How to Become a UI Designer

There is no one specific path to becoming a UI Designer. Some professionals choose to pursue a four degree, while others gain training through a 3- or 6-month certificate program. Other UI Designers start off through self-learning skills and gradually take on small jobs to gain industry experience. The following will help demystify the process and outline the steps future UI Designers can take toward starting their careers.

What is a UI Designer?

A UI Designer designs user interfaces, usually for digital applications such as the web, mobile, or video games. They build visual and interactive elements such as buttons, menus, and widgets. They also develop prototypes and refine their designs based on information gained from user research. Primary job duties of UI Designers include:

• Developing and enforcing a style guide that establishes a consistent visual “look” across the application.
• Designing each screen and individual elements within that the user can interact with.
• Making decisions about layout and visual elements that drive an intuitive user experience.
• Creating animations.
• Building wireframes and prototypes.
• Ensuring layout responsiveness across various screen sizes.

UI Designers craft designs for various industries, such as financial and banking, healthcare apps, retail apps, education, automotive, and gaming. A UI Designer’s primary goal is to design applications so that users intuitively understand how to use them and perform the actions or find the information they need without learning how to use the application first. UI Designers play a significant role in influencing how we use digital technology in our daily lives. 

Read more about what a UI Designer does. 

What Tools Do I Need To Get Started?

There are three main tools used by UI Designers: Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma. These programs have a monthly subscription fee, but free trials are available. Some student discounts are also available. 

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a leading software tool for editing, manipulating, and blending photographs and images. While you can create graphics in photoshop, the tool is best used for image editing. This is because Photoshop creates pixel-based raster images. Raster images are more detailed in color, shading, and texture. But they tend to lose quality when scaled up or down. Photoshop can be purchased as an individual subscription for $20.99 a month. It’s also available through a limited free trial. Photoshop can be purchased as an individual subscription for $20.99 a month.

Adobe Illustrator

Illustrator is another Adobe product, and it is designed to integrate with Photoshop. This means images and graphics made in one program can be incorporated into the other. This makes the pair the ultimate graphic design software duo. While Photoshop is best for image editing, Illustrator is the better program for image creation. Adobe Illustrator is primarily used to create vector graphics. Vector artwork can be scaled up or down without using any image quality or detail. Like Photoshop, Illustrator can be purchased as an individual subscription for $20.99 a month and is available through a limited free trial. 

Alternative: Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is a subscription service offering a collection of Adobe software, including Photoshop and Illustrator. It can be purchased for $54.99 a month. That’s $13.01 more than the combined subscriptions of Illustrator and Photoshop, which might be worth the price if there is an interest in other Adobe programs. Students and educators who undergo a verification process can receive Adobe Creative Cloud at a discounted price of $19.99 monthly. 

Figma

Figma is a design tool that UI Designers use to build wireframes, interfaces, and prototypes. Once a UI Designer creates graphics and images in Photoshop and Illustrator, they can import those projects into Figma to develop interfaces and add interactivity, such as hovers, scrolls, and animations. Figma is cloud-based and offers robust collaboration features so UI design teams can work on the same project in real time.

Figma is available for free as a complete program. However, it only allows users to create up to three project files. This is an excellent option for anyone beginning to learn the program. A “professional” version of the program is available for anyone using Figma regularly at $12 a month per person. 

Other tools

Though Figma is one of the most popular UI design tools for interface creation, there are other tools on the market, such as Sketch or Adobe XD. It is worth learning about their differences as a UI Designer may use either of these in their job or a different software entirely. Thankfully, the tools serve similar functions. Once you learn one interface design tool, if your career demands you learn another, you should be able to pick it up quickly.

Steps to Become a UI Designer

There are several steps to becoming a UI Designer. Though the steps listed below are straightforward, everyone’s path to breaking into UI design is slightly different. You might not complete every one of these steps, and you might even do some of them out of order. You should review the steps provided and create a plan for the path you wish to take to UI design. And don’t be dismayed if that path changes.

