UX design is short for the term user experience, which is what UX courses are all about. If you aspire to create digital products that provide a streamlined user experience, then UX design is perfect for you. It’s the use of web design, product design, user research, and user testing to create a user-centered design.
Although you could choose to go down either the self-taught route or the college degree route, taking courses online can also help your career flourish. Throughout this article, you will learn more about what UX is, what career paths are available to you in the field, and which are the top UX courses.
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What Is UX Design?
There are two main types of web design, user experience design (UX) and user interface design (UI). A UX designer’s main goal is to make sure each component of a web product is functional, serves a purpose, and looks desirable. If you are interested in discovering the best free UX courses, then read on for our list of the best courses for your design career.
What Is UX Design Used for?
An excellent UX designer always has the user in mind. Regardless of the company you are designing for, you will usually follow a rough workflow of researching users and trends, developing ideas, designing prototypes, testing your work, and then launching the website.
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- Understanding. When beginning any project, a UX professional needs to understand two things – the brand and its users. You must understand the problems a user may face on a website and work toward a solution. Also, you must analyze how the project aligns with the particular brand’s mission and goals.
- User research. A huge part of this job is using data to propel your project. This research can be done through one-on-one interviews, surveys, focus groups, and usability testing.
- Designing wireframes. Making a wireframe is the process of sketching out a user interface and navigation while taking into account the users’ needs. It’s used early in the development process to create the bare bones of a website before the visual design and core content are added.
- Working alongside developers. After many drafts of wireframes, UX designers will work alongside developers to create a working product.
- Launch. Once you have finished the collaborative process, it’s time to launch the website or app. Then begins the period of analyzing how the product is performing with users.
Types of UX Design Careers
Below is a quick look at some possible career paths for UX designers. Browse the information below to see which path interests you the most.
User Researcher
This is a job for those who are fascinated by user behavior and gathering data. User researchers aim to understand what makes good design while also improving the overall user experience. They offer feedback at every stage of the design process, always referring back to the needs and motivations of the user.
Usability Analyst
Using research, a usability analyst is more like an investigator in the web design process. This job is for anyone interested in reviewing users’ problems and measuring the outcomes of various web designs. They aim to solve user problems by analyzing data and creating plans to solve design issues.
Information Architect
Information architects create wireframes, process maps, and functional specifications for a website or application. They aim to develop plans that support the user experience goals, similar to how an architect will design schematics for a building.
Interaction Designer
An interaction designer creates prototypes for a service or app. They gather user data to generate design concepts focused on building an engaging experience for users.
Visual Designer
The visual designer uses the wireframes and prototypes to finalize the look of a site. They aim to boost the appeal of a company while still keeping the design user-friendly.
UX Designer
A UX designer is included in any of the careers mentioned above. With many versatile skills, a UX designer can get involved in any part of the web design process. They can participate in the brand or user research, analysis, development, and even testing phases.
Learning UX Design
You should learn UX design if you are curious about the research and artistic sides of computing. However, it is a long process if you have no background knowledge in the area.
Some students choose to take a four-year university degree, while others may choose to take one-off courses and classes. UX design can take anywhere from a few months to two years to learn.
How to Learn UX Design: Step-by-Step
If you are unsure of where to begin learning UX design, then here are a few simple steps to get you started. Take a look below to begin working toward meeting your design goals.
- Develop observation and empathy. User experience design requires that you have observational skills and empathy. You must watch how people use products or websites to try to understand how certain aspects make them feel, and then ask them questions.
- Develop design thinking. Design thinking is taking a human-centered approach to the creative process. It involves gathering information about a problem, generating solutions and prototyping and validating ideas.
- Gain presentation skills. While working on a project, you will need to convey the idea that is in your mind. That’s where presentation skills are vital to make sure your team shares the same vision.
- Take a UX course. Whether you sign up for a short course or a full degree program is up to you. But whichever method of learning you choose, remember that the more you learn, the better equipped you will be. This may include simply reading more on the subject or watching tutorials online.
- Become familiar with UX tools. Once you have an idea of what UX design is all about, start playing with the UX tools. Some of the most used UX tools are Sketch, InVision, Adobe XD, and HotJar.
- Create, create, create. The more you practice, the better you will become. It will also give you more content to add to your portfolio, which will in turn make you more employable.
The Best UX Courses and Training
We have compiled some of the very best UX courses that you might want to consider taking. They include some in-person classes, and online paid and free courses.
Best In-Person UX Classes
It is becoming more challenging to find in-person courses in 2020. However, below are a few for those of you interested in attending a UX class in person.
Nielsen Norman Group
- UX Certification
- Where: California
- Time: 5 days
- Prerequisites: Professional design experience
- Price: $4,448
The Nielsen Norman Group conducts UX conferences in cities around the world. Once students have attended five of the courses and passed an online exam, they will receive a certification in UX.
