Feedback and Reflections: 1 Year in Projector Product Interface Design Professium

Why I Joined Professium

I worked as a designer for 6 years, but I realized that I lacked a solid foundation. As a self-taught designer, I wasn’t sure what my true skill level was.

I’ve never enjoyed formal education—not art school, regular school, or even university. I studied only because I had to, never truly understanding how the knowledge applied to real life. So, before joining Professium, I was afraid I wouldn’t last the full year, that I’d get bored and quit halfway through. Living on the Left Bank and commuting to the Right Bank after work? How long would I manage?

I went to the entrance exam and found myself surrounded by experienced professionals, real “senior” designers. And yet—I passed and made it into the top 20 students. Everyone had different backgrounds—some with one year of experience, others with five. But soon, as we started submitting homework, we discovered that everyone had been doing things wrong.

Over the next 10 months, I never missed a single class. I saw the value of every lesson and how to apply these insights in my work. I was always the one who stayed on top of things, and I think it was because of Denys Sudilkovsky, who taught like a mentor—when you like your trainer, it makes you more motivated to give your all.


Lessons Learned: Changes in My Work, Thinking, and Self

Our first homework assignment was to design a product that would measure our personal growth as designers. Some students made stickers, others designed posters, where they had to mark something every day. I created a notebook, thinking I’d jot down what I did daily and how it helped me. But after a month, none of us were using the products we had designed for ourselves. This was a valuable insight: our ideas aren’t always brilliant, and they need to be tested. Many people think that just because they design something, it will work—and everyone will love it. But design needs validation, just like everything else.

I used to think that a designer needed to be a super-creative genius, coming up with million-dollar ideas every day. But after visiting various product companies, I realized that everyone is human—we all have the same five fingers on each hand. Now, I believe I can create great things, I just have to keep working at it.

Being a designer isn’t just about creating mockups. Businesses have budgets, and before suggesting an idea, you need to consider whether it’s necessary and how much it will cost.

The amount of information we absorbed was overwhelming—I can’t always remember what we learned just a week ago. That’s why I started recording everything in Notion, and I reflect on my progress at the end of every month. Learning design is like learning English—you have to practice constantly to stay sharp.

Professium doesn’t spoon-feed you information. No one hands you a reading list. Instead, you get a case study and a problem to solve. This forced us to find solutions independently. We worked with six real products—LUN, Uklon, Bird, Na Chasi, Flatfy, Robota.ua and the Projector Library—experiencing each product from the user’s perspective.


The First Lesson: Ask Questions

The most valuable lesson from Professium was learning to ask questions—to yourself, the product, and the client. This approach simplifies tasks and prevents you from wasting time on unnecessary work. Now, I tackle problems more efficiently, often achieving more by doing less, and earning more along the way.

What Professium Gave Me

Professium takes away your fear. It’s not just about learning tools; it’s about changing your mindset. We practiced using hundreds of tools, but the biggest takeaway is that we no longer fear using them. The course gave me confidence. Now, I’m not afraid to apply to big companies or approach people on the street for interviews.

Professium gave me more than it took. At the beginning, they warned us that we’d lose free time and even some friends. But instead of losing, I gained new friends. One of the reasons I rush to class after work is to have half an hour to chat with my classmates before the lesson. It feels like a community—a space where I can recharge and connect with like-minded people. There’s always someone to ask for advice.

Even my partner is waiting for me to graduate, but for the first time in my life, I don’t want the learning to end. He picks me up after class, and I share everything I learned that day. Over this year, his way of thinking has changed, just like mine. When your worldview shifts, you can’t help but influence the world around you.

Professium felt like a group of 20 people hiking a mountain for a year—and it was no ordinary mountain. We saw each other in all kinds of emotions and situations. Many of us changed jobs during this journey. Climbing a mountain is tough, but when you reach the top and look back, you realize how far you’ve come—and it feels amazing. But, of course, we’ve only reached Hoverla, and Everest is still ahead.


Final Reflections

People often ask me, “Aren’t you tired of it yet?” These same people watch our stories and say, “Wow, you’re learning so much!” But I wonder—aren’t you tired of going home every day, watching TV, eating, and going to sleep? You can’t get tired of learning when you’re constantly discovering something new.

Yes, the course was expensive, but I believe it’s worth 10 times the price. Even if I decide not to continue as a designer, I’ve built a foundation of knowledge that will be valuable in any career I pursue.

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