Figma is a web-based design app that enables individuals to create attractive UX and UI design prototypes. Using Figma, individuals can collaborate with one another in real-time, including through making comments within artboards and seeing changes as they are made. In particular, designers can use Figma to create interactive prototypes (rather than static PDFs). This helps both users and clients to see how a product may function in real life.
If you’re well-versed in Figma, you may be looking to learn additional skills so you can further advance your career. This article will cover some of those programs or skills that you may want to learn, as well as how you can learn them.
UX & UI Design Concepts and Principles
Because Figma is typically used by UX designers, you’ll need to know about UX and UI design concepts and principles to make the most out of the program. User experience (UX) design is, as you might surmise, all about ensuring that an individual has a positive experience using a product. This includes making sure that a product is intuitive to use and straightforwardly meets their needs.
User experience design takes place before user interface design. After creating the basic structure of a product, such as a website, a UX Designer will hand off the prototype to a User Interface Designer. User Interface Design is all about making that prototype visually appealing and in alignment with a client’s existing design standards.
How to Learn UX & UI Design Concepts
You might learn about user experience and user interface design concepts while pursuing an undergraduate degree, such as in graphic design. Alternatively, you can learn about UX and UI by enrolling in a course through an online school, including Noble Desktop.
Noble Desktop’s UX and UI Design Certificate prepares individuals for careers in this field. This includes learning the fundamentals of both UX and UI, including how to conduct user research, build interactive prototypes, and make user personas. Additionally, this course enables students to complete projects that they can then add to their portfolios. Similarly, Noble provides 1-on-1 mentorship opportunities to help students land that first job post-program.
Front-end coding, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
When you visit a website, you are viewing the site’s “front end” in your browser. Web developers use front end code, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, to develop websites. This is in contrast to back end code, which is more typically used to manage things like servers and data.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) creates the basic structure of a website by using “tags” to identify items like paragraphs, images, and headers. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) then adds styling elements, including font size and color and the overall layout of a site. Finally, JavaScript helps Web Developers add interactivity to a site through mobile and web applications.
Learning how to use these front end tools means that you can take a design from Figma and then build it yourself!
How to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Many people teach themselves how to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as there are numerous online resources and tutorials. Individuals pursuing degrees in computer science may also learn these tools as part of their undergraduate studies.
Additionally, some people may prefer to find the middle ground and enroll in a bootcamp-style course. Noble Desktop offers both in-person (at its Manhattan campus) and virtual courses for those who would like to receive individualized support from instructors — without the long-term commitment of a bachelor’s degree.
In particular, Noble’s Front End Web Development Certificate provides a comprehensive introduction to front end web development. In this class, students learn how to build the basic framework of a website with HTML, then add styling with CSS and interactivity with JavaScript. This class also teaches students how to use WordPress.
Noble also has a class for those who would prefer to gain experience using HTML and CSS before moving on to other languages. Its Web Development with HTML and CSS teaches students how to code with HTML and CSS, including learning how to build responsive web pages that look great no matter the screen size.
Other UX & UI software like Adobe XD and Sketch
In addition to knowing how to use Figma, you may benefit from learning additional UX and UI software, including Adobe XD and Sketch. This is particularly true since not all companies (or clients) use the same design software. Learning additional software can thus expand your career prospects and make you more marketable as a professional.
Adobe XD enables designers to create vector-based graphics that can be used on websites or applications. This program is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite and can thus be used with other software in the suite, including Photoshop and After Effects.
Sketch is another popular design tool that’s available to those who use Mac computers. Like Adobe XD, Sketch enables users to create attractive vector-based graphics that can then be used for website and app prototypes.
How to Learn Adobe XD and Sketch
Individuals may learn how to use Adobe XD or Sketch as part of an undergraduate program like graphic design. You can teach yourself how to use these platforms through self-study, as there are a variety of online resources. You may also be able to learn Adobe XD or Sketch while “on the job,” assuming you already have sufficient experience using other UX and UI design tools.
Alternatively, you may consider enrolling in an online or in-person class with Noble Desktop. This school provides students with the opportunity to receive individualized support and instruction. For example, Noble’s Sketch in a Day course teaches students how to use Sketch to design web layouts on a variety of screen sizes, including tablet, mobile, and desktop. This includes learning how to combine text and graphic elements within Sketche’s artboards, as well as optimizing assets for export.
Noble Desktop also offers an Adobe XD Bootcamp that teaches individuals both beginner and advanced functions of this design app. This includes learning how to use Adobe XD artboards, components, repeat grids, and prototyping tools.
Wrap-Up
Figma is a solid design tool for those pursuing work as UX, UI, or Graphic Designers. Of course, it never hurts to learn additional tools or skills to increase your marketability and expand your professional career. Taking the time to learn about UX and UI design concepts, front end coding, or additional UX/UI software is sure to pay dividends.