Step #1: Surround Yourself with UI Design

An excellent place to start learning UI design is to set out to absorb as much information as you can. You can begin by reading UI design blogs, following industry trends, joining UI design forums and communities, and experimenting with UI design tools. Set a goal to do something UI-related every day. This can be as simple as reading a blog article. Surrounding yourself with UI design ideas and trends will give you the headstart you need to develop skills and networks and locate further resources for learning UI design.

Step #2 Consider a Bootcamp Course

Professional training isn’t required to become a UI Designer, but courses designed to teach UI design can be informative and cover any skill gaps you might have from self-learning. Bootcamp courses in UI design are specifically structured to feature comprehensive learning, enough to jumpstart a new career. Many even offer services such as portfolio workshops or job search assistance.

If you aren’t ready to attend a professional course, you can move this step to anywhere else on the list.

Step #3: Learn the Fundamentals of UI Design

UI design is built on the principles of interaction and visual design. You can use free resources such as seminars or training videos from skills-sharing websites to begin learning these core concepts. In the end, you’ll need to feel confident in your understanding of how elements such as graphics, text, space, and layout influence visual aesthetics, as well as how users interact with a digital product.

Step #4 Learn the Industry Tools

The industry uses various UI design tools, so you’ll need to research and decide which ones you want to learn. The most popular are Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator, but there are others, such as Sketch and Adobe XD. You’ll likely learn various tools throughout your UI design career. So, a good place to start is by choosing whichever tool seems the most intuitive to you. You can also review job listings to see which tools employers require.

You don’t need to learn every tool. Ultimately, you need to be comfortable building wireframes and prototypes, as these are crucial UI design skills. Many tools offer free trials and learning resources, so you can begin practicing independently at no cost.

Step #5 Build Your Portfolio

You’ll need a portfolio to showcase your skills to employers. If you’ve elected to attend professional training, you can start your portfolio with the projects you completed in class. With or without coursework, you’ll need to build your own projects. Several online websites offer UI design prompts, case studies, and fake client requests to jumpstart your projects. 

Remember that a portfolio showcases more than just finished designs. You should document the need your project was designed to fulfill and show each step of your creative and technical process. Be sure to go into detail about the methods and tools used.

Step #6 Network

Networking can make a huge difference in finding a job in UI design. They can also be excellent resources for getting feedback on your portfolio or resume, advice on which skills you need to improve, and locating additional training resources. Use websites like LinkedIn or Twitter to find and connect with industry professionals, including designers, entrepreneurs, and recruiters. You can also build connections in online forums and communities. If you’re lucky, you might find UI events or meet-ups in your local area. 

Step #7 Find a Mentor

A mentor is someone with years of industry experience in UI design and who can guide you on your path to becoming a UI Designer. They can provide you with personal insights into the industry and offer individual feedback on your skills. If you choose to attend a UI design bootcamp, your instructor commonly serves as a mentor during your time with them. They may even agree to mentor you after the course if you foster a relationship. Otherwise, your network is the best resource for finding a mentor.

If you struggle to find a personal mentor, you can find a UI Designer whose work you admire and who shares their advice and expertise online through blogs, video tutorials, and social networks. Study what they have to teach, learn the paths they took to UI design, and dig into their favorite learning resources. 

Step #8 Gain Experience

It may be necessary to gain real-world work experience before landing an entry-level job in UI design. Look for volunteer opportunities in UI design or website development (which shares similarities with UI design). Your network might even have some work opportunities for you. Freelancing for a time is also a viable option.

If your UI design job search isn’t working out, you may need to take a position in an adjacent field, such as visual design, graphic design, interaction design, or web development. However, you can gain experience and later transition to a role more suited to your desires.

Step #9 Continue to Grow

UI Designers never stop learning. Technology is constantly changing, and industry trends follow along with it. Any successful UI Designer has to stay on top of these emerging ideas. Even when you find a job in UI design, don’t assume you’re done. Go back to steps #1 and #6. Continue to immerse yourself in UI design and keep up with your network of professionals. Stay in contact with your mentor or find a new one with new insights to pass on. Attend conferences and events and strive to learn new skills.

