Perhaps you’re not the only one happy to be done with the holidays.
This time of year can be exhausting. But January will be here in a couple of days. And then what? The smart ones among us (and those about to get smarter) are giving a serious look to upgrading their skill sets  a worthy endeavor that these upcoming classes and workshops can help you with. Meanwhile, happy New Year and happy recovery.

Coming to SVC this January

Visual Design for Digital
5 Wednesdays, 1/10 - 2/7, 6:00p - 9:00p PT, $425
Instructor: David Kendall, Formerly Principal, UX Design, AT&T
If you find yourself working on visual design projects, like landing pages, emails, presentation decks and websites and you’ve never learned the essentials of design, it could be the perfect time. We’ll cover responsive layout, typography, color, and imagery so you can bring a more professional look to your work.

UX Writing: Voice, Tone & Writing for Conversion
5 Tuesdays, 1/16 - 2/13, 6:00p - 9:00p PT, $425
Instructor: Elly Searle, Formerly Principal Content Strategist, Crowdstrike
The point of many apps and websites is to get the user to buy, subscribe, sign up, or donate. The X factor in whether those sites and apps are successful often comes down to the words. We’re talking about the UX writing that can move users through an experience and increase the conversion rate. This class will introduce you to systems that can move the needle in a good way. We’ll also dive into voice and tone to make sure that whatever words you choose are consistent with the company’s personality.

Accessibility for Websites and Apps
2 Wednesdays, 1/17 & 1/24, 10:00a - 1:00p, $325
Instructor: Devon Persing, Accessibility Consultant
Making websites and apps usable experiences for all types of consumers, whether their physical skills are limited or not, should be the goal of every project. It’s not only a legal requirement. It’s also a moral obligation and good business. We’ll cover using mini-ethnographies to learn about users, Universal Design vs. Ability-Based Design, WCAG – the international standard for accessibility conformance, and more.

FREE: Using AI for Better Design Systems
Wednesday, 1/17, 7:00p - 8:00p PT, Free
Instructor: Felix Chandran, UX Architect, NeuralRays AI
As design systems grow in complexity, there’s a role for some assistance from artificial intelligence engines. AI doesn’t replace humans, but can do some of the routine and mind-numbing tasks, such as design pattern recognition, generating predefined components, and automatically updating systems and flagging inconsistencies. Join us for this one-hour free intro.

Copywriting Fundamentals
5 Thursdays, 1/18 - 2/15, 9:00a - 10:30a PT, $325
Instructor: Larry Asher, Creative Director/Copywriter, Worker Bees
If you’ve been thrown into the role of copywriter — whether for web content, social media, ads, or what have you — and you’ve never learned the essentials, now’s the time. In five very efficient morning sessions, we’ll take you through the basic principles and steer you in the direction of writing that gets read, noticed, and prompts action.

Figma Fundamentals
2 Saturdays, 1/20 & 1/27, 9:30a - 1:00p PT, $325
Instructor: Michael Ortlieb, Head of Design, Data Management, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
It’s hard to find a design team today that doesn’t rely on Figma for prototyping, whiteboarding, and collaborating. So, if you’ve been putting off learning this “must-know” industry standard, wait no more. You’ll be ready to roll with Figma after just two half-day sessions.

Figma for UX Writers
2 Saturdays, 1/20 & 1/27, 10:00a - 1:00p PT, $325
Instructor: Kim O'Shaughnessy, Content Designer, Meta
Working as a UX writer is more than just the words you write, it’s also about how you collaborate with your team using tools like Figma. Since this may all be new to you, we’ll show you the basics, including using Figma as your primary writing tool; how to best organize your frames, pages, and files; using components, libraries, and design systems; and working with Figma’s collaboration tools.

Typography Essentials with Jeff Barlow
5 Tuesdays, 1/23 - 2/20, 6:00p - 9:00p PT, $425
Instructor: Jeff Barlow, Creative Director, Boeing
How often do we put an instructor’s name in the course title? That would be, “never.” But that’s also the answer to this question: “When will you get another chance to study typography from one of the most knowledgeable, experienced, fun, and enthusiastic pros when it comes to the almighty letterform?”