Trying to figure out which is the best UX design course online that will help you get started on your journey towards landing a job as a UX designer?
With hundreds (or thousands) of tutorials, classes, and intensive courses available online—it can be tough to figure out which is going to help you reach your career goals.
In this guide, we'll outline key factors to consider before you start, explain what makes a beginner-friendly course, and present a curated list of standout options.
Questions to Help You Choose the Right UX Design Course
Are you looking for an introductory course that will quickly help you with the fundamentals? Or are you hoping for a one-stop for a full career transition?
If your goal is to fully shift into the field of UX design, you might be looking for a more intensive UX bootcamp experience that comes fully stocked with mentorship, career support, and more.
1. What are your learning or career goals?
Take some time to reflect on what, exactly, you hope to achieve by the end of the course. Do you want to learn UX design basics? Create a professional portfolio that you can use in job searches? Master one of the industry recognized design tools?
Reflect and write down your goals, so that you can use them to compare your various options.
2. What is your current experience level with UX design?
There are many courses on the list below that are meant for absolute beginners. Others might require some design familiarity as a prerequisite, since there will be certain skills you need to hit the ground running and complete the course on time.
3. How much time are you willing to commit?
Research estimates that the average completion rate for online courses is anywhere from 3 - 15%. Yes, each course (and participant) is different, and many factors come into play here.
To beat these odds—and get the results you want from the course—you’ll have to stay committed from Day 1.
Short courses are like sprints: they're easy to fit into any kind of a schedule.
More intensive, multi-week programs are like marathons. They require careful, consistent scheduling if you want to get the most out of your investment.
4. How much accountability and feedback do you need?
If you are serious about developing design skills through hands-on projects, personal feedback is essential. If this is important to you, you might gravitate towards courses that include elements like 1:1 mentorship, peer feedback, and an active online community that you can reach out to with questions.
5. What learning format do you prefer?
Do you enjoy video-based learning (the kind you find on Skillshare or Udemy)? Wish you could process what you’re learning out loud in a live group session? Looking for 1:1 mentorship to get personalized feedback on your work and how you can improve?
6. What do the testimonials say?
There’s no “perfect” course, and for every really great option you’ll likely find a wealth of negative reviews from unhappy students who didn’t get the results they had wanted to achieve.
However, taking a look through the testimonials of a course can help you identify where a program’s strengths and weaknesses lie. You can use these as a gut check against your internal criteria of what you’re looking for.