How Difficult is it to Learn UX & UI?

Are you curious about learning UX & UI design but worried that it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning UX & UI design depend on factors like your familiarity with visual design concepts and UI crafting tools as well as how in depth you want to take your education with UX & UI design.

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with UX & UI design, there are plenty of tools available to help make learning easier than you might think.

What is UX & UI Design?

User interface (UI) design involves the development of a digital application’s interface and how it appears to users. Interface designs need to not only look appealing but also effectively communicate information to audiences. UI Designers create graphic assets and use them to build menus and layouts, among other aspects of a user interface. UI design relies heavily on principles of visual and graphic design.

UI design pairs closely with user experience (UX) design. Rather than building the look of a digital application, UX Designers focus on how an application feels to use. A user’s experience should be simple and engaging in ways that allow them to easily navigate the program. UX Designers conduct focused tests and analyze data to understand their audience’s behaviors.

UX & UI Designers work closely together. The fields also overlap so that it’s not uncommon for one designer to fulfill aspects of each role, particularly at small firms. 

Read more about what UX & UI design is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with UX & UI Design?

There are many skills gained through studying UX & UI design. UX & UI designers learn how to identify and solve problems. They form hypotheses, conduct research, engage with customers, analyze data, and build prototypes. They know how to build a long term project plan, follow through, and iterate. Even if not pursuing UX & UI design as a career, the skills gained through studying the field are useful for Department Managers, Project Managers, and entrepreneurs. 

UI design specifically focuses on creating text, images, and graphics and combining them into a digital interface that must be both visually appealing and functional. These skills are essential for marketers and entrepreneurs looking to build websites, social media content, and other digital media.

UX Designers work closely with customers through focus groups, user surveys, and interviews. Many UX Designers spend more time interacting with the public than with their team of designers. Building the skills needed to understand your audience is useful in any field that works closely with people such as hiring, general management, marketing, campaign strategy, and market research, among others.

UX & UI Designers are ultimately responsible for crafting the experiences of the digital products we use in our everyday lives. They work to ensure those experiences are accessible and enjoyable. Choosing to pursue a career in UX & UI Designer can be exciting as these designers play a large role in influencing how the world around us works. 

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning UX & UI Design?

UX & UI design is a discipline consisting of a variety of creative and technical skills. Perhaps the most challenging part of learning UX & UI design is mastering everything the field has to offer. Professional classes that dive comprehensively into the topic are the best way to learn the ins and outs of UX & UI design. However, beginning learners can still get a head start through free online seminars and tutorials, which can be found on skill-sharing websites like YouTube, Coursera, and Udemy. 

How Does Learning UX & UI Design Compare to Other Fields?

UI design can be compared to graphic design, and the two fields in fact overlap. Both UI and graphic designers work with a combination of text, images, and graphics to craft a visually appealing product. However, the main goal of a Graphic Designer is to convey a message or establish the look and feel of a brand. A UI Designer uses the same visual tools to craft an interface through which a user can interact with a product.

UI and Graphic Designers use similar tools. Both need experience in graphic design programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. However, a UI Designer also requires knowledge of interface design tools, such as Figma. Due to the tools required and learning the additional aspects of interface design, training as a UI Designer is slightly more expensive than visual design training. However, it is not necessarily more difficult nor does either field require prerequisite training.

UX design can be compared with web design, and the two share a lot of overlap. Both fields involve coding and working with interfaces. In fact, many features of web design can be applied to UX design. However, web design is more coding and visual design focused. Web Designers are concerned with the look and user interface of a website. UX Designers are more customer focused. They are concerned with the user experience and conduct user testing to ensure a user is getting the fullest experience out of a website or other digital product. 

UX and web design training can be similar in costs depending on the depth of web design. Both fields involve web development tools and knowledge of user interfaces. Web design can go deeper into additional tools and development areas while UX design digs into user testing techniques. Neither field is particularly difficult to learn nor do they require prerequisite training.

Prior Graphic Design & UI Building Experience

A large part of UX & UI design relies on principles of visual design, or how shapes, colors, and text combine to convey messages to the viewer. Having prior experience in visual design can make your transition into the field of UX & UI design easier. Along the same vein, UX & UI Designers commonly use interface crafting tools such as Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD. Having any experience in either of these programs can also speed along your learning progress. 

Why is it Worth Learning UX & UI Design?

UX & UI design is a field that exercises a variety of creative and technical skills. It’s an excellent profession of choice for individuals who like flexing different mental muscles. It’s also a field where designers get to craft experiences with the latest technologies. And it’s a field with a focus on improving lives and having a genuine impact. It’s also a highly lucrative and in-demand profession. 

Even if you choose not to pursue UX & UI design as your career, the skills acquired during training can be applied to many other positions. Problem solving skills, communication, research, and long-term planning are skills important for Project Managers. Visual design skills are needed for Marketers, and UI design is helpful for Application Developers. Customer relations skills are important for any position interacting regularly with people, such as management, hiring, and market research. Entrepreneurs can benefit from all skills mentioned previously.

UX & UI design is a varied field with positions that can be found across industries. Its various skills can also be applied to virtually any position a student decides to pursue. 

Learn UX & UI Design with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you’re interested in learning UX & UI design, Noble Desktop offers several classes for you to choose from. These classes are available both in-person and live online. Classes are small and are taught by instructors who are experts in their fields. Free retake options are also available. 

In Noble’s UX & UI Design Certificate program, you’ll learn both UX & UI design concepts, build a professional portfolio, and gain one-on-one job preparation assistance. This is the perfect course to jump start a new career. Additionally, you may wish to enroll in the Figma Bootcamp. While Figma is taught in the UX & UI Design Certificate, the bootcamp dives in depth into the program. You’ll thoroughly learn the leading application for interface design from beginner to advanced techniques applicable to both UX & UI design. 

Additional classes can be found through the Visual Design and UX Design categories. The UI Design Certificate teaches graphic and interface design for websites and mobile applications. You’ll also learn essential software used by professionals including Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator. The Digital Design Certificate teaches design techniques for web, print, and mobile. You’ll learn Figma for interface design along with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for designing digital and print materials. The Visual Design Portfolio Bootcamp teaches interface design through hands-on and multi-project courses. You’ll need to feel comfortable using Figma before enrolling in this course. 

Whether you know you want to start a career in UX & UI design or want to explore how UI design principles can be utilized in more graphically inclined careers, Noble Desktop has the classes you are looking for.