Debra Michalides

Erin Vogal-Foxx

Student in UX Course

I had the privilege of taking Prototyping with Debra at Brandeis University, and it was one of the best classes I have taken in my graduate program.

Her course was comprehensive and current. The readings reflected real industry practice, and every assignment was intentional. Wireframing and prototyping were taught as disciplined, research-guided processes grounded in purpose and data. Nothing felt arbitrary. Each exercise is built toward strategic design thinking.

What distinguishes Debra most is her ability to prepare students to lead. She teaches prototyping not only as a craft, but as a collaborative discipline. Students learn how to guide ideation sessions, facilitate creative problem solving, and anchor innovation in user research. Energizing a team while maintaining structure requires nuance, and she explicitly teaches the soft skills necessary to sustain that momentum.

Her feedback is direct, specific, and deeply substantive. It strengthens the work, but it also strengthens the designer’s judgment. She creates a classroom culture that is rigorous yet safe, where creativity is encouraged, and accountability is expected.

Debra invests in her students as developing professionals. Her instruction prepares them to navigate complexity, adapt to shifting constraints, and approach new design challenges with confidence and clarity.

She embodies what graduate education should be relevant, demanding, collaborative, and genuinely committed to excellence.

Nikki Di Falco

Student in UX Course

“Debra is one of the most skilled teachers I have ever had. I took her 10-week UX Essentials course at Berkeley and it was the perfect introduction to a field that was entirely new to me. What makes Debra an exceptional teacher is that she pulls off something close to a magic trick; conversationally and seemingly without effort, each week she introduces a new method and sets a task that is a stretch for the student but just achievable with effort. The following week she stretches her students just that little bit further into a new method and task.

By the end of 10 weeks, looking back, the student has been led to a place of knowledge and understanding that would seem insurmountable without such a skillful guide. Her knowledge of her field and the thought she has put into the design of the course makes it possible to achieve a lot in a short time. If you have the opportunity to study under Debra you should definitely take it!”

Karl Walker

UX Coaching Client

“I was scheduled to have a portfolio review with Debra to assess my skill level and help me to understand what jobs I should be applying for. Just before the call I was pretty nervous. I felt like this was a job interview, and I was worried about a number of different things. Then Debra called and she was so warm and easy to talk to that my worries faded away. First and foremost we had a delightful chat about UX Design. On top of that though, she had terrific insight into what problems my portfolio was facing and how I could fix it.

She helped me find a simple solution to adjusting my work so that it was more easily understood by the audience I was trying to reach. I had a great time speaking with Debra and would highly suggest anyone who is looking for UX career advice make time to speak with her. ”

Sara Braymen

Student in UX Course

“This spring, I had Debra as my teacher for Essentials of User Experience (UX) Design through the UC Berkeley Extension program.

Debra was incredibly helpful and inspiring throughout the entire semester. She gave kind but constructive feedback on each of my assignments, rooting for me to keep growing, and was empathetic when I needed an assignment extension due to the demands of my full-time job.

I will also say Debra perceives others’ needs before they even know them. I reached out to her midway through the semester asking about how to build my UX portfolio and case studies up. She provided me with a link to her UX Bootstrapper eBook which was the perfect guide. Little did I know that at the same time through the course, we were building our very first case study! This was absolutely genius and I couldn’t imagine a better-designed course to introduce students to a career in UX.

She’s not just a great teacher, she is a caring teacher and truly wants her students to succeed. If you have the chance to be in any of Debra’s courses or are interested in her eBook, you should most definitely jump in!”

Jordan Carter

UX Coaching Client

“I found Debra on LinkedIn while I was trying to get into the field of UX Design. She helped me significantly with my resume and portfolio. She was instrumental in helping me secure a position as a UX Specialist. I would highly recommend her as a career coach, especially if you are trying to get into the UX field. And I would doubly recommend her if you are a graphic designer who is trying to get into UX.”