Alexis Kestler
Introduction
As companies embrace strategic user experience (UX) design, talented designers have their pick of exciting career paths. But developing the skills to master UX requires digging into the right learning materials. From online courses and books to YouTube tutorials and design communities, there are now ample resources available to skill up.
In this comprehensive 2,000+ word guide, I will provide my insider recommendations as a UX expert on the best sources to accelerate your learning journey. Whether you‘re looking to start out in UX or take your design skills to the next level, this intel will help you maximize your potential. Let‘s dive in!
The High Demand for UX Design Experts
First, let‘s look at why UX design is one of the hottest roles. As consumers, we make snap judgments on websites and apps in literal seconds. Positive UX leads to more time on site, higher conversion rates, and greater customer loyalty.
With more businesses realizing the revenue potential of strategic UX, demand for designers is rapidly increasing across every industry:
[insert industry stats on UX growth and salaries]As companies compete for customer attention in crowded digital markets, they need UX experts to create seamless, satisfying user experiences. And with starting salaries averaging $85K+ in the US, it pays to start skillling up now.
Online UX Design Courses
While UX involves a blend of design intuition and analytical skills, formal training goes a long way. Structured online programs help cement foundations ranging from UX processes and methodologies to hands-on tools and best practices.
I‘ve completed my fair share of UX courses over a decade-long career. These platforms offer the most comprehensive curriculum spanning beginner to advanced:
Udemy: Learn Adobe XD UI/UX Design
With over 550,000 students and a 4.5 star average rating, Udemy offers quality at scale for UX designers. I recommend starting with the actionable UX Design Essentials course focusing specifically on Adobe XD.
Taught by Daniel Walter Scott, a leading Adobe Certified Instructor, the 90+ video lectures teach you to:
- Design a complete mobile app from start to finish
- Rapidly build designs using UI kits and libraries
- Choose the right color schemes and typography
- Export and share interactive prototypes
The final module has you publish a UX case study to your portfolio. With lifetime course access and a 30-day money back guarantee, Udemy offers outstanding value.
Coursera: Introduction to UX Design
For a university-backed curriculum, I recommend Coursera‘s Intro to User Experience Design course. Developed by University of Michigan professors, the 5 week program gives you an academic grounding in UX processes.
Week-by-week, you‘ll learn to empathize with users, define pain points, conceptualize solutions, test prototypes and measure performance. The Sharon Ann Holgate-led course issues a sharable certificate upon completion. And at $49/month, Coursera offers affordable access to higher education-level content.
Udacity: Become a UX Designer Nanodegree
Udacity‘s project-based UX Design Nanodegree program is another great option, especially for mid-career professionals looking to pivot into the field. The estimated 8 month course, with 10 hours of weekly commitment, teaches you to:
- Conduct user research to uncover design opportunities
- Apply information architecture principles
- Rapidly iterate interfaces with wireframes and prototypes
- Perform usability tests to improve experiences
- Build an industry-ready portfolio to showcase your work
Udacity‘s network of industry experts guide you from research to testing to ensure you gain applicable skills. And 1:1 project reviews give you professional feedback. With flexible, affordable pricing models, Udacity empowers lifelong learning.
Essential UX Books
After taking formal coursework, books offer the flexibility to cement knowledge on demand. They also provide a valuable layer of context to UX design history and evolving technical capabilities.
Here are the definitive guidebooks I reference constantly:
About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design
[image]Dubbed ‘the bible of interface and interaction design‘, About Face delivers research-backed principles for practical application. Authors Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann and David Cronin draw on decades of consulting Fortune 100 companies to advise designers on building interfaces for next generation devices.
Originally published in 1995, the text shaped early GUIs for the mass PC adoption wave. The recently released 5th edition covers the mobile and touch device revolution. With device fragmentation and rapid technical change, About Face remains a timeless reference for foundational UX concepts.
Some key lessons I‘ve applied from the book:
- Leverage mental models to reduce complexity
- Guide users with clear visual hierarchies
- Provide intuitive feedback loops
- Craft experiences with progressive disclosure
I gift this book to new designers on my team for essential reading. It will make you a better, more deliberate creative technologist.
With Adobe XD emerging as the industry standard for UX design and prototyping, their Classroom series offers robust training materials. Guide authors Sandee Cohen and Conrad Chavez breakdown key concepts clearly across 11 skill-building lessons.
[image]You‘ll gain practical techniques to:
- Organize design assets and libraries
- Design and animate intuitive interfaces
- Map responsive page layouts across device sizes
- Iterate quickly with components and repeat grid
- Share prototypes for stakeholder feedback
Each chapter concludes with review questions to reinforce your learning. And the companion files give you a headstart on actual design work. This guide sits on my desk for quick reference as I concept products.
The Ridiculously Simple Guide to Sketch App
While more advanced designers use Adobe XD, Sketch offers an easy on-ramp for beginners into interface design. As the name promises, The Ridiculously Simple Guide to Sketch breaks down the versatile tool for non-designers.
