The job of a user interface (UI) designer requires advanced technical skills. If you have basic knowledge of computer programming or graphic design, you can upskill by enrolling in online UI design courses or bootcamps. The training you will gain will advance your mastery of design software and help you focus on becoming a certified UI designer.
The demand for UI designers continues to grow as ecommerce expands and businesses strive for an online presence. There is a projected 13 percent job growth rate for interface designers until 2030. Median pay is also very competitive, even for entry-level positions, making it a stable career for those who want to combine their artistic talents with digital technology.
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Below you will find a comprehensive guide on the best online UI design courses, where to enroll, what skills you should focus on, and how to choose the best online education pathway for you.
What Is UI Design?
User interface (UI) design is the graphical layout of a website, game, software, or computerized device. It is the interface of an application that the user sees and navigates through. The job of a UI designer is to create the look, feel, functionality, usability, and compatibility of that interface.
Why Online UI Design Courses Are Important for Professional Development
UI designers provide insights into product interface designs. To do this effectively, they need a mastery of style guides, interaction design principles, and key industry tools. They should constantly learn new UI design trends and research personas to provide the best user experience and strengthen their client’s brand image.
Should You Attend a Coding Bootcamp to Learn UI Design?
Learning to code is the core requirement to becoming a UI designer. The best way to learn this specific skill quickly is to enroll in a coding bootcamp. A coding bootcamp is an immersive program that will help you learn mobile design, prototyping tools, and website development. It will increase your understanding of basic HTML, CSS, and other programming languages.
Overview: The Best Online UI Design Courses, Classes, or Training
Online UI design courses teach specific job skills such as interactive design, wireframe prototyping, user research, and information architecture. To help you become job-ready, you can enroll in courses with hands-on training, mentoring, and updated learning resources.
Below you will find a comprehensive list of online UI design courses, classes, and training options you can consider enrolling in.
| Provider | Course | Price | Length | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrainStation | UI Design Course Online | $15,000 | 10 weeks | Yes |
| CareerFoundry | UI Design Program | $7,505 | 9 months | Yes |
| CIW | User Interface Designer | $788 | Self-paced | Yes |
| Coursera | User Interface Design Specialization | Free | 4 months | Yes, for a fee |
| Designlab | UI Design Course | $399 | 4 weeks | Yes |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | UI Design Certificate Program | $2,710 | 8 weeks | Yes |
| Flatiron School | Product Design UX/UI | $16,900 | 15 weeks | Yes |
| General Assembly | Online Visual Design Course | $2,800 | 2 months | Yes |
| Georgia Tech | UX/UI Boot Camp | $10,000 | 24 weeks | Yes |
| Gymnasium | Introducing Sketch for UX and UI | Free | Self-paced | No |
| Interaction Design Foundation | User Interface Design Course | $10/month membership | 7 weeks | Yes |
| Skillshare | Typography in UX/UI Design – The Complete Designer Guide | $8/month |
48 minutes | No |
| Springboard | UI/UX Design Bootcamp | $14,310 | 9 months | Yes |
| Thinkful | UX/UI Design Bootcamp | $12,150 | 6 months | Yes |
| University of Arizona | UX/UI Bootcamp | $9,995 | 24 weeks | Yes |
In Detail: The Best Online UI Design Classes, Courses, or Training
Online classes, courses, and training can provide a flexible learning experience for curious students or working professionals looking to upskill. Learn to create a responsive design and start your design career today. Find classes taught by expert instructors and learn at your own pace.
UI Design Course Online | BrainStation
Learning Format: Live online classrooms with expert instructors
Level: Intermediate
Subjects Covered: UI elements and concepts, principles for impactful design, draft designs with sketches and wireframes
BrainStation offers an online classroom to teach UI design online. It teaches students to build clear and structured intuitive interfaces, create visuals by applying color theory, and learn the role of UI in creating accessible solutions.
In this course, you will build a portfolio project and a design solution. You will present this as part of your portfolio. This course provides an industry-recognized professional certificate upon completion.
Key Takeaway: This course is for intermediate learners who want to upskill and build their resumes for prospective employers. Being one of the most expensive on the list, it is advised to explore their flexible payment options.
UI Design Program | CareerFoundry
- Learning Format: Fully online course you can finish in nine months or less studying 15-20 hours per week
- Level: Beginner
- Subjects Covered: Introduction to UI design, design principles, interface design processes, user experience, mobile app designs, animation, branding, portfolio building, choosing a UI specialization
CareerFoundry is a bootcamp provider offering flexible learning programs for those who want to train in a specific field. They offer the UI Design Program to help students learn industry-relevant tools. In this course, you will work with a mentor, build a portfolio, receive coaching from the career services team, and become part of the job guarantee program.