UI Designer Career Path

Many aspiring individuals choose to learn UI design through a college degree or bootcamp course (though it is possible to become a UI Designer without a degree). However, even after learning the fundamentals of UI design, job seekers usually need to spend some time gaining work experience and building a professional portfolio. This is commonly done through internships, freelancing, volunteering, and completing other odd job opportunities. Others take positions in adjacent fields, such as graphic and website design, before taking a UI design position at a tech firm or startup.

Upon landing an entry-level UI design position, new UI Designers will still have many things to learn. UI design is a career that continuously evolves alongside advances in technology. Thus a UI Designer can expect to continuously build experience and learn new skills throughout the entirety of their career. As their experience advances, they will gradually move into more advanced positions that match their evolving skill sets. 

As UI Designers grow in skills, they are likely to be given more responsibilities and take on larger roles within the product life cycle. Senior UI Designers may be responsible for and lead entire projects. It’s also possible for mid-to-senior level UI Designers to develop specialized skills in UX design, product management, or software development. Thus, their job titles may change to reflect these specializations. Their interests and career goals may also cause them to switch industries. 

Alternative to advancing within a tech firm, UI Designers might instead choose to freelance, which can offer a lot of personal and design freedom. However, freelancing shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. It requires additional administration work and is equivalent to starting your own business. Read more about freelancing as UI Designer and how to evaluate if you’re ready for such a career switch.

Read more about the typical UI Designer career path.

Why Become A UI Designer?

UI design is a field that offers various growth opportunities and competitive salaries. UI designers can work in a wide range of industries, such as healthcare, education, and finance, among many others. It also possesses options for working remotely, abroad, or even freelance or consulting. Many large cities in the US (such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco) possess exciting UI design communities, events, and work opportunities.

UI design is an ideal career choice for creative individuals who also hold a passion for technology. While any design field is primarily creative, UI design sits on the cutting edge of technology. UI Designers must be interested in continuously learning throughout their careers and evolving their skills. UI design is an exciting career where you learn and work on new things daily.

UI design can also be a very fulfilling career. UI Designers gain a sense of accomplishment through problem-solving and knowing their efforts improve the lives of end users. UI Designers play an important role in maintaining technical usability and ensuring interfaces are accessible to individuals who might otherwise struggle. UI Designers also play a large role in the success of company products and can take pride in customer satisfaction from their efforts. 

Finally, UI design is a career that can lead to several different specializations and cater to individuals whose interests change as they grow within their careers. Technically inclined individuals might choose to expand their software engineering or programming skills. Others might focus on designing specific applications, such as mobile, web, or video games. Others desire to dive deeper into user research and combine their UI knowledge with UX design. 

UI design is a truly diverse and exciting career with various individual and career growth opportunities. Read more about whether UI Designer is a good career.

Learn the Skills to Become a UI Designer at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers several UI design classes for those seeking professional instruction in pursuing a career as a UI Designer. Classes are small and feature expert instructors and free retake options. Courses can be attended in person in NYC or online from anywhere. 

The UI Design Certificate is designed to prepare students to launch a career in UI design. You’ll learn essential design principles as well as how to use the most popular UI design tools: Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Throughout the course, you’ll complete a number of hands-on projects and build a portfolio to showcase your skills to potential employers.

Should you be interested in UX design as well as UI design (the two fields commonly overlap), you can pursue the UX & UI Design Certificate. You’ll learn the design principles and industry tools of both UX & UI design, build a professional portfolio, and receive one-on-one job preparation assistance. 

Bootcamps are also available where you can learn the ins and outs of the most popular UI design tools, including Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator. These courses are open to pure beginners and are designed to guide you to mastery of the program. 

If you’re not ready to jump into a full UI design course, you can explore Noble Desktop’s learning hubs. These hubs are designed to inform you about a topic and offer learning resources, including free tutorials and self-guided education. UI design learn hubs include:

• Learn UI Design
• Learn Visual Design
• Learn Adobe XD
• Learn Figma
• Learn Sketch