If you're looking for step-by-step UX basics
Portfolios and interviews come up, but this isn't a beginner bootcamp. It's for designers who want to see how product work really runs once the tutorials stop.
Unhinged Design — live UX practice for designers
Beta | Spring 2026
For designers
who are
building confidence
You have UX foundations, but real-world decisions still feel shaky.
develop judgement
You design regularly, but want sharper feedback on tradeoffs, constraints, and messy decisions that don't come with a checklist.
deepening practice
You're past fundamentals and want to pressure-test how you think — refining how you operate in complex systems.
WHO THIS ISN'T FOR
Some honesty
up front.
Anyone wanting a
certificate
There isn't one. The practice is the credential.
People who can't
commit 2.5 hrs/week
Live sessions aren't recorded for rewatch. If you miss two, this probably isn't the right format for you.
Designers who want
their work praised
Critique here is direct, kind, but direct. If that's not useful to you, it won't be.
Inside the cohort
Live practice
- Live working sessions
- Practice under constraints
- Rapid prototyping for exploration
1:1 mentorship
- Resume and portfolio feedback
- Interview prep
- Paired, contextual critiques
Guest speakers
- Product and engineering
- Panel conversations
- Live Q&A
CURRICULUM | 5 WEEKS · 11 SESSIONS
What you'll actually practice.
-
The reality check
You think you know what the job looks like. Week one challenges that by unpacking what design means across company size, team structure, and where you sit.
-
Working with PMs
The PM who sends mockups is not the enemy.
Understand how PMs translate user needs into business decisions, and how to adapt your design process based on the product, priorities, and the outcomes that matter most.
GuestJeremy JarrelPrincipal Product ManagerLocal Logic
-
Working with engineers
Decode what "that won't work" actually signals, then partner with engineering instead of working around them. Short tie-ins to accessibility expectations and design-system tradeoffs.
GuestCordelia McGee-TubbSr. Staff Design TechnologisteBay
-
Design that ships
Rapid prototyping, vibe coding, and what it takes to get work built. A hands-on week focused on constraints, speed, and real decisions.
GuestJosh KrieseSenior Design EngineerMiro
-
You
Portfolio, resume, and your next move. You get peer feedback, debriefing, and focused 1:1 time.
Includes1:1 with CatalinaStaff Design System DesignerSplunk
Guest speakers
-
Jeremy Jarrel
Principal Product Manager Local Logic
As a product management leader, I help pre-Seed through Series C startups discover and build products their customers love—clarifying who those customers are, keeping strategy adaptable, and getting launches to market.
I'm excited to have the opportunity to contribute to Unhinged Design to help close the gap on the need for UX Designers with practical, real-world skills that truly accelerate their teams.
-
Cordelia McGee-Tubb
Cordelia McGee-Tubb on LinkedIn Sr. Staff Design Technologist eBay
Accessibility, design systems, and digital equity sit at the center of my work as a design technologist and speaker. With over a decade of experience navigating the intersection of design and engineering at Salesforce, Dropbox, Color Health, and eBay.
I'm excited about Unhinged Design's pragmatic approach and looking forward to sharing pointers to help folks tackle the real-world constraints of shipping impactful, inclusive user experiences.
-
Josh Kriese
Josh Kriese on LinkedIn Senior Design Engineer Miro
For over a decade, I've bridged design and engineering on cross-functional teams as a UX-focused Engineer.
I met Catalina at Automox, where we built the design system Cosmos together, and watching her navigate the real constraints of that work taught me a lot about nimble collaboration on a small and agile team. I wanted to be part of Unhinged because that same sharpness, honesty, and care for the craft is exactly what designers need more of.
MENTOR | CATALINA
I'm Cătălina, your instructor and mentor throughout the cohort.
Staff Design System Designer Splunk
The hardest part of design isn't the process or the tools. You can learn AI and Figma in a weekend. Learning how to communicate under pressure, push back when it matters, and earn trust from skeptics, that's what nobody teaches.
Most design education skips that part entirely.
This cohort exists because that 80%, the human part, the judgment, the presence, deserves to be taught.
PRICING | BETA COHORT
The money part.
What's actually included
What's in the next cohort?
- 5-week live cohort experience
- 2 live sessions per week (3 in Week 3)
- Final week includes 1:1 coaching
- Personalized feedback on portfolio and resume
- Guest sessions with senior PMs + engineers
- Private cohort communication channel
- Templates, frameworks, and practical exercises
- Founding cohort welcome package
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