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UI/UX Designer

Design how apps and websites look, flow and respond to users.

designuxfigmaprototypingaccessibility
Start with: STEM Foundations: The Universal Skill StackTake the career survey

Career facts

Preparation
Considerable preparation needed · most need a bachelor's degree
Ways in
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Portfolio of projects
  • Industry certification
Field
Design, management & teaching

About this career

UI/UX designers map out the screens and steps a user goes through, draw wireframes and clickable prototypes, and test them with real users to find confusing parts. They work in Figma or similar tools, apply accessibility guidelines, and hand finished designs to developers. Entry is usually a bachelor's degree in design or human-computer interaction, or a strong portfolio; certificates help.

Learning path

Take these courses in order, from beginner to mid-level.

  1. Step 1: STEM Foundations: The Universal Skill Stack

    The shared base every STEM career uses: working with numbers and units, testing ideas fairly, handling data and code, and explaining your work.

    Level: Beginner4 modules · 12 lessons · 7h 18mAlso used in 34 other careers

  2. Step 2: Digital Literacy for Tech & STEM Work

    The everyday computer, internet, safety and AI skills every tech and STEM job assumes you already have.

    Level: Beginner4 modules · 12 lessons · 6h 8mAlso used in 34 other careers

  3. Step 3: HTML & CSS Foundations

    Learn how the web works and build, style and publish your own responsive website with semantic HTML and modern CSS.

    Level: Beginner4 modules · 14 lessons · 11h 9mAlso used in 8 other careers

  4. Step 4: Professional Communication & Teamwork

    Write clear emails and documents, present and run meetings, work well on teams, and navigate résumés, interviews and networking.

    Level: Beginner4 modules · 12 lessons · 7h 24mAlso used in 34 other careers

  5. Step 5: Math for Tech & STEM

    The practical math behind tech and STEM work: numbers, algebra, functions, geometry, logic and counting, with short code exercises.

    Level: Beginner5 modules · 15 lessons · 7h 32mAlso used in 34 other careers

  6. Step 6: Visual Design Fundamentals

    Learn hierarchy, layout, type, colour and icons, then build and critique real screens in Figma.

    Level: Beginner3 modules · 9 lessons · 6h 24mAlso used in 2 other careers

  7. Step 7: Project Management Fundamentals

    Plan and run small projects: scope, stakeholders, work breakdown, schedules, estimates, risks, status reports and closure.

    Level: Beginner3 modules · 9 lessons · 5h 39mAlso used in 4 other careers

  8. Step 8: Foundations for Software, Data, Design & Tech Education Careers

    Understand tech roles and career ladders, pick a realistic learning route, build portfolio evidence, and navigate postings, interviews and your first 90 days.

    Level: Beginner3 modules · 9 lessons · 7h 22mAlso used in 20 other careers

  9. Step 9: Accessible & Responsive Interfaces

    Build interfaces that work for everyone on every screen: WCAG 2.2, keyboard and ARIA, fluid layouts, responsive images and real audits.

    Level: Intermediate3 modules · 10 lessons · 6h 21mAlso used in 4 other careers

  10. Step 10: Agile Delivery: Scrum & Kanban

    Deliver work in short, steady cycles: agile values, Scrum roles and events, Kanban flow, backlogs, sprints, retrospectives, metrics and tools.

    Level: Intermediate3 modules · 9 lessons · 4h 34mAlso used in 2 other careers

  11. Step 11: UX Design Process

    Research real users, define the problem, design and prototype a solution, test it and write it up as a portfolio case study.

    Level: Intermediate4 modules · 12 lessons · 6h 56mAlso used in 1 other career

  12. Step 12: Design Systems & Developer Handoff

    Build design tokens and component specs, hand designs to engineers with clear annotations, and measure and iterate after launch.

    Level: Mid-level3 modules · 9 lessons · 7h 55m

Skills you'll build

UX Fundamentals

Principles of designing screens people can actually use — accessibility, hierarchy, feedback.

HTML

The markup language that defines the structure of every web page.

CSS

The styling language that controls how web pages look — colors, layout, animations.

JavaScript

The programming language of the web. Runs in browsers and on servers (via Node.js).

Problem Solving

Breaking big, vague problems into small concrete steps. The most transferable skill in tech.

Free resources to get started

Hand-picked courses and reading from trusted free providers.

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