UX Design Classes for High School Students in Chicago

Not a day goes by that a person hasn’t visited a website in some form. Has anyone ever looked at one of those sites and thought, “I can make something look better than that”? Why not? UX (User Experience) Designers are responsible for making websites easier to navigate so that people can find what they are looking for or complete a purchase or service. UX design helps make using a website—or any product—effortless. In conjunction, UI (User Interface) design focuses on how users navigate a website or use a product by shaping the way those users perceive and interact with that website or product.

To find a career in UX/UI design, a young person will need to learn about web design, front-end coding, and visual design. When searching for web design training, prospective students will see plenty of UX and UI design courses since these are compatible disciplines that focus on the computer user. Students planning on a future in UX or UI design must consider training in skills that can help create a path to that career.

Because digital media has become an integral part of everyday life, many young people may start to think about working in technology early on, even if that idea comes from a fascination with video games. Choosing to pursue an education in computer science-related areas, including UX and UI design, can put forward-thinking middle school and high school students a step ahead by learning state-of-the-art technology that can lead to in-demand careers. Training in a UX or UI design course or bootcamp can educate students through learning by doing. This approach prepares young students with newly acquired skills they can apply immediately in the real-world.

In order to train for a UX or UI design future in Chicago, any interested young people will need to find schools that teach them how to conduct user research, create user scenarios and personas, and build user flows while mastering design techniques, software, and technology relevant to the tech industry so they can compete in today’s fast-changing, digitally driven world.

There are several schools serving Chicago that can help students acquire the UX and UI design skills needed to stand out in today’s competitive job market.

Why High School Students Should Learn UX/UI Design

For young people who have an interest in UX or UI design, there are options available for them in Chicago. Training in UX/UI design can provide high school students with knowledge in information architecture, persona creation, and qualitative/quantitative research practices. Students must also learn how to create visual prototypes and wireframes using Adobe XD, InVision, or Google Slides, as well as web prototyping with JavaScript or Bootstrap. UI Designers focus on both user interface and user design, along with learning about visual design using tools required for the profession, including Sketch, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

Basically, UX Designers focus on the results of a user’s interaction or experience with a product, while UI Designers are more focused on the look and feel of the product as well as the actual act of using it—regardless of the result. In a nutshell, UX is about the outcome of use, while UI concentrates on the interaction itself. If a person finds designing and developing products or concepts compelling, a UX bootcamp could be the training solution that a young person has been looking for to find a career path.

Training in UX or UI design can create opportunities for finding areas related to design or coding. Students training in UX or UI design can seek internships or part-time work that will provide them with experience or opportunities that prepare them for taking college courses and the AP Computer Science Exam.

In-Person UX/UI Design Classes in Chicago

Young people living in Chicago who are interested in UX/UI design training can enroll in the Introduction to User Experience course available through UX4Sight. This course provides training in UX strategy, efficient user targeting, and prioritizing tasks through hands-on training with real-world projects. Upon completing this course, students will understand the various roles within UX design, including human-centered design, usability, ergonomics, human-computer interaction, and the customer experience. This single-day course costs $498 for learning in a classroom.

Virtual UX/UI Design Classes

For high school and middle school students who would like to learn about UX and UI design, the Noble Desktop affiliate NextGen Bootcamp offers the UX & UI Design Summer Program Online for high school students. This course prepares young people with focused college-level training for creating user-friendly and engaging websites and apps through hands-on projects. This program teaches high school students how to create effective user interface and user experience designs, including learning Figma, a free design and prototyping application.

How to Choose a UX/UI Design Class

UX/UI design training can lead to several career paths related to web design. However, some students might have difficulty figuring out where exactly to find the right places for training. Costs and scheduling must be considered. Anyone interested in learning about UX or UI design can enroll in courses lasting anywhere from an hour to six months, with tuition ranging between $42 and $13,495. Skills learned from UX/UI design courses can lead to working as UX Designers, UX Researchers, or Digital Designers.

With the dominating presence of the internet and social media, finding a place in today’s tech job market has become increasingly competitive. While a career in UX design may seem like a great way to take advantage of the ever-expanding need for digitally skilled professionals, becoming a UX or UI Designer requires skills that help individuals stand out in a crowded field. Because of this, choosing the right UX design school and program is critical.

Being able to see from the viewpoint of users represents the most crucial aspect of UX design. UX Designers must be able to see what users see to guide them in accomplishing their goals with as little difficulty as possible. A good UX design program educates students with strong initial research followed by testing to find areas in a product or web design where users may become confused or frustrated. A UX Designer must be able to anticipate how long it might take for a user to accomplish an intended goal. Essentially, designing efficient user experiences requires patience and constant testing and retesting to improve a user’s journey through the task they are attempting.

While there are high school–aged students in Chicago who are interested in learning UX design to pursue a career, those same young people might dread the idea of fighting traffic to get to another classroom after spending the day in school. A live online course could be the right option to avoid the stress of getting back on the road after a long day at school or work. Virtual learning provides hands-on training and many of the same advantages as in-person learning, all from the comfort of home.

It’s important for UX Designers to learn the skills necessary for solving real-world problems through training that helps fulfill user expectations.