Learn product design, build self-confidence, and achieve your career goals with a personalized design career curriculum — crafted for you by a trusted design career partner.
"Alexis was one of my first mentors when I started my UX career last 2018.
As somebody relatively new in the industry back then, Alexis was instrumental in my growth as a UX Designer — he invited me to design meet ups, motivated me to network with other designers, recommended resources for me to read, and most importantly, gave me timely, constructive feedback on how I could further improve my skills.
Through his guidance, I was able to land my first design internship at Kalibrr and my first full-time design role at First Circle.
More than honing my design skills and giving me a head start in UX, Alexis also cared about my well-being. He made sure to get to know me personally and never hesitated to lend a helping hand in times of need.
This was the secret sauce in our mentor-mentee relationship — by forming a close bond with me, he was able to tailor fit his advice according to my own unique needs.
From my experience working with him, I can attest that Alexis is the epitome of what design leader should be — skilled, radically candid, and empowering. Anybody breaking into the field of UX will be extremely fortunate to have him as a mentor."
"I took a leap of faith in taking in Alexis as a mentor but I definitely don't regret it.
Career transitioning into UX was like a faraway dream but he made it feel like a tangible reality for me. I assumed that I would need to start all over again however, he took time to learn and focus on the skills that I already have and use that to kickstart my design skills.
He made me feel confident and leverage what I'm naturally good at along with gaining a new skill set. In all our coaching sessions, he gives me prompts that allow me to think more deeply and has helped me overcome my self doubt when it comes to design.
He is able to simplify complex concepts for me to grasp and understand completely. He gives solid and realistic advice and feedback — whether it may be about your design, case study, career, or life in general.
Overall, Alexis is an invaluable mentor who can enable you to be the best person you can be and I cannot recommend him enough!"
"Through Alexis’s mentorship, I was able to build a portfolio that I could use in my job applications.
After months of hard work with Alexis, I can now say that I’m officially a UX Designer! Even after I’ve gotten my first design job, Alexis continues to provide the support I need.
I highly recommend Specter to anyone who wants to kickstart their UX Design career. You won’t just have a mentor, you’ll also have a supporter!"
"Alexis's coaching goes way beyond helping you build your case study — he guides you in making the most out of your internships and career decisions.
Casual conversations with him about jumpstarting my career made me feel secure and hand-held in the industry he's famous for.
Alexis helped me embrace my passion in design even though my journey wasn't a smooth sail. I would recommend his coaching services!"
“If you want to get in shape but don't know how, the best way is to hire a personal trainer.
I took that same approach with design, and hired Alexis to coach me through how to evolve my design thinking from the ground up.
Thanks for helping me focus on what's important, and the great practical examples to bring concepts to life. The changes to my approach are already bearing great results!”
“If you’re stumped in trying to find the best way to do a career transition, you’ve come to the right place!
Alexis went above and beyond my expectations. Even if we met in university, he expertly balances our friendship dynamic with his mentorship abilities.
Although my knowledge of UX prior to his coaching was limited, he still allowed me to co-create my curriculum with him and was very hands on in teaching me the ropes on UX.
My favorite part about my sessions with Alexis was the long-term case study I had to work on. It really put to practice everything learned in theory and Alexis’s feedback helped me want to improve all the more.
His feedback is tremendously valuable since he draws it from his experience working with a lot of leaders in the Filipino UX industry.
Without his help, I don’t think I would have landed an internship – even if my case study was still unfinished! You’ll definitely get your money’s worth by hiring Alexis!”
“I decided to transition from my career in PR & Digital Marketing to Product Design. Since I didn't have any background in design, I was a bit overwhelmed at first.
I didn't feel confident in my knowledge or skills to actually secure a job as a Product Designer. When I learned about Specter, I was eager to sign up and start learning from Alexis.
Having Alexis as a mentor has been incredible. Even if there wasn't a set curriculum for our sessions, we covered everything from basic coding to inclusive design.
Working on my long-term project with him gave me the confidence boost I needed.
He always gave valuable feedback on my project, which challenged me to design with better solutions and experiences for the users.
Most of all, Alexis helped me figure out what kind of designer I wanted to be. For that, I will forever be grateful.”
“Transitioning to a new career like UX and Product Design wasn’t really easy at first, especially since I didn’t have any background in design.
Then I came across Alexis’s Specter coaching sessions. I decided to take a free session with him to ask for feedback and career advice.
To my surprise, our first session ended up going beyond what I expected. Alexis was able to give me a lot of valuable feedback on my portfolio.
If you’re looking for a mentor or having problems to jumpstart your career, then this is the sign that you're looking for.”
“I can incontestably say that Alexis gives you the full UX user experience (pun not intended).
Coaching with Alexis is definitely the way to go for anyone who wants to learn more about UX. Personally speaking, I wanted to learn more about the UX field and possibly make a shift to the same.
Starting with 0 knowledge was as frightening as anyone might imagine it might be, but Alexis turned my apprehensions about a radical restart into excitement for a fresh beginning.
As Alexis teaches through application strongly supplemented by theory, I was able to learn much more than I would have in a traditional lecture setting.
