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APRIL 7 – 28
VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Elephant’s XD Academy is back for 2023. Now, with more opportunities and flexibility for you to participate.

Join us in April for a month of talks and workshops, 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

Talk

Welcome to Elephant and XD Academy

April 7 • Noon – 1pm PT
This kick-off session is an overview of what we do, how we think and what we believe makes a great digital product experience.
Chris May, Chief Creative Officer
Chris May
Chief Creative Officer
Takeaways
A look at the month ahead
An understanding of product design
A behind the scenes look at what we do at Elephant
Requirements
Zoom

Research

Talk

How to Research and Strategize

April 11 • Noon – 1pm PT
Learn how research insights shape the products we use every day. We’ll cover types of research, interviewing techniques, and translating user insights into design opportunities.
Tess McGourty, Strategy Director
Tess McGourty
Strategy Director
Takeaways
An understanding why research matters
Types of research, defined
A walk through of how research leads to ideas
Requirements
Zoom

UX

Talk

Designing for the User

April 13 • 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.
James Garvey, Associate Creative Lead, UX
James Garvey
Associate Creative Lead, UX
Daniel Tak, Senior Creative, UX
Daniel Tak
Senior Creative, UX
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

Workshop

Solving Everyday Problems

April 14 • Noon – 1pm PT
In this hands-on session, attendees will learn how to create better products for people. Together, we will create fresh product ideas by identifying pain points of existing, everyday.
Tess McGourty, Strategy Director
Tess McGourty
Strategy Director
James Garvey, Associate Creative Lead, UX
James Garvey
Associate Creative Lead, UX
Daniel Tak, Senior Creative, UX
Daniel Tak
Senior Creative, UX
Takeaways
Critically observe existing products
Turn observations into user insights
Ideate solutions that address real problems
Requirements
Pen & paper
ZoomFigma

Visual Design

Talk

What Makes a Good Interface

April 18 • 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
Arthur Almeida, Senior Creative, Design
Arthur Almeida
Senior Creative, Design
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

Workshop

Expression Through Design

April 19 • Noon – 1pm PT
In this interactive session, attendees will express their unique voice by applying fundamental design principles of typography, color, negative space, and visual hierarchy.
Ryan McSwain, Creative, UI
Ryan McSwain
Creative, UI
Xiaodie Huang, Associate Creative, UI
Xiaodie Huang
Associate Creative, UI
Takeaways
Learn core visual design principles
Create an expressive design through storytelling
Requirements
Pen & paper
Smartphone
ZoomFigma

Motion Prototyping

Talk

Bringing Ideas to Life with Prototypes

April 20 • 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.
Thiago Duarte, Associate Creative Director, Product
Thiago Duarte
Associate Creative Director, Product
Conor McKiernan, Associate Creative Lead, Product
Conor McKiernan
Associate Creative Lead, Product
Takeaways
What prototypes are and why we use them
What are the right prototypes for the right problems
Requirements
Zoom

Workshop

Prototyping a $60B Dollar Idea

April 24 • Noon – 1pm PT
In this hands-on workshop, we will prototype features of a popular mobile app. We will build and test ideas on devices to see how fundamental prototyping can be to bring designs to life.
Thiago Duarte, Associate Creative Director, Product
Thiago Duarte
Associate Creative Director, Product
Conor McKiernan, Associate Creative Lead, Product
Conor McKiernan
Associate Creative Lead, Product
Takeaways
Learn the basics of prototyping for mobile
Testing your prototype
Requirements
Smartphone
ZoomFigmaMirror

Storytelling

Talk

Share your Awesome Idea

April 25 • Noon – 1pm PT
Pitching a great idea is hard—you have to distill all those feelings, emotions and ideas into a short succinct story that will resonate and engage the intended audience. We are going to show you how to do that.
Tom Mandel, Creative Director, Copy
Tom Mandel
Creative Director, Copy
Chris May, Chief Creative Officer
Chris May
Chief Creative Officer
Takeaways
An understanding of why we need to talk about our ideas
Tips on how to talk to about your ideas with simplicity and clarity
When to show, and when to tell
Requirements
Zoom

Career Pathing

Talk

Career First Steps

April 28 • Noon – 1pm PT
Starting your career can be a daunting task. We will map out fundamental steps to successfully putting yourself out there—including positioning yourself, standing out on LinkedIn and in a pile of resumés, as well as different opportunities in the field of product design.
Ali Ring, Director of Talent Management
Ali Ring
Director, Talent Management
Kaia Franklin, Associate Project Manager
Kaia Franklin
Associate Project Manager
Chris Hayes, Vice President of Product Design
Chris Hayes
Vice President, Product Design
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
Tess McGourty
Strategy Director
James Garvey
Associate Creative Lead, UX
Daniel Tak
Senior Creative, UX
Allan Diego
Creative Lead, Product
Arthur Almeida
Senior Creative, Design
Ryan McSwain
Creative, UI
Xiaodie Huang
Associate Creative, UI
Thiago Duarte
Associate Creative Director, Product
Conor McKiernan
Associate Creative Lead, Product
Tom Mandel
Creative Director, Copy
Chris Hayes
Vice President, Product Design
Ali Ring
Director, Talent Management
Kaia Franklin
Associate Project Manager
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FAQ

Who can join XD Academy?
Current MAIPers and MAIP alumni.
Where can I sign up?
Good news. You are already at the right place. You can sign up at xdacademy.elephant.is
What is the difference between a talk and a workshop?
Talks are informational sessions with a brief Q&A at the end. Workshops are interactive sessions in which we will be learning and building together. Talks have unlimited spots available while workshops will have a limited number of participants.
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 and workshops are intended to be fun and informative. Some workshops do have software requirements—be sure to check the description before signing up.
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.
What if I sign up and can’t make a session?
Don’t sweat it if you can’t make a workshop. Please email us at xdacademy@elephant.is if your plans change so we can open up your seat for someone else. 
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

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Beginnings

Elephant Logo MarkMAIP Logo Mark

XD Academy, now in its third 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

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.

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.
Elephant XD Academy Logo