Teaching
Teaching and mentoring are a core part of my practice, helping others grow their skills and confidence.
Recent mentorship
In 2026, I served as a selected mentor through AIGA New York’s Applied Mentorship Program and The New School’s Alumni Mentorship Program, providing 1:1 guidance and support to designers and students.
General Assembly
I taught user experience and visual design courses and workshops at GA for several years, both in person and live online, with a focus on helping experienced and aspiring professionals connect design principles to real-world practice. See below for some of the feedback I was fortunate to receive from my students.
Path Unbound
As an instructor for Path Unbound, I worked 1:1 with design professionals on portfolio development and foundational product and visual design skills. Path Unbound is a globally focused design school founded and led by women.
Nielsen Norman
As a mentor in Nielsen Norman Group’s 2024 UX-Certified Mentorship Program, I guided and supported UX professionals through 1:1 conversations focused on career development and leadership.
“Maria was amazing. Couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. She guided us through the class with such ease. I love that she has so much experience in the field and felt I was learning from a master and practitioner, not just an instructor.”
“She’s absolutely wonderful and down-to-earth. I always felt her support and care for her students during the class and how realistic she was. It was nice to hear her insight and giving us real world examples and exercises to do.”
“Maria Nicholas is a guru on UX design. Theory and practical experience is a great combination.”
“You’re a champion and a superstar of education. Thank you for teaching us so much and for keeping us engaged even at 10pm. You’re truly an inspiration and I learned a lot from you.”
“Maria is really great and her skills and expertise really shine through her lessons. You can tell that she prepares ahead of time and cares to make sure information is up to date with the industry.”
“Maria, thank you so much. You’re an insanely awesome teacher. It really felt like a united crew, and you also kept us laughing! So glad I decided to take this course.”
“She is brilliant and encouraging and I would love to take any course she teaches.”