My Background

My name is Brieana Sheppard, and I currently live in Dallas, Texas. I moved here from Phoenix, Arizona, where I went to ASU. I actually have more of a background in communications, and also, it’s gonna sound strange, property management.

I transitioned into UX kind of near the end of 2021. I took a bootcamp course at a school called Avocademy, and that’s how I got into UX design. But as I was going further into the world of UX, I kind of felt like I was missing just a few skills here and there. I constantly just wanted to improve, and that’s when I came across Uxcel.

My Challenge

  • Cost of learning: I was able to find courses, but the cost factor was huge. Everything was just so expensive, and I was still very early in my UX career.
  • Lack of accessible, quality education: If I didn’t pay for courses, I had to Google everything I was trying to learn. I’d go through multiple articles trying to better understand best practices, like how to use a UI component in different situations.
  • Too much scattered content: It was really challenging to figure out what content was reliable or practical. I’d spend too much time trying to figure out what was worth trusting.
  • Limited resources post-bootcamp: After my bootcamp, I realized I didn’t always know what to do next. I needed something that could help me continue learning in a structured way.

Finding My Solution

Uxcel gave me the ability to actually pay for the courses I needed. It made learning accessible when other options were just too expensive. I found Uxcel probably at the end of 2021 or maybe the beginning of 2022, and I’ve been here ever since.

Lately, I’ve been using Uxcel every quarter or every time I’m asked to jump into a new area. Right now, I’m going through the “Enhance Your UX Workflow with AI” course because we’re starting to incorporate AI into our work. I want to make sure my skills in that area are strong enough.

In 2022, I was probably on the site weekly. I set a goal for myself: I wanted to be a senior designer, and I asked myself, how can I get there?

I also really like the HTML and CSS course. I work with engineers, and before I didn’t feel like the language between us was as great as it could have been. Now I can articulate my designs better.

I always go back to the basic courses too, such as UX foundations or components, just to refresh. Sometimes I need to advocate for a customer, and I go back in to make sure I’m correct before I speak up.

The Effect on My Career

If I had to estimate how effective Uxcel has been, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give it about an 8. I was in situations where I didn’t really know what I needed to do. Uxcel helped me get to that finish line.

I’d find myself wondering, “Is this the best component to use?” For example, dropdowns vs. radio buttons. Uxcel’s course helped me find the right answer based on the situation I was in.

I’ve been able to take those pieces and apply them to my work, which actually helped me become a senior UX designer

Advice to Other Professionals

I actually recommend Uxcel all the time. I even asked my company to pay for a feature for Uxcel. I usually say Uxcel is a one-stop shop for all things UX when it comes to training.

I always talk about how important it is to keep up with our skills, especially in our very evolving world, due to AI.

A few people on my team have used Uxcel because I’ve recommended it so much. I’ll literally send someone a whole course.

I find Uxcel very intuitive. I like how large the font sizes are. I don’t have to try to see anything. It’s really well-organized, I’m always able to find exactly what I’m looking for. With something like Coursera, it feels convoluted. I get flooded with courses from different schools and get overwhelmed.

With Uxcel, it’s simple. It’s seamless. Everything is there. It’s fun. And I enjoy learning because of how fun it is.

If I had to give advice to someone just starting out in UX: take your time. There’s a lot of pressure to be the best at everything, but that takes time. Also, use Uxcel, it will definitely help you be the best. And give yourself some grace. It’s okay. Sometimes you have to fail to become successful.