Designing User Interfaces and Experiences (UI/UX) from Coursera

UI and UX design is a thriving industry with numerous prospects for anyone with the right skills. This course is designed for those who are interested in starting a career in designing UI and UX experiences as well as developers who want to create web and front-end applications. It emphasizes the key concepts, tools, and methodologies used in front-end development.

Web and mobile-accessible devices are transforming the world. Nowadays, everyone has a smartphone, tablet, smart TV, and/or laptop, which they use for communication and data searching. Companies are increasingly turning to front-end developers, mobile app developers, and UI/UX designers to assist them in producing user-friendly products. Therefore, it is crucial to provide users with a robust yet intuitive user interface and experience.

In this course, you will learn about the best practices of visual design development and identify the differences between well-designed and poor user interfaces. You will explore typography, readability, and colour theory in UI design.

You will gain insight into key methodologies in visual design like Responsive Web Design (RWD) and Progressive Web Design (PWD).

You will gain exposure to tools like Figma, a collaborative cloud-based app used for interface design. You will discover the steps to set up a Figma account and learn about its configuration. In addition, you will explore the various components, styles, libraries, and layout grids used in Figma that are essential for design.

Throughout this course, you will learn through videos, readings, activities, and quizzes designed to teach you the fundamentals of visual web and mobile design and development. You will gain a range of technical and practical knowledge and get insights and guidance from experts in the field.

The practical knowledge you will gain from the hands-on labs will further strengthen your base and enable you to perform better.

This is a beginner’s course, intended for learners with basic computer operating skills who have a fundamental knowledge of visual design development and are familiar with Figma.

To be successful in this course, you should have a basic understanding of User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design as well as website wireframes, familiarity with the different kinds of layouts and tools used for visual design in various devices, and familiarity with the Figma application.

What's inside

Syllabus

Designing Intuitive Front Ends and Mockup Design Principles

The success of a system, product, or application relies on delivering a seamless and engaging user experience. The User-Centered Design (UCD) framework ensures that the final product aligns with the user’s requirements. It plays a crucial role when designing a product's User-Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX). Design thinking is a problem-solving process tailored explicitly for creating user-centric UI and UX designs. It includes various stages and strategies that assist designers and teams in creating the right product. Wireframes and prototypes help streamline the design process by visualizing and testing ideas early, saving time and resources. Visual design principles such as alignment, hierarchy, contrast, repetition, proximity, balance, and space are crucial in delivering meaningful experiences to users. As UI design focuses on the visual aspect of a digital product, various design tools are available for creating an engaging and intuitive UI. Visual design focuses on a website’s appearance; therefore, it is essential to use some basic elements as building blocks for developing a good design. These elements enhance the user experience. Certain aspects of UI have a massive impact on users. These include typography, readability, and color theory. A website or app’s UI includes its visual design and functionality. Therefore, designers must employ the best practices for developing different web and mobile interface components.

Web Design Methodologies

Web browsing on various devices is increasing rapidly. To develop an online presence, creating a website that runs on diverse screen sizes is crucial. Responsive web design is an approach that aims to create web pages that render effectively across all screen sizes and resolutions, ensuring better usability. Another approach that developers use for developing web applications is a mobile-first design. It first focuses on designing products for small screens and then progressively expanding them to larger screen sizes. Other website optimization approaches for different screen sizes include adaptive and fluid design. Media queries are filters for CSS styles to modify the appearance of a website or application according to the screen size of the user’s device. As developers widely use responsive web design, it is vital to follow its best practices. Developers should test the website or application through cross-browser or responsive testing before launching it. Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) use web technologies to provide an app-like experience to users. These use various frameworks and patterns to enable them to leverage both web and native app functionalities. Single Page Applications (SPAs) make the website more like a desktop application, offering a more fluid and enjoyable experience by reducing the lag time between succeeding pages. An integral part of PWA is Service workers. These enable offline access, rapid loading, push notifications, and other features. A website can be transformed into a PWA by adding features and altering code to make it behave like an app on mobile devices. PWA Apps can provide native app-like features and even update content in the background so that the users can view the most up-to-date content.

UI Design with Figma

Figma is a web-based design tool for creating user interfaces, icons, wireframes, and prototypes. Its unique features allow designers to create and collaborate on digital designs efficiently and effectively. The core concepts of Figma include Frames, Components, and Layers. Frames are a way to group related elements together and create sections within the design. Layers help manage the visibility and positioning of individual elements within a frame. The Component feature in Figma enables designers to construct reusable design components that can change and update in real-time across various pages and files. Components can be organized into libraries for easy access and sharing among team members. Styles can also be applied to components, such as typography, colors, and effects, to maintain consistency throughout a design. Cards and layouts are additional features within Figma that help to group related content and actions in a flexible and extensible container. Figma also offers a variety of image shapes and tools for designing, including vector shapes, images, icons, text, and plugins. To set up and configure Figma, users need to create an account, choose a plan, and customize their workspace preferences.

