The increasing demand for skilled UI designers across various industries has fueled the popularity of design courses. And thanks to the internet, it's much easier for individuals to access high-quality education from the comfort of their own homes. Online platforms now offer a plethora of UI design courses taught by influencers, seasoned designers, or even college instructors, covering essential topics like fundamental principles, tools, and techniques for UI design.
In this article, we listed a range of design courses catering to individuals at various skill levels and interests. Whether you're a beginner looking to explore the basics of UI design or an experienced professional seeking to enhance your skills, there's a course tailored to meet your needs.
What is a UI design course?
A UI design course is a structured learning experience covering various aspects of designing user interfaces for digital products. These courses often cover design fundamentals, color theory, typography, layout design and user experience (UX) principles. Advanced specialization courses may delve into topics such as animation, motion design, or designing for emerging technologies. These courses may be offered in different formats, including online courses, workshops, bootcamp, or traditional classroom settings.
What kind of skills should a UI design course teach you?
Although the variety of courses available on the market may be vast, the core content of good courses tends to be quite similar. Here are some basic skills you can expect in a UI design course:
Design Principles: Grasp the core principles of design, covering layout, balance, hierarchy, and proportion.
Color Theory: Harness the power of color in design, exploring psychology, schemes, and contrast.
Typography: Mastering typography principles such as font selection, spacing, and readability to create visually appealing text elements.
Composition & Layout: Develop skills in creating layouts that are visually appealing and functional, including grid systems, whitespace management, and responsive design.
UI Design Tool: Learn to use design tools such as Mockplus DT, Sketch, Figma, or other relevant software to effectively create and refine designs.
Visual Design: learning skills for creating visually engaging interfaces, including iconography, imagery selection, and visual hierarchy.
In a more advanced course, you can expect to learn additional skills that contribute to a good user experience.
User Experience (UX) Design: Dive into user-centric design through research, personas, and intuitive flows for enhanced usability.
Interaction Design: Create engaging experiences with interactive elements like buttons, menus, and animations.
Emerging Technologies: Stay ahead of the curve by learning about emerging technologies and their implications for UI design, such as voice interfaces, augmented reality (AR), or artificial intelligence (AI) integration.
How to choose the right UI design course?
Different users may have different considerations when choosing a UI design course. But it often involves considering three key factors:
Course Content: You have to ensure the course covers the topics aligned with your learning goals. For instance, if your goal is to become proficient in user interface design for mobile applications, you'll want to ensure that the course covers topics such as mobile UX/UI design principles and responsive design techniques.
Teaching Quality: Select courses taught by professionals with industry experience and effective teaching skills. This involves evaluating the qualifications of the instructors, such as their background in UI design, relevant work experience, and proficiency with design tools and techniques. Additionally, consider reviewing feedback from past students to gauge the quality of teaching.
Cost and Value: Compare the cost of the course with the value it offers in terms of content, instructor expertise, and career support. Choose a course that best aligns with your budget and career goals.
15 Best Online UI Design Courses
In this course, expert Joe Natoli shares principles, practices, and techniques that have guided graphic design for centuries, showing how they seamlessly apply to digital design, particularly for mobile interfaces. With 50 lessons packed into 5 hours, you'll learn to master hierarchy, color, contrast, typography, and gestalt principles to create intuitive visual cues for users. From simplifying complex information to designing with data, it will equip you to make strategic UI decisions that transcend trends and remain relevant. Your UI designs will communicate, guide, motivate, and educate users effectively, ensuring every interaction is intentional and user-centric.
Instructor: Multiple professors of Computer Science and Engineering in University of Minnesota
Course length: 14 hours (approximately)
Course rating: 4.6 out of 5 (1,414 reviews)
Price: 7-day Free Trial($49 USD per month after trial)
In this course, you will gain an understanding of the critical importance of user interface design. You will also learn industry-standard methods for how to approach the design of a user interface and key theories and frameworks that underlie the design of most interfaces you use today. Through a series of case studies on commercial systems - many of which you likely use on a regular basis - this course illustrates the benefits of good design. It also demonstrates how the costs of bad design can often be severe (in user experience, money, and even human lives).
Moreover, this course is part of the User Interface Design Specialization. When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization tool. Once you complete all course, you'll also earn a shareable career certificate.
-Michael Worthington - The founding partner of Counterspace (Los Angeles), a graphic design studio.
-Roman Jaster - A graphic designer and the co-founder of the design studio Yay Brigade.