Across 5 concise chapters, author PJ Onori teaches you to:
- Quickly create vector-based deliverables
- Design interactive prototypes
- Export production-ready assets
- Test designs on mobile preview
With illustrations and little jargon, the book allows anyone to turn ideas into tangible designs. And it will make collaborating with developers infinitely easier. For under $5, it‘s a steal to jumpstart static prototyping capabilities.
YouTube Goldmines for UX Design Learning
While books and courses provide structure, sometimes you just need a quick video tutorial. As a visual learner myself, I often turn to YouTube to learn specialized design techniques.
With over 2 billion monthly logged-in users, YouTube boasts a treasure trove of UX design content. Below channels offer the most invaluable lessons from industry experts:
UX Design – Punit Chawla
With 183K subscribers, Punit Chawla shares weekly tutorials on UX tools like Figma, Adobe XD and InVision Studio tools. While focused on leveraging Adobe XD for UI design, he offers a well-rounded curriculum covering:
- Rapid prototyping workflows
- Creating interactions
- Design system principles
- UX deliverables like sitemaps and wireframes
- Industry tips, tricks and hacks
I particularly enjoy his ‘Design Sucks‘ series, which provides critiques of real world app designs. Analyzing UX flaws and strengths sharpens your eye for detail. And designer interviews give insider access to portfolio reviews. For UX designers looking to skill up on deliverables, I consider Punit‘s channel a must-watch.
The Futur – Chris Do
With over 1 million subscribers, Chris Do of The Futur brings awealth of know-how across UI, UX and branding design. His deep dives into case studies provides valuable perspective into end-to-end creative direction for clients like Google and Spotify.
I recommend these specific videos for UX designers:
- UX Design vs UI Design | What‘s the Difference?
- How User Experience Design Makes YOU the Expert | UI/UX | The Futur
- Question Assumptions First | User Experience Design | UX/UI Design Tips | The Futur
While geared towards agencies and in-house teams, the channel remains a goldmine of real world advice for solopreneurs as well. Expect wonderful lessons not just on design but client relations, product roadmapping and team collaboration.
AJ&Smart
Run by digital product design agency AJ&Smart, this underrated gem focuses on pragmatic UX techniques. With 275K total views, their growing library covers topics like:
- Conducting effective user research
- Crafting personas and user flows
- Iterative prototyping
- Usability testing approaches
I appreciate the condensed, easily scannable format of their tutorials. Most videos run between 5-15 minutes focusing on a single concept. It allows you to search based on need rather than forcing you down a linear track.
For UX practitioners looking to validate assumptions quickly, AJ&Smart offers the perfect bite-sized lessons. I apply their guerilla testing approaches often to pressure test design ideas.
Connect with the UX Community
While individual learning is crucial, you amplify knowledge exponentially through community. Getting plugged into networks allows you to share experiences, collaborate on passion projects and find mentors.
I‘ve built lifelong connections and partnerships through these tight-knit UX groups:
UX Stack Exchange
With over 239,000 engaged members, UX Stack Exchange discusses topics from user psychology to web design principles. I visit daily to answer questions and provide guidance to newcomers in the field.
It‘s also one of the best platforms to ask pointed UX questions. With tags ranging from ‘user research‘ to ‘information architecture‘ and ‘lean ux‘, experienced designers quickly answer threads with insightful explanations. Participate consistently, and you build reputation to access moderation abilities.
For designers looking to plug knowledge gaps, especially on newer methodologies like design ops or UX writing, the community support can‘t be beat.
InVision Design Talks
InVisionDesign Talks builds connections between over 156,000 UX and UI designers globally. The online forums and regional events allow you to:
- Get user testing assistance
- Request portfolio feedback
- Find mentors
- Network and collaborate
I‘ve discovered talented freelance contributors for contract gigs through the community. And as an introvert, I appreciate InVision facilitating virtual connections first with the option to later meet at conferences.
With topic categories across design domains like research, collaboration and leadership, expect tailored advice from all corners of the industry.
Women in UX
With its mission to close the gender gap in technology, Women in UX promotes the progress of female designers across the globe. The community offers an intimate forum for women to share advice, collaborate and find leadership opportunities.
Regional chapters meet regularly across major hubs to workshop challenges relevant to that geography. I never miss the Bay Area gatherings to connect with talented Google, Airbnb and Netflix alumnae pushing UX forward. The passion for design and advocacy here is unparalleled.
I encourage women just starting their UX careers to join for access to senior mentors who provide guidance navigating workplaces. I‘ve found women go the extra mile to pull up others still finding their footing in tech.
Next Steps to Advance Your UX Education
With an abundance of learning materials now at your fingertips, staying dedicated and pushing your abilities daily separates good from great.
I challenge you to:
- Enroll in an online course specialization, like the Adobe XD Masterclass, to structure your learning track
- Complement with essential books like About Face to strengthen UX foundations
- Set a weekly YouTube watch goal, say 3 videos, to pickup quick tips
- Join a community like UX Stack Exchange to discuss concepts and get advice
As we‘ve explored, a blended self-education strategy sets you up for UX design excellence. With commitment and consistent upskilling, you will elevate your expertise – and earning potential – in no time. We‘ve just scratched the surface of resources available to product designers today.
Now venture forth, soak up lessons from across the web and don‘t be afraid to test bold ideas. The world needs more user champions. Happy learning!