Final Project and Assessment

In this module, you will design and create an interactive Sales App using Figma and Thunkable. Figma is a powerful UI design tool used to create wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs for web and mobile applications. Thunkable is a web application that is well-known for visual programming concepts with a “drag and drop” style, thus making it very easy for everyone to understand and helps to create very interactive mobile-based web applications. To create the interactive Sales app, you can design the layout and features using Figma, export the Figma assets to Thunkable, build functionality using pre-built components, and test the app on a mobile device or using web preview.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

An excellent choice for those interested in starting a career in designing UI and UX experiences as well as developers who want to create web and front-end applications

Taught by industry experts Corey Leong and Muhammad Yahya, both reputable figures in the UI/UX design field

Covers key concepts, tools, and methodologies used in front-end development, building a solid foundation for learners

Includes hands-on labs and interactive materials, providing practical experience and reinforcement of concepts

Emphasizes visual design development, a crucial aspect of UI and UX design that enhances user experience

Requires familiarity with basic UI and UX design concepts and Figma, which may limit accessibility for complete beginners

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Designing User Interfaces and Experiences (UI/UX) with these activities:

Read User Experience Design Essentials

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Gain insights into the principles of user experience design, enhancing your design decision-making.

View The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered... on Amazon

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Explore the Figma User Interface

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Become familiar with the Figma interface, enhancing your design workflow.

Browse courses on Figma

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Practice Responsive Design Principles

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Reinforce the fundamentals of responsive design, improving your web development proficiency.

Browse courses on Responsive Design

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Three other activities

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Show all six activities

Design a Web-based UI for a Charity Organization

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Create a project to test your interface design skills and apply foundational knowledge.

Browse courses on Interface Design

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Research different types of charity websites
Create a wireframe of your proposed design
Develop a prototype of your design
Test your prototype with users

Collaborate on an Interactive Design Project

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Engage in a collaborative design project to foster teamwork and enhance communication skills.

Browse courses on User Interface Design

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Form a team of 2-4 students
Choose a design challenge or problem to address
Brainstorm and develop ideas together
Create a prototype or mock-up of your solution
Present your project to the class

Participate in a UI Design Contest

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Challenge yourself by participating in a UI design contest, showcasing your skills and gaining feedback.

Browse courses on User Interface Design

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Find an appropriate design contest or competition
Study the contest guidelines and requirements
Brainstorm and develop your design concept
Create your design entry
Submit your entry to the contest

Career center

Learners who complete Designing User Interfaces and Experiences (UI/UX) will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Product Designer

As a Product Designer, you will be responsible for designing and developing the overall user experience of products, including websites, mobile applications, and physical products. This course will help you build a strong foundation in user-centered design principles, visual design principles, and prototyping. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Mobile App Developer

As a Mobile App Developer, you will be responsible for designing and developing mobile applications for smartphones and tablets. This course will help you build a strong foundation in visual design principles, mobile app development methodologies, and responsive design. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile App Developer

UX Designer

As a UX Designer, you will be responsible for designing the user experience of websites and mobile applications. This course will help you develop a strong understanding of user-centered design principles, wireframing, and prototyping. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Designer

UI Designer

As a UI Designer, you will be responsible for creating the visual design of websites and mobile applications. This course will help you develop a strong understanding of visual design principles, typography, readability, and color theory. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for UI Designer

Web Designer

As a Web Designer, you will be responsible for designing and developing the visual appearance of websites. This course will help you build a strong foundation in visual design principles, web design methodologies, and responsive design. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Front-End Developer

As a Front-End Developer, you will be responsible for designing and developing the user interface of websites and web applications. This course will help you build a strong foundation in visual design principles, UI design, and web design methodologies. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Front-End Developer

Art Director

As an Art Director, you will be responsible for overseeing the visual aspects of a wide range of projects, including advertising campaigns, marketing materials, and product packaging. This course will help you build a strong foundation in visual design principles, typography, readability, and color theory. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director

Graphic designer

As a Graphic Designer, you will be responsible for creating visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. This course will help you build a strong foundation in visual design principles, typography, readability, and color theory. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer

Creative Director

As a Creative Director, you will be responsible for leading and managing a team of creatives, including designers, writers, and photographers. This course will help you build a strong foundation in visual design principles, user-centered design principles, and prototyping. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Creative Director

UX Engineer

As a UX Engineer, you will be responsible for designing and developing the user experience of websites and mobile applications. This course will help you build a strong foundation in user-centered design principles, visual design principles, and prototyping. You will also learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups. These skills will be essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Engineer

Interaction Designer

As an Interaction Designer, you will be responsible for designing the way that users interact with websites and mobile applications. This course may be useful in helping you build a foundation in user-centered design principles, prototyping, and visual design principles. Additionally, you will learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Visual Designer

As a Visual Designer, you will be responsible for creating the visual appearance of websites and mobile applications. This course will help you build a strong foundation in visual design principles, typography, readability, and color theory. Additionally, you will learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Designer

Information Architect

As an Information Architect, you will be responsible for designing and organizing the structure and content of websites and mobile applications. This course may be useful in helping you build a foundation in user-centered design principles, wireframing, and prototyping. Additionally, you will learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

Content Designer

As a Content Designer, you will be responsible for creating and managing the content of websites and mobile applications. This course may be useful in helping you build a foundation in typography, readability, and user-centered design principles. Additionally, you will learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Designer

Web Developer

As a Web Developer, you will be responsible for developing the underlying code for websites and web applications. This course may be useful in helping you build a foundation in web design methodologies and responsive design. Additionally, you will learn how to use Figma, a popular design tool, to create prototypes and mockups.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer