8 Best UX Design Courses for Beginners [2023 Guide]

There’s never been a better time to launch a career in user experience (UX) design. As companies large and small embrace digital transformation, demand for UX professionals is on the rise. Customer experience lies at the center of successful digital strategies, and that’s what UX designers specialize in. 

Companies hire UX professionals to create valuable product experiences that meet user needs. While some UXers design the overall architecture of digital products, others specialize in the various elements of design—including user research, UX writing, user interface design, and more. 

Enrolling in a UX design course is the most effective way to build the foundational skills you need to land your dream job. To help you evaluate your options, we’ve curated a comprehensive comparison of top UX design courses. Read on to see how these courses stack up and find out how to choose the course that’s right for you. 

What Is a UX Design Course?

Also known as UX design bootcamps, UX design courses teach the basics of user experience design and help learners develop design skills over the course of several months to a year. While some courses offer a simple introduction to the field, career-oriented courses focus on helping students build the technical skills and hands-on experience they need to get hired. 

The UX design course you choose will depend on your budget, goals, and depth of interest in design. 

8 Best UX Design Courses

Wondering which user experience design course is right for you? To help you decide, we’ve evaluated some of the top programs according to ratings, course content, price, and target audience. 

Whether you’re looking to launch a career in UX or simply get your feet wet in the world of design, this list will help you figure out which UX design course best meets your needs.  

Springboard UX Design Bootcamp

Rating 

• Course Report: 4.64/5
• SwitchUp: 4.68/5
• CareerKarma: 4.5/5
• Average: 4.6/5

Overview 

The Springboard UX Design Bootcamp is a flexible, online course that offers a job guarantee. Over the course of six months, students explore an expert-curated curriculum that emphasizes hands-on design projects and career-related coursework. Through on-demand videos, in-depth articles, and live, one-to-one guidance from an industry expert mentor, students build skills in core UX design competencies including: 

• Design Thinking. Students learn how to define and solve UX design problems using the UX design process. 
• UX Research. Students learn how to implement diverse user research methods and synthesize findings into user personas, user journey maps, problem statements, and more.
• Information Architecture. Students learn how to organize and structure digital products to help users find the information they need. 
• Sketching and Wireframing. Students learn how to create low-fidelity designs—otherwise known as wireframing—to outline a product’s architecture and user flow. 
• Prototyping and Testing. Students learn how to build an interactive, clickable sample version of a final product and facilitate usability testing to validate their design decisions. 
• User Interface Design. Using digital design tools, students learn how to harness visual design and interactive elements to create accessibly, aesthetically pleasing user interfaces. 

The Springboard UX Design Bootcamp helps students build professional design portfolios that showcase their UX skills. In addition to multiple mini-projects, students complete four portfolio projects—including a design sprint and a 40-hour industry design project in which students are matched with a real company to solve a business problem. 

Springboard students also receive personalized career coaching to help them land a UX role after graduation. 

Best For

The Springboard UX Design Bootcamp is best for aspiring designers who demonstrate an aptitude for problem-solving and have robust communication skills. One year of professional or academic experience in an adjacent field like visual content management, digital product development, studio art, or graphic design is recommended. 

Price

The course costs $7,900 paid upfront. Alternatively, the course costs $1,590 per month if paid in installments—but students are only charged for the months they’re enrolled, which makes monthly payments ideal for quick learners. With a deferred tuition plan, students can pay $500 up front, and then pay the rest after landing a job. Scholarships for veterans and women in tech are also available. 

UX Design Course (General Assembly)

Rating 

• Course Report: 4.31/5
• SwitchUp: 4.29/5
• CareerKarma: 4.5/5
• Average: 4.37/5

Overview

General Assembly’s UX Design Course offers online, self-paced lessons that cover UX fundamentals. The course explores the UX design process and helps students develop fluency with common UX techniques. Participants learn how to leverage digital design tools to wireframe, prototype, and test designs. After completing the course, participants earn a signed certificate of completion. 

