If you are reading this, you are probably interested in becoming a UI/UX designer, or, at the very least, are curious about what it is and where you can learn it. We can’t blame you for the interest as the two professions are very sought after and immensely well paid, with experienced designers earning well into six figures. Of course, in the very beginning, you first need to learn the fundamentals. Luckily for you, the internet is chock-full of excellent courses that you can use to teach yourself the basics.
There are so many different options out there, and in this list, we’ll try to provide a broad overview of our top 10 picks. Some of these courses will cost you a buck or two, whereas some of them will be completely free. They all offer basically the same end goal, only through slightly different means. It is entirely up to you to choose which one of the courses you like best and simply jump into learning the tricks of the trade.
#1 Udemy
We’re sure that many of you already knew that Udemy was going to be part of this list, so we thought, why not mention it first. Udemy is one of the most famous e-learning platforms where you can learn pretty much everything, including UI/UX design. Its most significant advantage is its sheer size. There are literally thousands upon thousands of affordable and quite well-made courses there. Also, upon completion of the course, you’ll receive a certificate that you can attach to your LinkedIn profile. This can significantly improve your chances of landing a job.
On the other hand, its main disadvantage is, once again, its size. It could prove challenging to find the course best suited for you in the ocean of options, as some of the courses only very superficially cover the main topics.
#2 Interaction Design Foundation
Interaction Design Foundation is one of the most famous and well-known platforms that teach UI/UX design. Since the company provides excellent, in-depth materials, the completion certificates are industry accepted as valid. Unlike many other platforms from this list, the Interaction Design Foundation teaches nothing else but UI/UX, which means that their team is specialized in the field. Therefore, you can be certain that they know what they’re doing, and if you want to learn, you’re bound to learn quite a lot from them.
Sadly though, the Interaction Design Foundation does not allow for the purchase of single classes, and if you want to join in, you’ll have to pay for a yearly subscription. This still can prove to be a good value as the price tag of $192 is not too high for what you can get – quality education and experience.
#3 Coursera
Coursera is a platform that provides access to upwards of 3,500 online courses in various fields, not only UI/UX design. As they are partnered with many well-established universities worldwide, such as Stanford, Yale, and the University of Amsterdam, you’ll be able to take the courses from taught at these universities.
Something unique that Coursera provides is the ability to specialize in the field, meaning that you can take an accredited Masters course that will awards you a degree in the field. This will cost you quite a bit, though, up to $25,000, but you really don’t have to go for the degree. You can advance your career much less expensively by simply paying for individual courses, which are rather affordable.
#4 Skillshare
Skillshare is another online learning platform that provides access to numerous different courses in various fields, including UI/UX design. We’re sure that so far, you know a lot about Skillshare, however, it wouldn’t be on this list if it wasn’t worth it. The classes are taught by professionals with tremendous experience in the industry.
While it could be well worth it paying for the Premium subscription, Skillshare also allows its users to use some of the classes for free. Also, Premium subscription costs $99 for a whole year of service, meaning that it’s not that expensive to join in and see what exactly they offer.
#5 Pluralsight
Pluralsight is another e-learning platform that offers more than 6,000 online classes and different IT and business areas, among which is UI/UX design as well. A unique feature provided at Pluralsight is their learning paths. These paths are structured in three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. What they do is combine different courses and tools to create a one learning experience. This helps students follow the courses more efficiently and increases student’s efficiency in learning by reducing the time necessary to bring decisions on what to learn next.
Pluralsight is another subscription-based platform, and its yearly subscription costs $299. Not exactly the cheapest, but it can prove to be well worth it, as, upon completion of any course, you get a certificate that you can use to get jobs on the market. Also, Pluralsight offers an option to connect and compare with other students, which provides a valuable insight into your skill and areas where you need to improve.
#6 Treehouse
Treehouse offers upwards of 300 online courses, and even though not all of them are directly related to UI/UX design, some of them definitely are. In order to get a UX design Techdegree, you’ll need to spend at least three months. However, even though it does last for quite a bit, you’ll end up finishing 19 UX Design courses, and you’ll be fully prepared to step into the world of UI/UX design.
The price is a bit up there at around $199 per month, but what you get for the money is well worth it. Treehouse degrees are accepted industry-wide, and you’re bound to land a very well-paid job upon completing their Techdegree.
An honorable mention
If you are a complete beginner, you have an interest in potentially stepping into the UI/UX design sphere but don’t know whether that is your life’s calling, you can try – YouTube. The big ol’ you video platform that stores so many hours of videos that you can’t even imagine. Some of these hours do revolve around UI/UX, and some of the videos about UI/UX really do provide great information about the field. While we wouldn’t really recommend YouTube as the place to learn UI/UX design, we definitely advise you to take a look at some of the videos on the topic to see if you’re into it or not. If you choose to pursue further skills development, then YouTube has done its job well.
Its most significant advantage is, of course, its vastness and the fact that it’s free. However, given that YouTube does nothing to check the quality of the educational videos on the platform, it’s essential to stress that not everything you see there is useful information. Take the courses with a truckload of salt and only use the platform to learn about the field superficially, and to test yourself and your interest to study UI/UX design.
The post Top 6 Online Platforms to Learn UI/UX Design first appeared on CSForm.
The post Top 6 Online Platforms to Learn UI/UX Design appeared first on CSForm.