CareerFoundry has a dual mentorship delivery that gives students all the support they need. All work submitted will get feedback within 24 hours. Expert mentors will be there to help track your progress. You can go to their website, request a free short course, and receive lesson one at no cost.
Key Takeaway: This course is beginner-friendly because you don’t need to have a background in design and tech to enroll. It also gives flexibility in schedule with a minimum of only 15 hours per week while helping you stay on track with your learning requirements.
User Interface Designer | CIW
- Learning Format: Self-study course kit with online videos, interactive exercises, online hands-on lab
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Colors, typography, navigation, web maintenance
CIW offers a self-paced User Interface Designer course that prepares you to take the CIW User Interface Designer Certification exam. You need to pay an additional $150 to take the exam. This course is the second part of the CIW Web and Mobile Design series. Prerequisite courses are CIW Site Development Associate and the CIW Advanced HTML5 and CSS3 Specialist course.
Key Takeaway: This is ideal for working professionals in the design industry who want to have a UI designer certification but need flexible and self-paced study to avoid compromising work and other duties.
User Interface Design Specialization | Coursera
- Learning Format: Self-paced, full specialization course that requires completion of projects to earn a certificate
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Introduction to UI design, user research, prototyping, evaluating user interface
Coursera’s User Interface Design Specialization is a four-month online course with a flexible schedule. It’s free to enroll by signing up to the platform. Students who take this course will learn to create user-friendly interfaces for products and services and apply industry-standard theories and methods.
This course is a four-part series that helps you master a skill. If you need more time to master each lesson, you can pause your subscription at any time. Mastery of each class is crucial to move on to the next lesson. Your learning dashboard allows you to track your progress.
Key Takeaway: It is free to sign up and access the resources for this course. After passing a qualifying exam, you will receive a certificate for your LinkedIn profile and resume.
Online UI Design Classes | Designlab
- Learning Format: Fully online, self-paced schedule, weekly project assignments with an end of week deadline, and weekly mentorship calls
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Interactive patterns, visual hierarchy, layouts and grids, responsive web design, typography, iconography, prototyping
This UI design course is for intermediate-level students who have basic design knowledge and want to advance their skills. Students will learn to identify modern design patterns and integrate them into their projects.
During the four-week course, students will have assignments due at the end of each week. Every week, they will have a consultation session with a mentor to receive feedback about their progress.
Key Takeaway: This course is suitable for working professionals with a design background who want to shift their career focus to UI design. This course focuses on design and additional skills training.
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UI Design Certificate Program | Fashion Institute of Technology
- Learning Format: Fully online through Webex
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: UI design workflow, design tools, fundamentals, components, designing websites, designing mobile apps, high-fidelity quick-through prototyping
FIT’s UI Design Certificate Program is for design professionals who want to upgrade their skills. It provides hands-on experience through workshops, along with lectures and demonstrations to help students understand the methodologies of interface design.
This is a Synchronous Collaborative Remote Experiential Learning (SCREL) program, meaning it provides real-time remote lectures, real-time online collaboration, and project-based experiential learning. To enroll in this program, you need to have a working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and basic knowledge of typography.
Key Takeaway: This course is ideal for intermediate learners who want to improve their skills in UI design in just eight weeks through intensive workshops and real-world project training.
Product Design UX/UI | Flatiron School
- Learning Format: Available as a fast-track or self-paced bootcamp program
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: UI and user experience (UX) design, product design, presentation strategies, product design ethics, portfolio building
Flatiron School offers the Product Design UX/UI course for those who want to launch their career as a UI designer. It is a robust UX/UI design curriculum that teaches end-to-end design processes.
There is a choice of on-campus learning where you can enjoy the full support of the learning community, or learn at your own pace and set your schedule independently. The course includes support from a career coaching team that will help find the best job opportunities for you to apply to.
Key Takeaway: This course offers student support and career services. It is a very good educational investment for those interested in networking in the design industry and landing a job as a UI product designer.
Online Visual Design Course | General Assembly
- Learning Format: Remote classroom setup or on-campus twice a week during evening or weekend classes
- Level: Beginner
- Subjects Covered: Fundamentals of visual communication design, in-demand tools for UI design, Sketch, Figma, Photoshop
The Online Visual Design Course is a beginner-friendly course that offers real-world portfolio projects, individualized instructor support, and quality instruction from experts in the design industry. Instructors have worked for big companies like Disney and Nike.