Best For

This course is aimed at professionals in adjacent fields like marketing, advertising, research, engineering, and more. It is popular amongst visual designers who want to upskill as well as mid-career professionals who want to formalize their UX skill set. 

Price

The full cost of tuition is $3,950. Students can pay with installment plans, loans from high-quality lenders, and apply for partial or full tuition reimbursement from their employer once hired. 

User Experience: The Beginner’s Guide (Interaction Design Foundation)

Rating 

• Course Report: 4.64/5
• Sitejabber.com: 4.85
• Average: 4.75/5

Overview

This seven-week introductory course aims to familiarize learners with UX design fundamentals. By the end of the course, participants should understand the roles and responsibilities of a UX designer, feel comfortable with the language of UX design, and be able to articulate the importance of UX. The course is designed as a gateway to additional courses that cover a wide range of topics. 

Best For

This Interaction Design Foundation course is best for learners who are not familiar with the basics of design principles and wish to get an overview of the field. The Interaction Design Foundation also offers optional meet-ups in various cities, making this course suited for learners who want an opportunity to connect face-to-face with fellow participants. 

Price

An Interaction Design Foundation membership is required. After purchasing an annual Interaction Design Foundation membership ($192 annually), learners gain access to all Interaction Design Foundation courses. 

Introduction to User Experience Design by Georgia Institute of Technology (Coursera)  

Rating 

• Course Report: 4.71/5
• Student Feedback: 4.5/5
• Average: 4.61/5

Overview

This six-hour online course introduces learners to UX design as a systematic and data-driven process. It covers basic UX design analysis frameworks and offers a rapid, detailed overview of UX design through video lectures, readings, and quizzes, and offers minimal practical components. After completing the course, students can purchase a certificate of completion that grants lifetime access to course materials. 

Best For

This course is geared towards beginners who seek a brief overview of UX design. It’s ideal for those who are not yet ready to develop practical skills but wish to understand UX design goals and techniques. The course includes eight articles, eight downloadable resources, and 10 and a half hours of video—making it a great choice for someone without much free time to spare. 

Price

Free. 

User Experience (UX): The Ultimate Guide to Usability and UX (Udemy)

Rating 

• CourseDuck.com: 4.9/5
• SwitchUp: 4.6/5
• Student Feedback: 4.7/5
• Average: 4.73/5

Overview

This beginner-friendly course helps learners integrate UX principles and processes into their general workflow. Participants explore user-centered design processes through five user research and design projects that dive into prototyping, usability testing, user interviews, and more. 

The course is designed to prepare students for the BCS Foundation Certificate in User Experience. Students can complete the course in two to three weeks at a pace of 60-90 minutes of daily study. 

Best For

This course is geared towards those in UX-adjacent fields who want to expand their UX knowledge to improve the quality of their deliverables. It also caters to current UX professionals who want to strengthen their skills in a particular area as well as job switchers who want to begin a career in UX design. 

Price

This course costs $79.99 with lifetime access to course materials. 

Intro to User Experience Design (SuperHi)

Rating 

• Instructor Rating: 4.5/5
• Average: 4.5/5

Overview

This introductory course offers a foundational exploration of UX design. The course explores each phase of the UX design process—including user research, wireframing and prototyping, user testing, and stakeholder handoffs. The course includes over five hours of video lessons as well as several projects. 

Best For

This is a beginner course geared towards learners who are comfortable using programs like Microsoft Word or Photoshop. It’s ideal for non-digital designers who want to design digital products. 

Price

The course costs $149. 

Google UX Design Professional Certificate (Coursera)

Rating 

• Student Feedback: 4.8/5
• Average: 4.8/5

Overview 

Hosted on Coursera, this course teaches students how to complete the UX design process from start to finish. The course is designed to prepare students for entry-level UX design jobs and helps students create a professional portfolio comprised of three end-to-end design projects. 

