product design. We will explain why we prototype, the different levels of fidelity for each situation and what tools can help you achieve your goals.
Conor McKiernan, Associate Creative Lead, Product
Conor McKiernan
Associate Lead, Product
Takeaways
What prototypes are and why we use them
What are the right prototypes for the right problems
Requirements
Zoom

Storytelling

Share your Awesome Idea

April 24 • Noon – 1pm PT
Elephant copywriters will break down all things words across the digital landscape. We’ll walk you through the key elements of engaging and effective storytelling — from crafting the right tone of voice to selling in your narrative to clients.
Luna Hurtado
Copy Lead
Meghan Hosley
Meghan Hosley
Associate Creative, Copy
Takeaways
Key principles of strong and impactful writing
Tips on molding your words to fit the medium
How to present your copy to clients
Requirements
Zoom

Career Pathing

Career First Steps

April 29 • Noon – 1pm PT
Elephant's own past interns who are now Full time employees, will share their journeys to starting successfully in the industry. We will discuss putting yourself out there— including positioning yourself as a creative, as well as opportunities and places of employment in the field of product design.
Kaia Franklin, Associate Project Manager
Kaia Franklin
Project Manager
Giselle Jimenez Martinez
Production Designer
Emnete Tesfaye
Talent Operations Coordinator
Takeaways
Early career mapping, defined
What agencies and companies are looking for; tips to get noticed
An understanding of opportunities in the field of design
Requirements
Zoom

Speakers

Speakers

Speakers

Chris May
Chief Creative Officer
Chris Hayes
Vice President, Product Design
Daniel Tak
Senior Creative, UX
Conor McKiernan
Associate Creative Lead, Product
Allan Diego
Creative Lead, Product
Xiaodie Huang
Associate Creative, UI
Thiago Duarte
Associate Creative Director, Product
Luna Hurtado
Copy Lead
Meghan Hosley
Associate Creative, Copy
Giselle Jimenez Martinez
Production Designer
Emnete Tesfaye
Talent Operations Coordinator
Kaia Franklin
Project Manager
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FAQ

How do I join XD Academy sessions?
To join a session, please reference the MAIP Virtual Spring Training Platform where you'll find Zoom links to participate in each session. If you have questions please reach out to xdacademy@elephant.is
Who can join an XD Academy session?
Current MAIPers and MAIP alumni.
Do I need to have anything prepared or special skills to attend XD Academy?
No, XD Academy is designed for people just starting their journey in exploring a career in product design. Talks are intended to be fun and informative.
Do I need to attend every session?
No. XD Academy is a “choose your own adventure” format. Sign up for the sessions that sound interesting. You can attend one or all. It’s up to you.
Will I get a certificate of completion?
No. Due to the open format, we are not offering certificates of completion this year. 
Can I put this on my resumé?
Absolutely. We encourage you to do so. 

BIG THINGS

have small

Beginnings

Elephant Logo MarkMAIP Logo Mark

XD Academy, now in its fourth year, is focused on BIPOC talent who have an interest in the field of product and experience design, but may have limited exposure to it. Attendees are either students enrolled in higher education or people on their own unique career journey. The program is made possible through Elephant’s partnership with the 4A’s MAIP. XD Academy is entirely free—the only requirements are time and curiosity.

History of XD Academy

2020

The creative team at Elephant imagined and launched a bootcamp-style program aimed to teach fundamental product design skills to multicultural university students–with the goal to supercharge their existing education and the vision of creating a more diverse industry.

2021

In our second year, nine students participated in a nine-week, part-time virtual boot camp designed to teach the core skills and foundations of digital product design through work sessions, presentations and independent assignments.

2023

In our third year, we expanded the program from a limited boot camp to a seminar of virtual talks open to all MAIP members and alumni interested in learning more about the trade of digital product design.