Where to Find the Best Online UX Design Courses in 2021
UX design is an integral part of most businesses today. It isn’t enough to have a website to promote goods and services, it must provide a good user experience. If you want to start a career in tech, consider becoming a UX designer.
Online courses are a great option for learning a new skill or upskilling. This guide will cover the basics of UX design and where to find the best online UX design courses to start your journey.
What Is UX Design?
UX, which stands for user experience, is the process used to create products that offer relevant and meaningful experiences to its users. The process usually involves acquiring the product, integrating it, and adding design, branding, function, and usability.
User experience design is often mistaken for user interface (UI) design, but they are not the same. UI is an important aspect of UX design and deals with the visual elements that users interact with.
What Will You Learn in a UX Design Course?
UX design programs usually start with introductory design courses and progress towards advanced UX design certification courses. The programs help you to master applied skills like information architecture, research, wireframing, visual communication, and prototyping.
Courses often offer help with portfolio creation and job searching. It also offers access to the realities of a UX designer’s job so you can see what it’s like to be a professional in the field while learning foundational skills.
Top Online UX Design Courses in 2021 at a Glance
There are a lot of UX design courses available online. The table below contains the best of them. You can find the providers, courses, cost, duration, and whether or not the course yields a certificate.
The information in the table was sourced from the respective course websites.
Provider and Course | Price | Length | Certificate |
---|---|---|---|
Coursera Introduction to User Experience Design |
Free | Approximately six hours to complete |
Yes, for $49 |
Coursera UI/UX Design Specialization |
Free | 4 months | Yes, for $49 |
Coursera UX Design Fundamentals |
Free | Approximately 13 hours to complete |
Yes, for $49 |
Coursera Visual Elements of User Interface Design |
Free | Approximately 16 hours to complete |
Yes, for $49 |
Future Learn Digital Skills: User Experience |
Free | 3 weeks | Yes |
LinkedIn Learning Become a User Experience Designer |
$29.99 per month | Self-paced | Yes |
SuperHi Intro to User Experience Design |
$149 | Self-paced | yes |
Udacity Product Design |
Free | 8 weeks | Yes |
Udemy User Experience Design Fundamentals |
$94.99 | Self-paced | Yes |
Udemy UX Research for Apps: User-centric from Concept to Launch |
$19.99 | Self-paced | Yes |
Best UX Design Courses of 2021
The best UX design courses come with different features. Some are free while others require a subscription or one-time fee. Some free courses do require payment for those that want to receive a certificate. Most of the courses on our list are free or affordable. Below is more detailed information on each of the courses previously mentioned.
Introduction to User Experience Design by Coursera
This course introduces the learner to the user experience design cycle. It also includes the set of techniques needed to gather information about the user’s needs and design an interface based on that information. These techniques include tools used to produce the data learners use in designing.
The course is self-paced and can take between four to 12 weeks to complete. After completing the course, learners receive a verified certificate that shows that they participated. This certificate can be shared on LinkedIn or added to a resume.
UI/UX Design Specialization by Coursera
This course contains four sub-courses that mirror and explore the stages of the UI/UX development process. It covers user research, development of site maps, wireframes, defining project strategies, and information architecture. Students learn the best practices and current conventions in UX design. They also get to apply them while creating compelling screen-based experiences for apps or websites.
UX and UI design skills learned from this program can be applied to different careers including web design, marketing, and human-computer interaction. This course is intensive and covers a lot of topics to prepare you for entry-level roles in the field.
UX Design Fundamentals by Coursera
This course is hands-on and examines the process of structuring and organizing content to create the user experience. It also covers the role of the designer in creating and shaping this experience. The course leads learners through the condensed processes that act as a development roadmap for UX designs. It starts with ideation, site mapping, and creating digital and paper prototypes.
By the end of the course, the learner will be able to describe and apply best practices in UX design. The class also delves into the fundamental principles that control the audience’s experience of content. It brings a design-centric approach to UX and UI design. Finally, it is worth noting that this course offers practical training from a visual communications perspective.
Visual Elements of User Interface Design by Coursera
This design-centric course examines the question of what interfaces are as well as the role a designer plays in building a user interface. It covers how to design and add meaning with type, color, and imagery. The lectures for this course include visual exercises on individual components and elements that make up an interface designer’s skillset.
The course offers skill-based, practical instruction that is centered around visual communication instead of focusing on programming and marketing. By the end of it, learners will be able to explain key elements of consistent, clear, and intuitive design. They will be able to apply the skills they have learned to design static screen-based interfaces.
Digital Skills: User Experience by Future Learn
This course by Future Learn covers UX and its basics. Students learn what UX is as well as its importance in business today. The course also covers the foundations of UX design and the difference between good and bad UX. The course explores the entire UX design process, including user research, drawing wireframes with your ideas and goals, designing your experience, and building usable prototypes.