The course takes roughly six months to complete at a pace of 10 hours of study per week. After finishing the course, students earn a certificate of completion. While the course offers peer-to-peer feedback and discussion forums, students do not receive individualized guidance from a personal mentor—meaning participants should be comfortable navigating design coursework on their own. 

Best For

This course suits beginners who have a knack for learning independently and answering their own questions. 

Price

Students pay $39 per month while enrolled in the course.

UX & Web Design Master Course: Strategy, Design, Development (Udemy)

Rating 

• SwitchUp: 4.6/5
• Student Feedback: 4.4/5
• Average: 4.5/5

Overview

This course teaches UX design fundamentals and guides students through implementing their designs on CMS-driven websites like WordPress. The course emphasizes the ways in which business owners can harness UX to increase conversions, and also teaches students how to code websites with HTML, WordPress, and other tools. This affordable option teaches a wide variety of in-demand skills. 

Best For

This course welcomes beginners who want to learn UX, business owners who wish to optimize their online presence, web designers who want to expand their skill set, graphic designers who want to pivot into digital design, and more. Because the course teaches basic coding and emphasizes ways to use UX to improve return on investment (ROI) this course is a great choice for multidisciplinarians whose work extends beyond the traditional confines of user experience design.

Price

The course costs $129.99. 

How Do You Choose a UX Design Course?

To choose the UX design course that meets your needs, you’ll need to evaluate your reasons for enrolling and what you hope to achieve. You should also assess how much time and energy you have to dedicate to learning user experience design. 

You’ll have to reflect on what type of financial commitment you’re able to make and consider how the investment might pay off in the future. Lastly, you’ll need to find your learning style and identify your non-negotiable needs as a student, whether those are hands-on learning opportunities or live guidance from expert instructors. 

Career Goals

Your professional goals will deeply impact your choice of UX design course. If you’re simply looking for an introduction to user experience design, a shorter, less costly course without practical elements will meet your needs. These sorts of courses are best for those who want to familiarize themselves with the design industry rather than pivot into a new career within six months to a year. 

If you’re looking to launch a new career in UX design, you’ll need a course that emphasizes hands-on, project-based learning and mastery of applied skills. An effective course for job seekers will focus on building technical skills while developing a robust professional portfolio composed of real-world projects. 

Job seekers should also prioritize courses like Springboard’s UX Design Bootcamp that offer personalized career coaching, one-on-one mock interviews, access to an employer network, and a job guarantee. 

Course Curriculum

Thoroughly evaluate the curriculum of each program you’re considering to decide whether the course aligns with your learning goals. Reputable user experience design courses will offer access to course syllabi, which break down the course unit by unit. When reviewing a syllabus, check to ensure that the curriculum all stages of the design process from ideation to user testing. 

In addition to analyzing the content of the course, you should also assess how key topics are taught. Do students hone their skills through mini-projects that reinforce key concepts and techniques? Will you have regular access to live, one-to-one guidance provided by industry-expert mentors? What portion of the course focuses on building a professional-grade portfolio that will help you land a job?

Quality of Instructor

Highly effective user experience design courses are led or curated by instructors with industry experience. Design is a constantly evolving field, and the expertise of a seasoned professional will provide vital insights into current and emerging trends. 

To enhance the quality of your learning experience, prioritize programs that offer regular one-to-one calls with industry-expert mentors. These design veterans will answer your questions and help you work through design problems. They’ll offer guidance as you grapple with projects and build your portfolio, and they’ll also provide professional advice as you look for your first design role. 

Schedule

While most user experience design courses offer part-time schedules that demand 15-20 hours per week of study, some part-time programs require students to attend lectures or participate in projects on certain days at specific times. If you have a busy schedule, you’ll likely need to prioritize a program that will allow you to learn at your own pace. 

A course with a fully online curriculum will allow you to study from the comfort of your own home and structure your learning time to accommodate the demands of your current job or personal obligations. These types of courses will allow you to maintain your income stream while working towards the long-term goal of pivoting into UX design.  