Course length: 2 months at 10 hours a week
Course rating: 4.6 out of 5 (6839 reviews)
Price: 7-day Free Trial($49 USD per month after trial)
The UI/UX Design Specialization includes four series: Visual Elements of User Interface Design, UX Design Fundamentals, Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture, Web Design: Wireframes to Prototypes. It brings a design-centric approach to user interface and user experience design , and offers practical, skill-based instruction focusing on visual communications, covering all stages of the UI/UX development process. From user research to defining project strategy, scope, and information architecture, to creating sitemaps and wireframes, you'll learn current best practices in UI/UX design. Apply these techniques to create effective and engaging screen-based experiences for websites or apps.
Instructor: Sophia Yeshi - A queer Black & South Asian illustrator and graphic designer in Brooklyn, NY.
Course length: 1 hour and 13 minutes
Price: 7-day Free Trial
This course delves into creating color palettes that evoke specific emotions, while also offers guidance on leveraging Adobe Illustrator effects effectively. The lessons include:
-A crash course in basic design principles such as balance, rhythm, and more
-A behind-the-scenes look into Sophia’s inspiration and reference process
-Exploration of how to develop palettes that express emotion
-Several tips and tricks for fun and interesting Adobe Illustrator effects
By the end of the class, you’ll have at least one completed typographic design and a whole new medium of creative expression, one that you’ll return to again and again. This is a course tailored to beginner designers with a basic understanding of Adobe Illustrator, but students of any level are welcome to participate and enjoy.
In this course, you will be introduced to both the theory and practice behind UI and UX Design. You will first establish a foundation of the core concepts and methodologies utilized by industry professionals. You will implement those methodologies in a hands-on exploration of the tools, techniques, and deliverables used by designers to plan the future of a product. This is an introductory course for anyone interested in learning about UI and UX design. It does not require any prerequisite knowledge.
Mentor: Experienced Designers, Product Manager and Engineers from Company like Amazon, Airbnb, Adobe, Google and more.
Course length: 9 months (part-time)
Price: $11,900
This course is beginner friendly. It is an online course that takes students from beginners to job-ready designers in nine months. Most students devote 15 - 25 hours per week to complete the course. In this course, you’ll adopt a design-thinking mindset, become AI savvy, and learn how to create more personalized, intuitive, and engaging user experiences. This course includes 1:1 mentorship. Your mentor will help you define your path, knock down obstacles, and meet your goals. And this course als comes with a job guarantee. If you put the work in and don’t land a job, it will give you a full refund.
Mentors: Mentors are assigned by Thinkful based on fit and availability and cannot be chosen by students. The minimum requirements to serve as a mentor is 3+ years of relevant industry experience, demonstration of genuine student advocacy and empathy for beginners and exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Course length: 6 months (part-time)
Course rating: 4.8 out of 5
Price: Pay $12,350 upfront
Established in 2012, Thinkful is a leading online learning platform offering coding, UX/UI design, and data science programs globally. With a focus on personalized education, Thinkful offers flexible and immersive courses catering to both full-time and part-time students. This UX/UI Design Bootcamp, completed in 5 months for full-time students and six months for part-time students, provides dedicated learning assistants and optional office hours with industry experts. You'll also get personalized career coaching. You’ll be assigned a mentor whose focus is on getting you hired and helping you build a profile that best shows off your skills and strengths.
Mentors: Mentors are all working designers in company like Figma, IBM, Meta and have been thoroughly vetted for both design expertise and strong communication skills
Course length: Four weeks (Fifteen hours per week for studying)
Course rating: 4.77 out of 5
Price: $399
DesignLab offers mentor-led courses in UX and UI design, focusing on preparing students for careers in these fields. With a project-based curriculum, students receive personalized feedback from industry experts to refine their skills and gain confidence. This course targets mid-level designers with prior experience, covering advanced topics like design patterns, responsive design, typography, and color theory over four weeks. With a set curriculum, weekly mentor calls, and ongoing projects, this course is recommended to those with prior knowledge of UI design basics and can commit up to 15 hours a week to their studies.
You don’t need a background in design or tech as this course is designed to take you from complete beginner to job-ready. Subjects covered during the nine months of the UI Design Program include the Fundamentals of UI Design, User Research, Wireframing and Prototyping, Visual Design, Tools, and Responsive and Interaction Design, leaving them with a fully-rounded skill set upon course completion. This course also comes with a job guarantee. It promises you to land a job within 6 months of graduation or they will refund your tuition.
This UI design course is suited to anybody interested in designing beautiful interfaces for digital products. This 12-week program covers key UI design principles, perfect interface creation, interactivity, layout, typography, and the design process. With a university credit rating, graduates receive a recognized qualification, valuable for both academic institutions and employers. Throughout the course, you can build a professional portfolio, preparing yourself for successful entry into the field.
BrainStation's 8-week UI Design Course equips students with interface design principles, industry tool proficiency, and the skills to craft effective user interfaces. Through four units covering UI design principles, visual design, responsive design, and career development, you can learn from experienced designers, including professionals from Google, Facebook, and IBM. By course completion, students have developed a stunning UI design portfolio and received a recognized certificate, enhancing their job prospects in the design industry. Upon completing BrainStation's UI Design Course, you'll receive an industry-recognized professional certificate to share with your network and showcase all that you've learned.
