Brazilian at heart, global in spirit: Aprender Design lets us in on the online school’s jump to the US

“There are two ways to approach education – one is like filling a bucket, that is, adding knowledge to a person’s mind. The other is like lighting a candle, in which you help an individual illuminate themselves for the long term,” Gustavo Bittencourt, Co-founder of Aprender Design tells us. In 2020, Bittencourt found himself deep in conversation with designer Gláuber Sampaio at a jazz and wine bar in São Paulo, where he shared his vision “for a totally different kind of design school” with Sampaio. Soon after, the duo launched Aprender Design in Brazil, allowing them the space to throw out the rule book, and instead, focus on their unique approach to design education, more akin to ‘lighting candles’ than ‘filling buckets.’ Since then, the school has offered meaty, comprehensive courses, led by some of the sharpest minds in the industry.

Following a few winning years in Brazil, Aprender is now bringing its online courses to the United States, reaching newer audiences and the next generation of designers. Hot off the heels of their expansion, we caught up with Bittencourt and Laura Scofield – Aprender’s US Partner. Together, they take us through the school’s new chapter, and tell us why their team of handpicked instructors are the beating heart of the school.

RB Hi Gustavo and Laura! How is this month treating you?

LS Hey Ritupriya, February is treating me pretty well – it’s my birthday month and Carnival time in Brazil! Work’s been busy (in a good way), so I’m giving Carnival a miss this year to focus on our school and other projects.

GB Hi Ritupriya, things are hectic but in a positive way. My wife and I are in the final stretch of our second pregnancy, so we’re busy with preparations. Besides that, the school is going through an exciting phase of expansion, leading to a lot of work.

RB Gustavo, could you tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to founding Aprender Design in 2020?

GB I’ve always dreamed of having my own company, and I’ve always been passionate about education. My first job ever was as a Teaching Assistant for a design course in college, and I’ve been teaching in different schools ever since. But I never really saw how these two things could come together. Then, I met Gláuber Sampaio, my business partner and Co-founder of our school. He’s this amazing designer and artist, and suddenly everything just clicked.

In 2020, Gláuber created ‘Code and Design,’ an independent course teaching designers front-end basics. It was a hit! I loved the concept and saw a big opportunity for something even bigger in design and tech education. We teamed up, and as the idea of running my own company matured, one day, over jazz and wine in a São Paulo bar, I pitched my vision to him. We shook on it, and the very next day, we were already sketching out plans for a totally different kind of design school.

We place our instructors at the heart of the school.

RB What sets Aprender Design apart from the other design schools out there? What’s your secret sauce, if you will?

GB Before founding the school, I struggled to recommend design and technology courses to people. In my view, traditional design schools teach the fundamentals but are expensive and also often disconnected from the market. On the other hand, newer schools are more market-oriented but only offer ready-made formulas. When creating Aprender, our focus was on teaching market-connected fundamentals, and our approach involves placing our instructors at the heart of the school.

No method or formula can thrive with a teacher who isn’t excited to be there with the students. At Aprender Design, we look for inspiring, passionate, and diverse individuals who have a genuine desire to teach. We create the syllabuses together and half of the net profit from each class goes to the teacher. We’ve structured the entire school with a focus on creating a supportive environment for the teacher to grow with us. By being the best school for teachers to teach at, we believe we’ll be the best school for students to learn at.

Furthermore, we believe that a diverse class enhances the learning experience. Over a quarter of our students are scholarship recipients who cannot afford the tuition, including those from underrepresented groups and those who are currently unemployed.

Last but not least, we take pride in being a Brazilian school with a global reach. Creativity is ingrained in our nature. It’s in our DNA to think of original solutions and do more with less. Our origins bring a colourful and unique perspective to the school.

RB Why is now the right time for Aprender Design to expand to a global market?

LS We’ve been operating in Brazil for almost four years, with over 3,000 students, 30 teachers and 20 courses. We have evolved our platform and have become a reference point in design and technology education in Brazil. Our school is forging a unique path in Brazil which gives us confidence to take on the challenging step of international expansion.

We also believe that people today seek more diverse experiences, involving richer exchanges with different cultures. We are prepared for this with the technological advancements that make it more feasible, seamless, and accessible to have classes with teachers and students from around the world.

We anticipated expanding to offer courses to the United States, but we were surprised by applications from students coming from all parts of the world. The recent courses of ‘Decoding Identities’ and ‘Art Director 101’ were conducted across more than three different time zones!

RB Aprender Design offers month-long courses that unpack a specialised discipline. How are these courses developed and structured?

GB We start by identifying potential instructors – professionals we admire for their remarkable achievements and unique perspectives on design. We arrange a call to introduce them to the school’s model and our vision for education and design. This moment is crucial to assess our compatibility and their interest in teaching. If the answer is a “yes”, and if we feel a connection, the next step involves defining the specific focus of their course.

At this stage, we explore themes that resonate with their experience and current interests, ensuring this ‘potential course’ also has commercial appeal – something a student would find worthwhile to invest in. This collaborative process shapes what we term the “course territory.”

Once this territory is established, we invite the instructor to think about their distinctive approach to the subject and the intended structure of the syllabus. With their initial input, we apply our pedagogical expertise to craft a course that is both captivating and useful for students throughout the sessions.

RB What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of running a design school and watching it grow and reach new audiences and students?

GB There are two ways to approach education – one is like filling a bucket, that is, adding knowledge to a person’s mind. The other is like lighting a candle, in which you help an individual illuminate themselves for the long term. In the process of creating a school, we find fulfilment in witnessing stories of students and teachers transforming, evolving and changing their lives and journeys, through the experiences we co-create.

An example of a student that comes to mind is Paula Brito. She took five courses with us as a scholarship recipient. She then secured a position in a globally renowned digital product design company. It’s incredible to see how we can support people on this journey. We remain friends to this day.

On the other side, we have instructors Carlos Bocai and Júlia B. Aguiar, who initiated one of the school’s first courses. Almost four years later, they are also the founding members of our global team.

RB Are there any goals on the horizon?

GB At the school, we have two overarching goals – one is more practical and tangible, aiming to sustain a business that provides a pleasant working environment, serves students and instructors effectively, and makes a positive impact.

The second goal is more ambitious – to become a global reference in design education. We aspire to be recognized as a school that seamlessly integrates critical thinking with hands-on practice, shaping designers who have the potential to create a better world.

Explore Aprender Design’s courses