Ironhack
- UX/UI Design Bootcamp
- Where: Miami
- Time: 9 to 24 Weeks
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: $12,000
This course can be taken either part-time or full-time as a UX/UI bootcamp. It is taught in person at Ironhack’s international campuses, including this one in Miami. The bootcamp focuses on user experience design and user interface design. Ironhack students also receive invaluable career coaching and support in building their professional UX design portfolios.
Human Factors International
Certified User Experience Analyst (CXA)
Certified Digital Persuasion Analyst (CDPA)
- Where: In-person or online
- Time: Varies (10 days average)
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: Varies ($5,000 average)
These HFI courses are held either in-person at one of several locations, or online. In the above courses, students of all levels can gain valuable training in specific careers. Register for the course, learn from UX professional consultants and take their online certification exam.
Best Online UX Design Courses
Here are two great UX courses that are perfect for beginners or professionals who are willing to shell out some money for a quality class.
Designlab – UX Academy
- Learn UX/UI Design
- Where: Online
- Time: 15 weeks or 28 weeks
- Prerequisites: Beginners must do the Design 101 beforehand
- Price: $6,350
Once you have completed UX Academy’s four-week Design 101 course at a cost of $399, you can begin this 1-on-1 mentoring program with the institute. Students of the course will do over 480 hours of UX coursework. By the end, they will have completed over 100 hands-on exercises as part of four substantial projects that can later be added to a portfolio.
UX Design Institute
- Certification for UX Professionals
- Where: Online
- Time: 6 months
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: $2,966
The UX Design Institute offers this online diploma course for beginners with professional aspirations. It is a university credited course, after which students can choose further specializations in their preferred UX field at an additional cost of $1,500 to $2,000.
Best Free UX Courses
Lastly, let us take a look at some of the best online free UX courses. These are ideal for complete beginners who aren’t sure whether they want to invest financially in learning UX design. They are also great if you’re looking to brush up on their skills or add to their resume.
Career Foundry
- UX Design Program
- Where: Online
- Time: 6 to 10 months
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: First lesson is free (Full course is $5,500)
In this Career Foundry program, students will learn all the required skills, tools, and processes needed to become a UX designer. All mentors in the program have eight years or more of industry experience. Students can also look forward to completing a major project to add to their portfolio.
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Future Learn
Introduction to UX and Accessible Design
- Where: Online
- Time: 2 to 3 weeks
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: Free
In these Future Learn courses, students will learn the fundamentals of UX for free. They will gain knowledge on how to structure a site, build a wireframe, create interactive prototypes, and conduct data analysis.
InVision
Goldman Sachs and InVision: Design Systems for Financial Services
- Where: Online
- Time: 1 hour to 9 weeks
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: Free
InVision offers these two courses as well as other video discussions and podcasts on design. This is a wonderful tool for designers of all levels. In the videos, you will get real-world advice from industry experts and will receive weekly UX guides by email.
Best UX Design Books
Below are two popular books on user design. They are great as supplementary reading alongside your studies. Even if you are not a product designer, Don Norman’s book is a great source of information and inspiration.
The Design of Everyday Things: Revised & Expanded Edition, Don Norman
This must-read by Don Norman will show you that good, usable design is all around you. Norman’s goal is to guide the user effortlessly in the right direction. A cognitive scientist, the author guides the reader in how they can gain a competitive edge in influencing consumer behavior.
Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, Krug Steve
Considered a usability guru, Steve Krug’s guide will help you understand the principles of intuitive navigation and information design. This fun and practical book is among the best-loved books on the subject.
Best Online UX Design Resources
Here are some bonus tools and resources that you can find on the Internet. These are great to review as you pursue your studies or career. Keep in mind that there is always more to learn while studying design, so check out these sources for inspiration, news, and discussions.
Designshack.net
If you’re lacking in design inspiration, head over to Design Shack. The website showcases inspiring examples of design and provides resources and articles that will help you become a better creator.
Usabilitygeek.com
UsabilityGeek goes far beyond just topics of usability. For example, the site also covers UX, Information architecture, conversion, and Human-Computer Interaction.
Boxesandarrows.com
Boxes and Arrows is an online tool for practice, discussion, and design innovation. It also includes information on interactive design, graphic design, information architecture, and the business behind design.
Should You Study UX Design?
Even doing a short UX course will give you the chance to improve your design skills. Whether your interest is piqued by creating user-friendly products or an-easy-to-navigate websites, you should consider studying UX design.
Being able to understand how a user thinks, feels, and navigates an item or website is the key to UX design. As stated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, digital interface designers earn a median salary of $82,370, so it is a financially rewarding career.
We hope this guide to UX courses and training has helped you find the right course for you. We hope you will be one step closer to achieving your dreams of crafting convenient, intuitive, and innovative designs.
