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

Research

Talk

How to Research and Strategize

April 11 • Noon – 1pm PT

UX

Talk

Designing for the User

April 13 • Noon – 1pm PT

Workshop

Solving Everyday Problems

April 14 • Noon – 1pm PT

Visual Design

Talk

What Makes a Good Interface

April 18 • Noon – 1pm PT

Workshop

Expression Through Design

April 19 • Noon – 1pm PT

Motion Prototyping

Talk

Bringing Ideas to Life with Prototypes

April 20 • Noon – 1pm PT

Workshop

Prototyping a $60B Dollar Idea

April 24 • Noon – 1pm PT

Storytelling

Talk

Share your Awesome Idea

April 25 • Noon – 1pm PT

Career Pathing

Talk

Career First Steps

April 28 • Noon – 1pm PT

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.