Classes have fixed schedules and start every two months. It is a two hour lecture twice a week, Monday and Wednesdays, on-campus or online. During the course, students will need to finish small projects for every lesson, which will then be compiled to create their portfolio.
Key Takeaway: This course is specially designed for working professionals because of the flexibility of the schedule and the straightforward lecture style. It teaches actual skills needed for work and will help connect you to professionals in the design field.
UX/UI Bootcamp | Georgia Tech
- Learning Format: Full-time bootcamp program taught through immersive instruction
- Level: Beginner
- Subjects Covered: User-centric design research, user interface development, visual prototyping and wireframing, web prototyping
This UX/UI bootcamp will teach students through immersive instruction and complex projects. They will learn through hands-on training in various design tools, user-centric research, and design thinking. The program offers career planning support, coaching, portfolio reviews, and training on technical interviews.
To enroll in this bootcamp, you do not need prior experience in UX/UI design. However, you must be willing to complete the pre-course tutorials. The application process for this bootcamp requires an interview and a skill assessment.
Key Takeaway: This course provides a comprehensive curriculum that relies heavily on hands-on training. This means students must be dedicated to the program.
Introduction to Sketch for UX/UI | Gymnasium
- Learning Format: Free online self-paced program
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Introduction to Sketch, a digital design platform
Introducing Sketch for UX and UI is a free online course intended for UX designers, graphic designers, and front-end developers who want to learn about Sketch, a digital design tool. It is an introductory course for Sketch that covers workspace and adboards, styles and style textures, using symbols, and designing with data.
There is no prerequisite requirement for this course. However, a general background in prototyping and vector applications will be helpful. Students need a registered copy of Sketch to start the program.
Key Takeaway: This training course is very specific to learning Sketch. Sketch is the digital design platform needed by digital designers to update their design skills.
User Interface Design Course | Interaction Design Foundation
- Learning Format: Online, self-paced with no deadlines
- Level: Beginner
- Subjects Covered: Visual frameworks, organizing content, global navigation, data entry, social aspects, dark patterns
Interaction Design Foundation produces open access educational materials. For a small monthly membership fee, you’ll gain access to numerous courses. The User Interface Design Course is a beginner course to teach the foundations of user interface design processes and how to organize visual frameworks. It is a fully online course with optional in-person meetings.
Each week of the program a new lesson will be delivered and examinations will be provided. These will be checked and graded by industry experts, making the course certificate highly credible. This course will help students identify the most appropriate display methods and troubleshoot common design problems.
Key Takeaway: This course is ideal for those who want to learn consistently at their own pace without the pressure of deadlines.
Typography in UX/UI Design – The Complete Designer Guide| Skillshare
- Learning Format: One-off lesson with pre-recorded videos available on-demand
- Level: All levels, basic to advanced
- Subjects Covered: Typefaces and fonts, setting up a type scale, contrast, responsive typography
This Typography in UX/UI Design class covers the basics of typography and an in-depth understanding of design. It also teaches students about technical decisions to resolve common design problems. The lessons are delivered via 21 videos totaling 48 minutes.
The class requires a hands-on project to set up your typography scale. The instructor only uses Figma and can provide preset Figma files and customize them for your type scale. The class also provides transcripts of the videos for those who want to review the course without the videos.
Key Takeaway: This class is ideal for beginners and advanced learners who need a refresher class on typography and setting up type scales using Figma.
UI/UX Design Bootcamp | Springboard
- Learning Format: Full bootcamp course with practical on-the-job training on real client projects
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Design concepts, user search, sketching, wireframing, style guides, prototyping
Springboard’s UI/UX Design Bootcamp is for intermediate learners who want to land a job in this field. This program offers flexible schedules. Students receive one-on-one mentoring with an industry expert and receive guidance from a dedicated career coach each week.
You will be assigned a design project and collaborate directly with a client as part of the requirements. This project will start your portfolio as a UI designer. Towards the end of the course, you will receive career coaching to prepare you for job interviews and help you craft the perfect resume and build your professional network.
The application process to enter this bootcamp can be rigorous because they will be looking for candidates with innate visual creativity and strong communication skills. They prefer to accept applicants with bachelor’s degrees for a better chance of being referred to companies and landing a job.
Key Takeaway: This course is ideal for intermediate students. You will work directly with actual clients on a design product, so some background is preferred.
