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Material Design 3 for Beginners

Building UI Systems

Roxanne Paulson

This Guided Project "Material Design 3 for Beginners: Building UI Systems" is for beginners interested in UI design using Material Design 3. In this 1-hour long project-based course, you will learn how to to create a color scheme with Material Design 3's color system, select accessible typography that reflects the brand's personality following Material Design 3's typography guidelines, and design shapes using Material Design 3's principles of elevation and shapes, as you build a UI system based on your client’s brand personality using Material Design 3 in Figma. To achieve this, we will work through creating a UI system for a website. This project is unique because it provides hands-on activities that allow you to apply your newly acquired skills in real-time. In order to be successful in this project, you will need access to Figma and a basic understanding of how to use it.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Builds a strong foundation for beginners who are interested in UI design
Provides hands-on activities that allow learners to apply their newly acquired skills in real-time
Explores industry-standard principles of Material Design 3
Involves working through real-world UI design tasks and scenarios
Requires access to Figma and a basic understanding of how to use it

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Reviews summary

Beginner's practical guide to material design 3

According to learners, this course is an excellent introduction and a highly effective practical guide for beginners to Material Design 3, especially its color system and typography. Students consistently highlight its hands-on project-based approach in Figma as a major strength, making concepts tangible and easy to apply. While it provides a solid foundation for new UI designers, some more experienced individuals found it too basic, scratching only the surface of MD3. A few noted that the fast pace might be a challenge without prior Figma knowledge, despite the course stating this prerequisite.
An excellent and concise introduction to Material Design 3 for novices.
"Excellent introduction! I appreciate the practical application of MD3 principles... Perfect for beginners."
"This project delivered exactly what it promised: a beginner's guide to MD3 in Figma. I now feel confident in creating basic UI systems."
"Good course for absolute beginners in Material Design 3. It gives a good overview and the hands-on project is helpful."
"I found this course incredibly helpful for getting started with Material Design 3 concepts."
Offers hands-on activities to apply Material Design 3 principles.
"This guided project was exactly what I needed to quickly grasp the core concepts of Material Design 3 and how to implement them in Figma. The hands-on activity of building a UI system for a website was super practical."
"I appreciate the practical application of MD3 principles. Learning how to create an accessible color palette and apply it was very insightful. The Figma integration was seamless..."
"Applying it directly in Figma made it very tangible. Great for getting started with modern UI design."
"I learned how to use practical tools and strategies that I could apply immediately to my work."
Requires basic Figma understanding; pace can be fast for absolute novices.
"It's okay for a super quick intro. I felt it moved a bit fast, and if you're not already comfortable with Figma, you might struggle to keep up."
"Just make sure you have Figma basics down beforehand, as mentioned in the description. The instructor was clear."
"I already knew Figma, so that part was easy. The pace was good for a beginner."
Content is introductory, potentially too basic for experienced designers.
"Too basic. I was hoping for more advanced techniques or a deeper dive into Material You principles. It literally just scratches the surface."
"The content is basic, but it does touch on the main areas of MD3. Wish it had more complex examples."
"If you're a seasoned designer, this won't offer much new, but perhaps it's fine for someone truly new to UI design."

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 Material Design 3 for Beginners: Building UI Systems with these activities:
Create a Material Design 3 color palette
Creating a Material Design 3 color palette will help you understand the principles behind the system and how to apply it to your own projects.
Show steps
  • Read the Material Design 3 documentation on color
  • Use Material Design 3's color tool to generate a color palette
  • Apply your color palette to a Figma design
Create a Material Design 3 typography system
Creating a Material Design 3 typography system will help you understand the principles behind the system and how to apply it to your own projects.
Show steps
  • Read the Material Design 3 documentation on typography
  • Use Material Design 3's typography tool to generate a typography system
  • Apply your typography system to a Figma design
Create a Material Design 3 design system
Creating a Material Design 3 design system will help you understand the principles behind the system and how to apply it to your own projects.
Show steps
  • Read the Material Design 3 documentation on design systems
  • Use Material Design 3's design system tool to generate a design system
  • Apply your design system to a Figma design
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Follow a Material Design 3 tutorial
Following a Material Design 3 tutorial will help you learn how to apply the system to your own projects.
Show steps
  • Find a Material Design 3 tutorial
  • Follow the tutorial steps
  • Apply what you learned to your own project
Write a blog post about Material Design 3
Writing a blog post about Material Design 3 will help you solidify your understanding of the system and share your knowledge with others.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic for your blog post
  • Write a draft of your blog post
  • Edit and finalize your blog post
  • Publish your blog post
Give a presentation about Material Design 3
Giving a presentation about Material Design 3 will help you solidify your understanding of the system and share your knowledge with others.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic for your presentation
  • Create a slide deck
  • Practice your presentation
  • Give your presentation
Participate in a Material Design 3 contest
Participating in a Material Design 3 contest will help you test your skills and learn from others.
Show steps
  • Find a Material Design 3 contest
  • Submit your entry
  • Get feedback on your entry
Contribute to a Material Design 3 open-source project
Contributing to a Material Design 3 open-source project will help you learn more about the system and contribute to the community.
Show steps
  • Find a Material Design 3 open-source project
  • Submit a pull request
  • Get feedback on your pull request

Career center

Learners who complete Material Design 3 for Beginners: Building UI Systems will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

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Course image
Effort
1 hour
Level
Intermediate
Via
Coursera
Institution
Coursera Project Network
Instructor
Roxanne Paulson
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Builds a strong foundation for beginners who are interested in UI design
Provides hands-on activities that allow learners to apply their newly acquired skills in real-time
Explores industry-standard principles of Material Design 3
Involves working through real-world UI design tasks and scenarios
Requires access to Figma and a basic understanding of how to use it
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