Budget

Consider your budget from multiple angles. Settle on an amount that you could comfortably pay upfront—but also reflect on what a reasonable monthly payment might look like for you. Some programs offer deferred tuition plans or access to education loans through high-quality creditors. Some courses also offer need-based scholarships. 

Enrolling in a UX design course is an investment, so consider programs like Springboard’s UX Design Bootcamp that eliminate financial risk with a 100% money-back guarantee if you don’t land a job after graduation. 

Time Commitment

How many hours per week can you devote to the program? Short, highly introductory courses that emphasize conceptual or theoretical learning over the development of applied skills will carry a lighter week-to-week workload as well as a shorter length overall. 

Immersive programs that offer one-to-one mentorship and project-based learning will require roughly 20-25 hours of study per week over a six-month period. These part-time programs emphasize job readiness and are designed to help students develop the skills needed to get hired. 

The amount of time you commit to a program will also affect the quality of your professional network. Over the course of a six-month, mentor-led program, you’ll be able to develop a meaningful relationship with an industry veteran, which in turn can affect the quality and reach of your broader network. 

Online Reviews and Ratings

See what former students have to say about the courses you’re considering. Before getting started, assemble a list of keywords you can use to parse the reviews. These terms should relate to elements of a course that are important to you—think “industry design project” or “mentor.” When you search for these terms within a compilation of reviews, you’ll be able to see what previous students have to say about those aspects of their learning experience. No matter your goals, stick with programs that are rated four out of five stars or higher. 

Certification

Consider the importance of a UX design certification to your goals. If you’re simply looking to build a general working knowledge of user experience design, certification courses may not be necessary. Conversely, a certification can help boost your profile if you’re breaking into the industry or working towards a promotion in an adjacent field. 

A certification will validate your skills in the eyes of employers, clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders. You’ll be able to add your certification to your LinkedIn profile and resume to build authority, credibility, and confidence. A certificate also shows your commitment to hard work and self-improvement through constant learning—which are valuable qualities in a UX designer. 

Making the Most of a UX Design Course

Wondering how to maximize your investment in a UX design course? Read on to find out what to expect after you enroll and learn how to strengthen new design skills. 

What Should You Expect To Learn In a UX Design Course?

An effective UX design course will explore the iterative process of design thinking and the core tenets of user-centric design. You’ll learn how to define design problems, conduct research to understand your users, and synthesize and present your findings as affinity maps, user personas, and more. 

Related Read: 11 Best Design Thinking Courses and Certifications

Next, you’ll learn how to ideate design solutions and outline the information architecture of a digital product’s structure and user flow. You’ll also learn how to use key design tools like Sketch and Adobe XD to create design solutions. You’ll learn how to apply interaction design principles, visual design components, and other UI design elements to your designs. You’ll learn how to apply a wide variety of design patterns to real-world projects. Finally, you’ll learn how to prototype, test, and present a design. 

Related Read: The 9 Best UI Design Courses for Beginners

Additionally, a robust design course will cover special or advanced topics like design sprints, psychology principles, and career prep. Ideally, the course should teach you how to approach job opportunities. 

What Will Your Schedule Look Like?

The schedule of many online courses is left up to the discretion of each student. If you enroll in a course that requires 20 hours of study per week, you may choose to devote four hours of study a day, five days a week. Alternatively, you might elect to condense your study into larger chunks depending on your existing personal and professional commitments. 

If you enroll in a short course that only involves 10 total hours of study, you might choose to study for an hour a week and finish over the course of 10 weeks or finish the course in a week. 

How Can You Implement New Skills?

You’ll be able to implement new skills through mini-projects, design sprints, portfolio projects, and even a capstone project depending on the course you choose. To keep your skills sharp until you land a new job, you can practice by creating redesigns of existing websites or applications. You can also offer your UX design services to friends, family, or non-profits on a volunteer basis. These additional projects will also help expand your portfolio. 

FAQs About UX Design Courses

Still wondering whether enrolling in a design program is right for you? Read on for answers to frequently asked questions about UX design courses. 

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