Create sleek, interactive prototypes in Figma while mastering interface design. The course connects creativity and usability in real-world digital projects.
Learn Figma for UI/UX design. Gain a thorough understanding of Figma’s design and prototyping capabilities, from creating designs, turning the into interactive prototypes, sharing them with clients for feedback, and getting user feedback.
Start learning Figma for UI/UX design. Gain a solid understanding of its capabilities, from creating files, to designing on a grid, working with text/photos/colors, creating components, building prototypes, exporting assets, sharing files, creating animations, and more.
Learn the skills to become a UX/UI Designer. This course covers design concepts, industry tools like Figma, and research methodologies. Get career-focused training, build a portfolio, and receive one-on-one mentoring and prepare for a career in UX/UI design.
In this certificate program, you will become a well-rounded Web Designer and learn to design webpages, code them with HTML & CSS, and JavaScript, and build websites with WordPress, allowing you to create a diverse portfolio to showcase your skills to potential employers or clients.
Gain essential skills in UI design for websites and mobile apps, including composition, typography, color, and attention to interactivity. Develop a portfolio showcasing your design projects and earn a NY State-approved certificate in UI Design.
Become a well-rounded Digital Designer by learning essential Adobe applications, Figma for UI design, and key design concepts and theory. Develop a comprehensive understanding of design concepts, processes, and workflows, create great-looking modern designs, and showcase them in a portfolio.
Figma is a collaborative user interface design tool. It is free and can be run from a web browser, which makes it accessible to both PC and Mac users. In addition, it allows users to collaborate in real-time. Figma is used for a wide variety of design projects, including websites and applications. It is very popular worldwide and is used by people in more than 235 countries and territories, according to the Figma website, with the majority of users based outside the United States. Figma was founded in 2012 by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace, released as a closed beta in 2015, and publicly launched in 2016. Since then, there have been numerous additions and updates. For instance, the digital collaboration and planning tool, Figjam, was released in 2021.
Many Figma classes have no prerequisites. However, Figma is a user interface design tool, so it is helpful to have some knowledge of user interface design before you start learning Figma. This includes knowing something about basic design principles. In addition, if you want to work in a Figma-related job, you’ll benefit from strong teamwork and communication skills. Using Figma often involves collaborating on projects with others. If you want to take an advanced Figma course, you are likely to find prerequisites; most often, a lower-level Figma class.
Most people find that Figma has an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it relatively easy to learn. However, Figma is a user interface design tool, and if you have no experience with user interface design, you may find the learning process to be more difficult. One LinkedIn author explains, “Figma is primarily designed for designers, which means that non-designers may find the tool challenging to use. Non-designers may not have the same level of understanding of design principles or the terminology used by designers, which can create a barrier to collaboration and slow down the design process.” With practice and dedication, though, almost anyone can learn to use Figma. Enrolling in a paid Figma class can be helpful as it gives you access to an expert instructor who can guide you through the learning process, answer your questions, and share tips and tricks.
When you learn Figma, you’ll learn how to create different types of designs. This might include learning skills like working with vector graphics, text, and colors. Another skill you might learn is working with components, which are reusable design elements. Most Figma classes also help you learn how to turn your designs into interactive prototypes, test them, and share them with other people. Usability and accessibility are key elements of interactive design, so these topics are also likely to be covered.
According to a list compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest employers of Web and Digital Interface Designers nationally are in the categories of computer systems design, retail trade, finance and insurance, and advertising and public relations. Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States and supports many businesses in all of these categories. It is home to many major national companies including Deloitte, Allstate, JPMorgan Chase and Co., Walgreens, and McDonald's.
Chicago is also a tech hub. The Flatiron School says, “These days, Chicago is a growing tech hub where major tech companies and tech startups are embracing the future of technology.” In fact, it says, “Chicago is one of the largest tech employers in the United States, ranking 8th in net tech employment, behind New York City and San Francisco.” The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce reports that 106,000 people—or 8 percent of the city’s workforce—are employed in tech, and that the tech ecosystem has grown by 18 percent over the past ten years. The city was recently named an official U.S. Regional and Innovation Technology Hub, which will help its tech businesses grow further because it will lead to federal funding.
Figma is used in various jobs that involve interactive design. One of the most common is that of User Experience (UX) Designer, which involves making digital products more usable and enjoyable. According to Glassdoor, which posts salary estimates for many different jobs, a UX Designer working in Chicago has an average salary of $74,000 to $120,000. Figma is also used by Web Designers, who work on the layout and design of websites. Glassdoor reports that a Chicago Web Designer earns $65,000 to $104,000. Digital Designers create a variety of different types of digital designs, and may also use Figma. They earn about $69,000 to $105,000 in Chicago, according to Glassdoor. Finally, a Design Director oversees an entire design team and may utilize Figma to assist with team collaboration. Glassdoor reports that a Chicago Design Director has an average salary of $158,000 to $251,000.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (the BLS)—a federal agency that collects and analyzes labor market data—predicts that Web Developers and Digital Designers will see job growth of about 16 percent over the next ten years. This growth rate is much faster than the average job growth rate of 3 percent. The BLS explains that the popularity of ecommerce is one factor driving this growth. It says, “Employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow as ecommerce continues to expand. As retail firms keep increasing their online offerings, demand for these workers is expected to grow.” The growing use of mobile devices is another factor driving growth. The agency explains that as more and more people use mobile devices, designers are needed to create websites and interfaces that work on a variety of different screen sizes. According to the BLS statistics, the Chicago metropolitan area has one of the highest levels of employment of Web and Digital Interface Designers in the United States. It employs about 2,200 people and pays an annual mean wage of approximately $71,000, which is slightly less than the national average of $80,000 for Web Developers and Digital Designers.
