When you speak to Alec McCrindle, it becomes clear why CodeYourFuture has changed so many lives. Since 2016, the nonprofit has supported people from low-income backgrounds by offering free training in technology and guiding them into meaningful careers. More than 300 graduates have already landed roles across software, QA, data, and related fields.

Design wasn’t always a central part of the curriculum, but that changed in 2023. CodeYourFuture set out to introduce a focused UX/UI track, aiming to build new specialisms and give learners access to a broader range of tech roles. Alec, a designer himself, had long wanted to bring design education into the program in a structured way.

“We wanted to give people a path into UX and UI,” Alec explained. “We ran our first version on other tools, but when we researched how to improve the second version, the feedback was clear. People preferred Uxcel. It was more fun, more interactive, and easier to learn from.”

That feedback reshaped their second design cohort. The team reached out to Uxcel through the Universities & Non-profits Program, received seats, and built the next iteration of their course around it.

Building a better learning experience

Incorporating Uxcel gave the team a way to teach complex design concepts through shorter, digestible lessons. Learners explored UX theory, visual structure, color, and typography in a format that balanced engagement with real practice. The platform’s interactive exercises made the content approachable even for students who had never considered design before.

“It was less boring and more effective,” Alec said. “Uxcel made it easier for people to stay focused and enjoy the learning.”

Even with a better learning experience, the team still faced a broader, market-wide shift. The job landscape for junior UX designers had tightened significantly, and learners needed far more time than the course allowed to reach a level where they could compete in the field.

The insight was hard, but it opened a new door.

Turning design education into a wider advantage

Instead of dropping the work they had put into the UX/UI course, CodeYourFuture looked at the needs of their other learners — particularly developers. Through a series of interviews, the team learned something unexpected: many of their junior developers were being asked to make design decisions at work, often without any training.

“Developers don’t expect to need design knowledge,” Alec said. “But once they join a company, they end up working with design systems, UI components, and layout decisions. Good fundamentals make a big difference.”

This insight led to a strategic shift. Rather than training designers in a standalone track, CodeYourFuture began offering Uxcel and other design training content more broadly across their software pathways. They taught foundational design skills to aspiring front-end and full-stack developers — practical concepts they could use immediately during interviews and on the job.

The impact was clear:

  • Portfolios improved, with cleaner layouts and better structure.

  • Interview confidence grew, since learners could talk about design choices with clarity.

  • Hiring outcomes increased, because developers who understood UX fundamentals stood out in competitive pipelines.

Even though fewer learners were aiming for design-specific roles, design still created real career value.

“We helped more people get jobs thanks to the design lessons,” Alec shared. “Not as UX or UI specialists, but as stronger developers who understand the basics of good design.”

Preparing people for a changing tech world

Much of CodeYourFuture’s curriculum now focuses on real-world tech environments: navigating complex systems, collaborating with teams, understanding tooling, and solving problems with creativity and empathy. These skills matter even more now, as AI shifts what employers expect from junior talent.

Alec sees design fundamentals as part of this shift.

People entering tech — whether as developers, analysts, or product thinkers — will increasingly need a broad, cross-functional foundation: enough design knowledge to work with components or understand visual hierarchy; enough coding knowledge to speak with AI tools; enough empathy to build things that actually work for real people.

And this is exactly where Uxcel fits.

Uxcel’s model supports flexible, quick learning across many topics. Learners can take short lessons in color, typography, information architecture, or interaction basics, then immediately apply what they learned in projects or interview challenges. It gives people a starting point, a way to understand the bigger picture without needing years of design experience.

“Even spending 20 minutes on color theory or typography helps,” Gene shared during the call. “It gives people enough understanding to have meaningful conversations with AI, with designers, or with hiring teams.”

This is the type of confidence CodeYourFuture aims to cultivate.

Offering Uxcel to even more learners

Although the dedicated UX course slowed down as the market shifted, Alec requested that the organization keep its Uxcel licenses. His goal wasn’t to run another full cohort — it was to continue offering design education to developers and see how widely it could be adopted.

“I can’t guarantee how many people will use it,” Alec said. “But we want to offer these lessons to anyone in the program and see what happens.”

Given CodeYourFuture’s track record, the potential impact is clear: more learners gaining versatile, career-ready skills, and more graduates entering the workforce with confidence in both design and development.

And as Alec offered near the end of the conversation, CodeYourFuture is open to collaborating even more deeply — helping Uxcel pilot ideas, run interviews, and gather feedback from real learners across diverse backgrounds.

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A partnership built on shared purpose

CodeYourFuture’s mission aligns deeply with Uxcel’s: make tech education accessible, practical, and meaningful. Through the Universities & Non-profits Program, Uxcel supports organizations that focus on opportunity, equity, and sustainable skill development.

By blending design fundamentals into developer pathways, CodeYourFuture is showing how powerful cross-functional learning can be — especially in a world shaped by automation, AI, and rapid change.

If you’re interested in joining CodeYourFuture’s mission, whether by applying to their free programme or volunteering to guide new talent into tech, you can visit codeyourfuture.io.

If your university or nonprofit wants to explore Uxcel for your learners, you can learn more or apply at uxcel.com/universities.