UX/UI Design Bootcamp | Thinkful
- Learning Format: This is an online bootcamp with on-demand technical and career coaching, portfolio building, and hands-on courses.
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: UI/UX design fundamentals, design styles, wireframing and prototyping, user flows, coding, information architecture
This UX/UI Design Bootcamp is an immersive course that will help you gain job-ready skills in five to six months. It offers a full-time schedule for accelerated learning or a flexible part-time option for self-paced learning.
The course includes a live video mentor session, daily live online lectures and workshops, dedicated learning assistants, and personalized career coaching. If you still feel unsure about taking this course, you can try their introductory class for free by signing up. You will be given practice exercises on the student platform.
Key Takeaway: This course is ideal for those who have jobs because of the part-time, flexible learning option not often offered in many bootcamps.
UX/UI Bootcamp | University of Arizona
- Learning Format: Instructor-led live online classroom with in-class exercises
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: User-centric design research, user interface development, visual prototyping and wireframing, web prototyping
This UX/UI bootcamp is fully online, conducted through an instructor-led live classroom. Classes are delivered through two weekday evening sessions and one Saturday morning session.
This immersive course helps students gain competitive skills using creative tools by modern designers and applying user-centered design. The course requires building design portfolios of complex projects including AI sketches and mobile-friendly web layouts.
Key Takeaway: This course is for intermediate learners who want to upskill and have the time and commitment to attend virtual classes.
Online UI Design Classes, Training, or Courses: Which Is the Right Option?
When deciding whether to enroll in courses, classes, or training, you should consider time and commitment, your preferred learning style, budget, and which pathway aligns with your career goals.
Those who want to learn a specific skill in UI design, such as typography, motion graphics, or specific software, can enroll in one-off classes or training. These last for only several hours or days, depending on the type of lessons. It is more flexible and ideal for those actively working who wish to learn additional skills.
Taking online courses or enrolling in college requires total commitment several days a week for several months. Courses offer blended learning through lectures and practical training. It is ideal for intermediate to advanced learners who want to be certified as UI designers.
Bootcamps are suitable for those who seek intensive and specific knowledge and skills along with real-world applications. Most bootcamps also offer career services to help students secure a job.
How to Choose the Right Online UI Design Course, Class, or Training Program
Time and Commitment
When you apply for a bootcamp or online courseskillset, you need to undergo interviews and assessments before admission. The intention is to know your availability and capability to commit to the curriculum and class schedule. This screening is vital, especially for bootcamps that offer immersive, hands-on practice and team collaborations for projects.
Enroll in a course only if you can fully commit to the entire duration of the program. Otherwise, you can choose a class or short training that will provide you with the introductory knowledge of the skills you need or a program with flexible schedule options.
Tuition and Fees
It is crucial to consider the overall cost of your education and plan your budget to avoid undue stress while studying. Enrolling in short courses can cost thousands of dollars, which can be overwhelming for others if needed to pay upfront.
Fortunately, some institutions offer their courses through flexible payment plans, scholarships, and income share agreements (ISA). Students who cannot afford tuition can sign up for an ISA with the provider, which means they only pay for the school after finishing the course and getting a job.
Learning Format
Choose a provider that offers a learning format that fits your learning style and schedule. Some individuals learn better through live classes, while others prefer self-paced programs.
If you are a working student or employed full-time, there are online classes with flexible schedules so you can continue working while enrolled in classes. Choosing a suitable learning format will make things less stressful and help you manage your time to fulfill the course requirements.
UI Design Course Certificates vs Certifications
Educational providers give a certificate of completion to students who finished their course, passed examinations, and submitted all project requirements in the curriculum. Certificates are proof that you have enrolled and completed the course. You can add certificates to your resume or link to your professional online profile such as LinkedIn.
Professional certifications are for those who have passed a comprehensive exam based on industry standards. An accredited professional organization, university, company, or accredited institution vouches for your skills through passing an examination. Certifications are for those who have passed a comprehensive exam based on industry standards. Some certification examinations are given after a related training, while some are taken independently.
Importance of UI Design Certifications
Some employers prefer hiring those with certifications because it is a testament that you are an expert in your field, qualified, and sure to deliver professional services. Since certifications are offered by accredited institutions it is an easy way for employers to verify your skill set and knowledge.
Why You Should Take Online UI Design Courses or Classes
Taking UI design courses will strengthen your current knowledge and training in developing software and mastering key industry tools. Enrolling in courses will connect you with industry experts and mentors who can help you excel in the IT industry. These experts also enjoy an above-average salary and job stability.
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