If you’re based in the Chicago area, you’ll find a few different options for learning Figma. BrainStation offers a UI Design Course, which covers a wide range of UI design tools, including Figma. This course starts by covering the basic principles of UI design, including creating sketches and translating them into wireframes with Figma. Students also learn about visual design, like color palettes and accessibility. After that, instructors cover responsive design. Finally, there is a unit focused on team development, where students learn to prepare their designs for other teams and also learn about design portfolios. Tuition for this course is $3,250, and there are eight class sessions.
You can also take a User Experience Design course through Loyola University Chicago. Students take three courses—with a total of nine credit hours—to earn a certificate. Tuition for Loyola University Chicago certificate programs is $790 per credit hour. In this program, students learn to do field research, evaluate designs, and create prototypes. There is also an optional fourth course for those who want more hands-on practice. This course positions them to complete a UX design or UX strategy project for a nonprofit or community organization.
Web and Application UX Design runs through UX 4Sight, which is a Chicago design agency. It is a two-day class for intermediate-level students, and tuition is $996. This class is intended to help students master the design process for product design, web, and application. It covers best practices for UX design, UI design, wireframes, information architecture, and prototyping. Students also learn how to recognize the difference between good and bad design and get experience with popular software tools.
Another way to learn Figma is by taking a live online class. Noble Desktop is a New York City-based school that offers several different Figma classes in a live online format. The Figma Bootcamp is a popular Noble option. Tuition for this course is $695, and it takes 12 hours to complete. Students learn a variety of Figma skills including optimizing designs for mobile, tablet, and desktop screens, extracting image assets, designing on grids, and sharing designs with clients. They also learn to create animations and build interactive prototypes. In addition, the class covers components, and working with team libraries.
Another Noble option is the Figma Masterclass. This class is a combination of the school’s bootcamp and advanced class. It includes 81 hours of instruction and costs $995. Students learn to create UI and UX designs for websites and apps, designing layouts that are optimized for various devices. They also learn to build interactive prototypes, make animations, use components, work with team libraries, and use conditionals. Upon completion, students receive a certificate of completion. They also get a detailed workbook and the option of a free course retake within one year. Noble Desktop is licensed by the New York State Education Department.
You’ll also find a live online Figma course offered by Lumenbrite, which is a digital design training school. The Figma Training: Bootcamp has three sessions and costs $1,295. This class is focused on the basics of creating and prototyping mockups. Students learn to use rulers, create custom shapes, apply effects, use fills and strokes, and view, lock, and unlock layers. In addition, they learn about inserting and editing text, and cropping and masking. The course also covers Figma prototyping tools, and saving and exporting prototypes.
The Digital Workshop Center offers a live online class called Introduction to UX Design. This course has 16 sessions and costs $5,499. This is a project-based class, and students learn in a hands-on format. Students who take this course learn UX design vocabulary, and design tools including Figma. They will also learn to create the elements for a UI design system, create prototypes, create a style guide, and test their designs. A basic design course is recommended, but not required. Prior to class, students need to install Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, and Adobe Bridge.
The UX/UI Design Bootcamp is offered by Thinkful, an online educational platform that was founded in 2012. This bootcamp runs in an accelerated format and takes six months to complete. Tuition is $12,350 if paid upfront, or students can make monthly payments of $2,600.
Students learn a wide range of UX and UI design skills including wireframe prototyping, information architecture, user research, interactive design, and user empathy. They are also matched with a personal mentor, and they receive career coaching.
General Assembly was founded in 2011 and operates campuses in more than 30 locations around the world. It runs a UX Design Bootcamp, which is intended for students who want to work in UX design. The course costs $16,450, and takes 12 weeks to complete. Students learn about wireframing, prototyping, user research, usability testing, visual design, and user interface design. They also get career support, including resume review and interview prep.
If you’re looking to train your employees in Figma, you’ll find a variety of corporate and on-site Figma training options offered through Noble Desktop. Noble’s instructors are experienced teachers and industry professionals, and can run training sessions on-site at your office, or live online via Zoom or another platform. They provide a variety of flexible scheduling options, and will customize content according to your specific needs. Additionally, all students receive comprehensive support material to use after the class is over such as handouts and access to training videos. If you’d rather let employees choose their own schedules, another training option is to purchase vouchers for Noble’s regular group classes, and let employees enroll separately. There is a discount with the purchase of multiple vouchers. Email Noble Desktop to get more information about corporate Figma training options.