Frequently Asked Questions

What is DesignCourse?

DesignCourse is an online learning platform created by Gary Simon that teaches UI/UX design and frontend development. We offer free Foundations challenges, premium courses, an All Access Pass for full course access, and Sprint Training for 1-on-1 mentorship.

Do I need an account to use DesignCourse?

You can browse the website without an account, but you'll need a free account to participate in Foundations challenges, track your progress, purchase courses, or join Sprint Training.

Is there a DesignCourse certification?

Yes. We offer digital certificates of completion for our paid courses. Once you complete all required modules, you'll receive a certificate hosted on designcourse.com with the option to make it public or download it as a PDF.

Do you offer parity pricing?

Yes. If you're from an approved region, you'll see a button to enable parity pricing on course purchases. This grants a percentage discount based on your location. Please note: Parity pricing is not available for Sprint Training.

If you believe your region should qualify for parity pricing, please contact us.

Can I use parity pricing with a VPN?

No. If a VPN is detected, parity pricing is disabled to prevent abuse. If you live in an eligible country but use a VPN, temporarily turn it off while purchasing.

Is there a Discord community?

Yes. Course members get access to an exclusive Discord server where you can ask questions, share your work, and connect with other learners. Access is granted after purchasing a course.

What is your refund policy?

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on individual course purchases and the All Access Pass. Sprint Training refunds are available before you've received 3 rounds of feedback. See our Terms of Service for full details.

What is Foundations?

Foundations is our free, interactive learning program that teaches design fundamentals through structured courses and hands-on challenges. It's designed to help beginners build core design skills through practice and community feedback.

Is Foundations really free?

Yes, 100% free. There is no paywall. You just need a free DesignCourse account to track your progress and submit challenge work.

How does Foundations work?

Each Foundations course is broken into chapters, modules, and slides. You'll work through educational content, watch videos, take quizzes, and complete design challenges where you submit your own work. The courses are self-paced, so you can go at your own speed.

What are Foundations challenges?

Challenges are hands-on design assignments within Foundations courses. You'll receive a brief and reference materials, then create your design and submit it. Other users can view your submission, rate it, and leave constructive feedback.

How does the peer review system work?

After submitting a challenge, other users can rate your work on a star scale and leave written feedback. You can also review other users' submissions. This community feedback loop helps everyone learn and improve together.

Can I share my Foundations submissions?

Yes. Each submission has a shareable link that anyone can view without needing to log in. This is great for sharing your work on social media or in your portfolio.

Can I reset my Foundations progress?

Yes, you can reset your progress at any time from within the course viewer. Be aware that this permanently deletes all of your submissions and progress data and cannot be undone.

What's the difference between Foundations and paid courses?

Foundations is free and focuses on teaching design fundamentals through interactive challenges with community feedback. Our paid courses go deeper into specific topics like UI/UX design and CSS, with extensive video content, more advanced projects, and certificates of completion.

What courses are available?

We currently offer courses in UI/UX design and CSS. Each course includes hours of video content, interactive tests, design challenges, and downloadable resources. Visit our courses page to see what's available.

Do I get permanent access when I purchase a course?

Yes. When you purchase an individual course, you get lifetime access to all current and future updates to that course. It's a one-time payment with no recurring fees.

What is the All Access Pass?

The All Access Pass (AAP) is a subscription that gives you access to every course on the platform. This includes all currently available courses and any new courses released during your subscription. When your subscription ends, you keep permanent access to courses that were released while you were subscribed.

Do I need any prior experience for the courses?

It depends on the course. The UI/UX course is suitable for beginners, though starting with our free Foundations program is a great way to build a base. The CSS course assumes a basic understanding of HTML and CSS. If you're a total beginner, we recommend our free Foundations challenges to get started.

What software do I need?

You'll need a free Figma account for design work. For the CSS course, you'll also need a code editor like Visual Studio Code (free). No paid software is required.

How long do the courses take to complete?

All courses are self-paced. The UI/UX course has over 16 hours of video content, 12 challenge modules, and nearly 40 interactive tests. The CSS course includes 8 hours of video, 14 interactive tests, and 6 challenge projects. How long it takes depends on your pace and how much time you dedicate.

What if I need help while taking a course?

Course members get access to an exclusive Discord server where you can share your work, ask questions, and get help from the community. You can also contact us directly.

What is Sprint Training?

Sprint Training is a 30-day personalized mentorship program where you receive detailed, video-based feedback on your design work directly from Gary Simon. It's designed to rapidly improve your skills through iterative feedback on real projects.

How does Sprint Training work?

You submit your design work (your own projects or fictional briefs we provide), and Gary records a personalized video review, typically 5 to 20+ minutes long. You iterate on your design based on the feedback and resubmit. This cycle continues throughout the 30-day sprint, with multiple rounds of feedback.

When does my 30-day sprint start?

Your 30 days begin when you submit your first deliverable, not when you purchase. This gives you time to prepare your project before starting the clock.

How fast will I get feedback?

We guarantee a 48-hour response time for each submission. Feedback is typically delivered as a detailed video review.

Can I submit multiple projects at once?

Submissions are handled one at a time. You must wait for feedback on your current submission before submitting new work. This ensures thorough, focused feedback on each iteration.

Can I use my own project or do I need to use a brief?

Either works. You can submit your own real-world projects, or use one of the fictional briefs we provide. The goal is to give you feedback on your design decision-making, regardless of the project.

Do I need to purchase a course to join Sprint Training?

No. Sprint Training is a standalone service. However, combining it with our courses or starting with Foundations is a great way to maximize your learning.

Is parity pricing available for Sprint Training?

No. Due to the highly personalized, time-intensive nature of Sprint Training (custom video recordings for each submission), parity pricing is not available for this service.

I have more questions!

Feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to help.