With Alexis, you learn by reading, observing, AND doing real UX-related tasks where you make real UX-related output.
To top that all off, every piece of output submitted is thoroughly reviewed and given feedback on by Alexis, so that you can make the necessary iterations, thus allowing you to learn even further and sharpen your UX skills.
However, in the spirit of magis that characterizes Alexis and all he creates, coaching with Alexis goes beyond just learning about UX and the profession.
For those interested in entering the field and working with real UX companies, Alexis helps you find opportunities that are best fit for your current level.
Well-connected and well-respected in the field, you can be guaranteed that Alexis’ professional recommendations are indeed key opportunities for the progression of your UX career.
Overall, 10/10 would strongly recommend!”
"I wouldn't be the designer I am today without Alexis's influence.
When it comes to critique, he doesn't hold back at all.
My calls with him would end up lasting hours because he'd be so thorough — giving advice on technicalities, writing style, career development, and more.
Getting coaching from him is worth a thousand IxDA courses combined (and cheaper too — Alexis is so generous of his time to helping out other designers).
If you need a sign, this is it! Alexis is the coach who'll take you from 0 to 1."
"Alexis has been a constant guide, mentor, and active supporter in my journey.
From the very beginning until today, he has been instrumental in my career. Our conversations helped me grow immensely and gave me a clearer direction on where I should be headed.
You can tell that he listens intently because he asks a lot of questions that helps navigate your questions and dilemmas.
His genuine concern for his mentees is something I value and appreciate. I don't think I've ever met a force like him."
“Shifting careers is never easy. Especially as a fresh grad. Especially in the middle of a pandemic. I had a lot of self-doubt and worries that I could not be considered a product designer coming from a graphic design background.
Even having some knowledge, I was not fully confident yet. I did not have solid case studies, or adequate experience to back me up in my job hunt.
Through Specter’s coaching program headed by Alexis, I gained a much deeper understanding on a wide range of topics and methodologies.
It wasn’t just about learning, as I had to apply what I learned through a project which I worked on alongside my sessions. The final outcome made for a great case study that strengthened my portfolio.
Alexis helped me find the confidence I needed as a designer. Having him as a coach truly helped jumpstart my career, and opened the doors for me to job opportunities.”
“If you want to get in shape but don't know how, the best way is to hire a personal trainer.
I took that same approach with design, and hired Alexis to coach me through how to evolve my design thinking from the ground up.
Thanks for helping me focus on what's important, and the great practical examples to bring concepts to life. The changes to my approach are already bearing great results!”
“Shifting careers is never easy. Especially as a fresh grad. Especially in the middle of a pandemic. I had a lot of self-doubt and worries that I could not be considered a product designer coming from a graphic design background. Even having some knowledge, I was not fully confident yet. I did not have solid case studies, or adequate experience to back me up in my job hunt.
Through Specter’s coaching program headed by Alexis, I gained a much deeper understanding on a wide range of topics and methodologies. It wasn’t just about learning, as I had to apply what I learned through a project which I worked on alongside my sessions. The final outcome made for a great case study that strengthened my portfolio.
Alexis helped me find the confidence I needed as a designer. Having him as a coach truly helped jumpstart my career, and opened the doors for me to job opportunities.”
“I entered college without any design skills — then I met Alexis. Because of his guidance, I was able to lead UX Society, take on different UX internships and freelance projects, and bag the job I wanted to get.
Now that I’ve finished college and I’m working at my first job, I still ask him for advice whether it be design, career, or life.
Alexis is a great mentor in that he always checks up on you and works with you to achieve your career priorities. To have him as a mentor is honestly the best investment you can get.”
Hey there! I'm the Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer of Swarm. As a design founder, I lead company strategy and product development with a strong focus on great UX. Design is involved in all strategic decisions. I also handle all design operations.
Previously, I was a Senior Product Designer at the first Y-Combinator startup in the Philippines, Kalibrr. I've also done consulting for another YC startup called Dashlabs.ai.
I produce design podcasts like Roots, Trailblazing, and UX Almusal.
Roots has been the #2 Design Podcast in the Philippines on Apple Podcasts. I've profiled 90+ incredible Filipino designers all over the world. Check it out on Spotify.
I co-founded and organize UX+, the biggest UX conference in Asia. We've had top UX practitioners speak, including Julie Zhuo (Former VP Design of Facebook) and John Zeratsky (Bestselling Author of the Sprint book), as well as UX experts from Google, Uber, Shopify, Twitch, Salesforce, Adobe, and more.
I also built the first global Filipino student UX organization, UX Society. It has over 6+ chapters in the Philippines and in the United States.
I regularly give talks for the local Filipino design community, including product companies, agencies, and universities.
Most importantly, I'm incredibly passionate about teaching and helping people. When I leave this world, that's what I want to remembered for.
You can follow me on my LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Medium, and Twitter. Visit my website if you want to know more.
I can partner with you in launching, accelerating, and redefining your product design career.
Want to scope things out? Schedule something on my calendar below! I don't bite :) ✨