Digital Skills: User Experience covers the testing and development techniques needed to ensure designs are ready for release. Students will gain the ability to describe the UX process from design and development to release. They will also understand the concept of “user journey.” By the end of the course, they will be able to identify the importance of a good structure for usability and be familiar with the concept of information architecture.
Become a User Experience Designer by LinkedIn Learning
This introductory course from LinkedIn focuses on the application of the core principles of user-centered design. It covers how to create graphics and wireframes with industry-standard tools such as Sketch and Illustrator. Students will also learn to build UX portfolios that include user personas and interactive prototypes.
Moreover, Become a User Experience Designer explores the techniques, benefits, and tools of prototyping. It also covers how to build satisfying and simple prototypes on paper. Students learn to use Axure, Invision, Moqups, and other digital tools. It also covers the basics of building working prototypes and getting valuable feedback from design testing.
Intro to User Experience Design by SuperHi
This is another introductory program in UX design. It is a short course that teaches the best practices needed to create intuitive, effective, and excellent experiences. The course covers the basis of iterative UX design and its processes. This includes wireframing, user research, user testing, UI design, and prototyping.
Participants learn to think like UX designers while working on projects for themselves and clients. It is ideal for people who are not digital-focused designers or newcomers who want to enter the UX design industry.
Product Design by Udacity
The Product Design course by Udacity is designed to help learners materialize their unique ideas and make a product they can build a business with. This course is practice-based, blending theory and practical learning. It covers UI/UX practices, product validation, processes for tracking and setting actionable metrics, and Google’s Design Sprint.
This two-month-long course combines UX with UI design to help you bring your ideas to life. It covers actionable metrics associated with UI/UX concepts and Google’s Design Sprint.
User Experience Design Fundamentals by Udemy
This class is ideal for learners seeking to understand UX design and its importance. It also covers the elements of UX and how they work together. Students will come to view the strategy as an important element of UX and the research process. The course covers the identification of user needs and business goals. It teaches the student to create functional specifications and understand the scope as a UX element.
The class covers how to prioritize requirements and specs and how to develop content requirements. By the end of the course, students will understand the importance of structure in UX and will gain insight into navigation design and organizing principles for media.
UX Research for Apps: User-centric from Concept to Launch by Udemy
This Udemy course covers tools and techniques that help us understand users. It helps shape concepts so students can design products that stick. Students are also let in on professional secrets for conducting important user research without spending a lot of money. The course uses a six-step approach to teach students how to shape concepts, come up with screen app ideas, create customer personas, journeys, empathy maps, and conduct primary research.
Students also learn about tools, techniques, and apps in UX design. The course is ideal for people who want to build mobile tech solutions, including app entrepreneurs and programmers.
UX Design Certifications
Certifications can be the distinguishing factor between you and another candidate when applying for jobs. It shows your prospective employer that you are skilled in UX design. Oftentimes, certification is given after a candidate passes an exam that gauges their skills. We’ve compiled information on a few of the best certifications for UX designers.
This organization offers two certification tracks for beginners and experts. You can choose the best option for you according to your expertise. The first is the Certified Usability Analyst. It is suitable for people who want to transition to UX design or simply improve their skills. Human Factors International also offers the Certified User Experience Analyst. This certification is ideal for advanced UX designers who want to prove that they have expert-level skills.
This certification is exam-based. You can enroll for both beginner and expert certification. The one for beginners is the Entry-Level UX Designers certification. You need to take five courses to qualify to take the exam. The higher certification is the UX Master Certification. It is ideal for expert-level UX designers who want to show that they have advanced knowledge in the industry.
This organization has three certification levels for UX designers who want to upgrade their skills in the field. The first is the foundation level certification. It shows that the holder has the skills and knowledge needed to work in usability engineering and UX design projects.
The second one is the advanced level certification. It attests that the holder can lead teams working on usability engineering and user experience design projects. Last is the specialist level certification, which shows that the holder can quantify user experience as well as make important decisions on scientific methods.
Next Steps After Your Course
Certification is the best step to take after completing a UX design course. Certification proves to potential employers that you are equipped with the skills and knowledge to be a valuable member of their company.
You should also consider joining a UX designer community. Such communities keep you up to date with the recent practices and changes in the industry. They may also be handy in helping you to find employment. You may also need to continue to practice even after you secure a job.
Should You Learn UX Design?
Yes. When you learn user interaction principles, you can transform all your designs into products that can solve problems. Adding an extra layer of function leads users to admire the usefulness and beauty of the product.
Aside from helping create excellent products, you can earn a lot in a UX design career. More companies understand the importance of focusing on the users to create better experiences. When you learn UX design skills, you can boost your career or successfully land a new job.