In this five-step guide, we show you how to learn UI/UX design—from the essential theory to practical application, and everything else in between.
Learning UI and UX design is both exciting and challenging. It’s exciting because you get to learn new skills and start a creative, rewarding career. It’s challenging because there’s so much to learn—and so many resources available—that you can very quickly get lost.
To make the process a little smoother, we’ve put together this guide. In it, you’ll find five actionable steps you can follow, each with a clearly defined learning objective and a list of handy resources.
Contents:
- 1) Learn the basics with free resources
- 2) Get familiar with industry tools
- 3) Develop your designer mindset
- 4) Advance with a UI/UX design course
- 5) Apply your burgeoning skills to practical projects
Here’s how to learn UI/UX design from the very beginning.
Learn the basics with free and low-cost resources
If you’re a UI/UX design novice, it’s essential to start with the basics. Before you even think about creating your first wireframe, make sure you’re familiar with the theory underpinning this vast and complex field.
First and foremost, establish a clear understanding of what UI and UX design are, the differences between the two, and how they work together. From there, read up on the process that UI/UX designers follow—from user research all the way through to prototyping and testing.
Explore the essential UX design principles that inform how designers work (such as user-centricity, usability, and visual hierarchy), the various methods and techniques they use along the way, and the different types of deliverables they create (such as user personas, wireframes, and prototypes).
Learning objective
Right now, your goal is to develop a broad theoretical understanding of the field. Your learning might feel unstructured and unmethodical as you jump from one resource to the next—and that’s OK. There’s a wealth of free content out there, so just read, watch, listen, and discover as much as you can. Consider this step complete when you can confidently explain what UI/UX design is and what UI/UX designers do.
Useful resources
Here are some guides and tutorials to get you started:
- UI vs UX Design: Differences and Similarities
- 15 Must-Have UI UX Design Skills & How To Develop Them
- 6 UI UX Design Examples to Inspire Your Next Project
Learn the most popular UI and UX tools (with the help of tutorials)
Almost everything you do as a UI/UX designer will require special tools. There are tools for user research, tools for wireframing and prototyping, analytics software, usability testing programs…and more.
The sheer volume and variety of UI/UX tools can be overwhelming, even for the most experienced designers. But don’t worry—there’s no need to learn them all. Start with a simple wireframing tool like Balsamiq or Wireframe.cc to practice the art of ‘sketching’ on a digital canvas.
Next, focus on just one or two of the most popular tools, like Figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch. Figma is probably one of the most beginner-friendly tools—it has a clean, easy-to-learn interface and lots of helpful content and tutorials to guide you. We’ve shared some links in the ‘Resources’ section a little further down.
Learning objective
Your goal is to try out one or two popular UI/UX tools in order to build familiarity with how industry-standard tools typically look and function. If you’re feeling confident, you can also have a go at creating your first basic wireframes. Just experiment and have fun—you’ll soon get the hang of it!
Useful resources
Follow these tutorials to help learn your chosen tool(s):
- Figma’s library of free lessons and design exercises
- Figma’s 4-part tutorial for beginners
- A beginner’s introduction to Sketch by Jesse Showalter on YouTube
- Getting to know the Sketch interface (free tutorial)
- Getting to know the Sketch toolbar (free tutorial)
- Adobe XD YouTube tutorial for beginners
- Getting started with Adobe XD (free tutorial by Adobe)
Develop your designer mindset
We encounter UI/UX design constantly in our daily lives. It’s in all the apps, websites, and digital products we use—but we don’t always notice it (especially if it’s done well and provides a positive experience).
As you learn more about UI and UX design , pay attention to all the different examples around you. Next time you use a mobile app or visit a website, ask yourself: What user problem is it solving? How has the interface been designed to help you navigate? What aspects of the experience are confusing or cumbersome? Are there any additional features that could be added to better serve the end user?
At the same time, browse the Internet for examples of good vs. bad UI/UX design. There’s plenty of content on the topic, and you can learn a lot by reading how skilled designers critique different products. As always, we’ll share some handy links in the ‘Resources’ section.
Learning objective
Here, your objective is to start thinking like a UI/UX designer and develop an eye for both good and bad design. You’ll gain insight into how designers apply certain principles to create successful products—and what happens when the golden rules of UI and UX are ignored. This will all come in useful when you’re working on your own designs.
Take it to the next level with a UI/UX design course
There’s only so far you can go on your own. If you really want to advance from a self-taught beginner to a qualified professional, take your learning to the next level with a UI/UX design course.
A good course will help you move from theory to practice, teaching you the skills you’ll need to actually work in the field. You’ll have a structured curriculum to follow and, depending on the format of your course, will learn under the instruction of industry experts. This kind of guidance is invaluable if you’re new to the field, so bear that in mind as you weigh up self-taught options vs. those that provide more hands-on teaching.
Some courses also include a practical component, having you apply your new skills to real projects. This encourages a learning-by-doing approach, making sure that what you’re learning actually sticks—preparing you for a job in the field of UI/UX design and, importantly, helping you build (or add to) your portfolio.
Click here to see the extensive user research that went behind Aromal’s project.
Besides teaching you critical skills, a UI/UX design course can give you a leg up when it comes to securing your first job. You’ll graduate with a diploma to verify your new skills (which can help employers to distinguish you from other applicants), and the best courses will provide you with extensive placement support—or even a job guarantee.
Learning objective
Your goal is to bring more structure to your learning with a formal UI/UX design course. You can still make the most of free resources, but a course will give you focus and hold you accountable. This step will require extensive research—take your time to find the right course.
You’ll find a helpful course guide here: The 10 Best UI/UX Design Courses To Do in 2025.
Learn by doing: Apply your budding skills to real projects
All of your learnings so far have been building up to this moment: the moment you are able to take on a real design project and apply your UI/UX skills.
While you’re still learning, it may not be possible to land paid projects from clients—but that shouldn’t stop you from gaining practical experience. Your chosen UI/UX course will likely include a project component, and there are numerous other ways to practice your skills. You can identify a user problem and design the solution (effectively creating your own project), or redesign an existing product.
Without hands-on practice, your learning curve will plateau. In order to consolidate and hone your skills, you need to make mistakes—and the greater variety of projects you can work on, the more opportunities you’ll have to learn.
Learning objective
You have two objectives here. First, to put your newfound UI/UX skills to the test and practice applying the UI and UX design process from start to finish. Second, to make mistakes and learn from them—accelerating your growth and preparing you for the real world.
For a useful resource to begin applying your skills, check out Briefz, a design brief generator to inspire practice projects.
Ready to learn UI/UX design? These are your next steps
Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve covered above:
- Start with the basics and make the most of free resources
- Get familiar with some popular industry tools (with the help of tutorials)
- Develop your designer mindset and explore examples of both good and bad design
- Structure your learning with a professional UI/UX design course
- Apply your burgeoning skills to practical projects (and learn from your mistakes)
And, if you’d like to learn more about getting into the industry, we think you’ll enjoy this guide: How To Become An Expert UI UX Designer in 7 Steps .
What next?
Are you keen to take the first step towards becoming a UI/UX designer? If yes, then here are some steps you can take:
- Watch this session by Shiva Viswanathan, Design Head of Ogilvy Pennywise, and Naman Singh, Product Experience Designer at RED.
- Talk to a course advisor to discuss how you can transform your career with one of our courses.
- Pursue our UX UI Design courses - all courses are taught through live, interactive classes by industry experts, and some even offer a Job Guarantee.
- Take advantage of our scholarship and funding options options to overcome any financial hurdle on the path of your career transformation.
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