The Learn UI Design course is a self-paced online program focusing on teaching UI design principles and skills. Tailored for individuals seeking a solid foundation in UI design, it emphasizes the visual and interactive aspects of digital product design. With flexible scheduling, students progress at their own pace. The course covers essential topics like typography, color theory, layout design, and tools such as Sketch and Figma. Through practical exercises and projects, students apply learned concepts, honing their design skills in real-world scenarios.
Jesse Showalter’s YouTube channel is a go-to hub for digital design and web development enthusiasts. With weekly uploads, he delves into a wide range of topics, from HTML and CSS to JavaScript and beyond. Whether you’re aiming to be a web designer, UI designer, or front-end developer, you’ll discover valuable insights and techniques to elevate your skills. Covering design principles, user experience, and interface design, this channel offers a comprehensive resource for anyone passionate about these fields.
Design Course is your go-to destination for mastering UI/UX design. Offering a diverse range of content, from detailed tutorials on design tools to insightful discussions on design principles, this channel has something for everyone. With engaging instructors and regular updates on the latest design trends, it's the perfect resource to stay informed and enhance your skills. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced designer, Design Course is an essential platform for advancing your UI/UX design abilities.
Instructors: Malewicz
Price: Free
Malewicz is a top-tier YouTube channel dedicated to UI/UX design, offering an array of valuable insights for designers and developers seeking skill enhancement. With an extensive collection of tutorials, tips, and best practices, Malewicz caters to both beginners and seasoned professionals alike. The channel stands out for its high-quality content and consistent updates, ensuring viewers receive up-to-date information on UI/UX design. Hosted by a knowledgeable expert, the videos are well-produced and easily comprehensible, making learning a breeze.
FAQs
1.Which UI design course is the best?
As we mentioned in the section of How to choose the right UI design course above, there are 3 key factors you should take into consideration when choosing the right UI design tool, including Course Content, Teaching Quality and Cost & Value. So the best UI course should be high-quality courses taught by experienced instructors and meanwhile perfectly align with your learning goal. At the same time, it should also strike a harmonious balance between affordability and the value it delivers.
2.Which certificate is best for UI design?
The best certificate for UI design depends on various factors, including your career goals, the reputation of the certifying body, and the specific skills and knowledge you want to acquire. However, some widely recognized certificates for UI design include:
- Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) Certification: IDF offers a range of courses and certifications in UX/UI design, which are highly respected in the industry.
- Coursera UI/UX Specialization Certificate: Coursera offers specialization certificates in UI/UX design from reputable universities and institutions.
- Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification: NN/g offers certifications in UX design, including UI-related topics, which are recognized globally.
- Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in Adobe XD: This certification demonstrates proficiency in Adobe XD, a popular UI/UX design tool. But please note that Adobe XD is now in maintenance mode which means that they are not investing in ongoing development or shipping new features within the product. They now only continue to support existing customers by addressing bugs.
- UX Design Institute Professional Diploma in UX Design: This intensive program provides comprehensive training in UX/UI design and is recognized by industry professionals.
3.Are UX design courses worth it?
Absolutely, UX design courses are also crucial for designers looking to enhance their skills alongside UI design courses. UX design involves understanding user needs and creating intuitive, user-friendly experiences. These courses cover essential topics such as user research, information architecture, prototyping, and usability testing. By mastering UX design principles, designers can create products that effectively meet user needs and deliver exceptional user experiences.
4.What is the best way to learn UI design?
The best way to learn UI design is through a combination of learning, observation, and practice.
- Learn: Start by studying the fundamentals of UI design through books, online courses, tutorials, and resources. Understand principles such as layout, typography, color theory, and user interface patterns, and master related design tools.
- Observe: Pay attention to well-designed interfaces in everyday life, such as websites, mobile apps, and software applications. Analyze how they are structured, how elements are arranged, and how users interact with them. Take inspiration from designs that resonate with you.
- Practice: Put your knowledge into action by designing your own interfaces. Start with simple projects and gradually work your way up to more complex ones. Experiment with different tools, techniques, and design trends. Seek feedback from peers and experienced designers or instructors to continually improve your skills.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Although numerous UI design tutorials and courses available online has made the learning process more accessible than before, mastering UI design requires more than just acquiring basic design knowledge. It also entails cultivating a discerning eye for design, drawing inspiration from exemplary designs, and continuously honing your skills through practice. By combining learning, observation, and practice, you can develop a solid foundation in UI design and continue to refine your abilities over time.
Join our Discord community
support@mockplusapp.com