How to Improve Your UX and UI Design Skills While You’re Focused on Innovation

Free and Low-Cost Training Resources

Having a basic understanding of user experience (UX) design and what makes for a good user interface (UI) is essential for anyone working on business innovation. Just as innovation has become the responsibility of everyone in a company – encompassing improvements to existing systems and processes to coming up with fresh offerings – so has to ensure users have the best possible experience the company can offer. Learning about these concepts and developing some basic UX and UI design skills will help not only people in software development and project management roles, but those in marketing, sales, and business management.

Here is a list of eight places to get free or low-cost training in user experience design and user interface design to get you started on expanding your skillset.

1.      Coursera – https://www.coursera.org/

Coursera offers a variety of user interface and user experience courses through a number of high-quality universities. There are constantly new classes starting, and you can audit classes for free or opt for a paid certificate with graded assignments. The cost is based on a monthly fee for most certificate programs. You can take as many classes at once as you desire. They offer some specialization programs like Interaction Design Specialization and UI Design that can be completed quickly by taking multiple classes at a time or one class right after another.

2.      The Interaction Design Foundation – https://www.interaction-design.org/courses

The Interaction Design Foundation is also a great source of training in this area offering beginner, intermediate and advanced classes on topics like visualization, psychology, gamification, design, research, and more. Plus, it is a steal at an ultra-low monthly membership fee that includes course certificates.

3.      Design Lab – https://trydesignlab.com/

Design lab offers a 4-week UI Design Class focused on improving your design skills that cover layout, typography, color theory, graphics, patterns, responsive design, and more. They also offer a number of user experience design classes including research & strategy, interaction design, and a UX academy. The cost of their classes is moderate and includes projects, feedback, and Skype sessions. You can check out the rest of their course list at https://trydesignlab.com/courses/.

4.      Hackdesign – https://hackdesign.org/lessons

Hackdesign provides some quick online training modules for free to get you started fast. Topics include typography, user experience, user interface, graphic design principles, mobile, interaction design, front-end design, product design, advanced user interface, and advanced user experience.

5.      FutureLearn – https://www.futurelearn.com/courses

FutreLearn offers online courses from top universities on user experience and user interface topics with free and paid options. Courses include topics such as Digital Accessibility: Enabling Participation in the Information Society and Getting Started with Agile and Design Thinking. Classes are available to join immediately and at future dates.

6.      Skillshare – https://www.skillshare.com

Skillshare offers free and premium courses on UX and UI topics that can be viewed over lunch or while waiting for a meeting to start. Topics include usability, research, wireframing, and more.

7.      Gymnasium – https://www.thegymnasium.com/courses

Gymnasium offers a couple of user experience and information design courses to provide you with an opportunity to learn the basics. They also offer a number of other more technical classes that may be helpful to UI/UX designers.

Take Action

You’ll also find more related courses and training options at the places in our blog https://qat.com/free-online-learning-resources-technology/

Whether you’re working on a software-based project, such as improving an existing web application or developing the next generation of AI tools, or working to improve human-based processes and interactions, developing your knowledge of UX and UI design will serve you well. Delivering a great user experience truly involves every aspect of the business from your marketing messaging to support and billing. Taking time to explore these courses is sure to benefit every member of your team and your bottom line.