Great designers don’t just happen. They’re made.
This isn't another lecture, slideshow, or online tutorial. tonik Design Academy brings together 16 Junior Product Designers for 2 days of pure, hands-on design in action. You'll team up with 4 tonik mentors who live and breathe design. Design is doing. And great designers are made.
2 days, 4 mentors,
real design challenge
- Are a Junior Product Designer (duh)
- Know Figma's basics
- Have some projects in portfolio (non-commercial stuff is ok)
- Are eager to learn new stuff
- Can be in Poznań on 18-19 January
- Have a laptop.
Experienced mentors
All four mentors are seasoned Product Designers. Together, you’ll work on a real-world design challenge. It’s the best way to learn their secret techniques.
Practical design process
Forget the unrealistic processes random gurus promote. You’ll use practical design methods we rely on daily, from kick-off to solution presentation.
Feedback; a lot of it
No advice beats first-hand feedback. Your mentor will guide you through the process, offering useful tips. You’ll also get a summary after the event.
Project to show off
You’ll tackle real-world problems with an almost-real client. It’s the best way to learn product design and land your first job. Don’t worry — nothing will be used commercially.
New design buddies
TDA doesn’t end after the weekend. Join our members-only Slack to stay in touch, ask for feedback, and get career advice anytime.
$0 forever
Just bring your laptop and join us in Poznań. We’ll handle snacks, drinks, and know-how. Transport and accommodation are on you!
Great design doesn’t happen by accident.
What’s the plan?
Designer’s job goes beyond drawing rectangles. That’s why we dedicate almost the entire first day to the discovery phase, where we’ll get a deep understanding of the problem.
Before we pick the color palette, we’ll sketch our ideas. Generating as many as we can will let us explore different concepts. Although later on, we’ll focus on just one.
They say that ‘form follows function’, but trust us — both clients and users love eye candy. So let’s turn those gray mockups into beautiful prototypes that will wow clients and investors alike.
Last but not least — you need to know how to sell your ideas. Presenting them is far more important than your Figma wizardry. So get ready for a constructive feedback that will elevate your design communication skills!
Who’s behind?
When he's not perfecting design systems or automating workflows, you'll find him shooting with his Sony mirrorless or strumming a ukulele. A self-proclaimed Figma wizard with an encyclopedic knowledge of The Office and a passion for photography.
Don’t mention design tokens near him or you’ll get a (free!) lecture. Design System GrandMaster, Webflow Expert and Product Designer who always starts with ‘why’.
Senior Product Designer experimenting with design processes but not afraid of taking shortcuts. Woke up his childhood LEGO obsession after becoming a father (all Marvel sets are welcome), which inspires him to search for ways to build systems more efficiently. Car guy, cheesy joker, family IT specialist (as we all are, unfortunately).
If you dig deep enough, you’ll find her DeviantArt profile filled with gems. She’s still got it, though — from Dribbble’s favorite landing pages to complex B2B products.