UX (user experience) design is the use of research, prototype testing, and feedback to create products optimized to be user-friendly and functional. Most often, UX Designers work on teams that make apps, websites, and other digital products.
There are several popular applications commonly used in UX Design for wireframing and other designing processes. These include Figma, Adobe XD, and the Mac-only Sketch app. Proficiency in these programs is required for anyone who wants to launch a new career as a UX Designer.
UX design is distinct from user interface (UI) design, although these roles may overlap in small or midsized companies. UI design focuses on the visual elements of a product and making sure that they’re aesthetically pleasing to use. UX design pays attention to how users engage with and react to the product or how they interact with it.
UX Design Careers in Denver
Want to start a UX Design career in Denver? You’ll be in good company. The city boasts an ever-growing tech industry with career opportunities for designers focusing on digital products.
As of 2020, it was estimated that just under 3,000 tech companies were located in the Denver area. These include industry giants like Apple as well as up-and-coming tech startups. Plus, Denver contains several organizations for UX Designers to network with fellow professionals. Joining Denver UX, Hexagon UX, or Ladies That UX can be a great way to build a community and further your career prospects.
UX Design is a popular field that often comes with a high income. In Denver, annual salaries for UX Design careers tend to fall in the range of $80,000-$125,000. UX Designers in Denver make $88,000 on average, while UX Researchers can expect to earn about $115,000 per year. Considerable experience may lead to a position as a Design Director, where you may make around $125,000 each year as a Denver resident.
While these salaries are slightly lower than the U.S. average, Denver is a more affordable place to live than many other tech hubs. Compared to the Silicon Valley area or Seattle, you will probably be spending much less on your cost of living.
In-Person UX Design Classes in Denver
One way to start preparing for a career in UX Design is by taking in-person classes at a local training school. In the Denver area, there are several options for building knowledge of UX Design concepts and associated software through face-to-face training.
General Assembly has multiple in-person UX Design courses available for Denver residents. At General Assembly’s training center in the RiNo Arts District, you can attend a UX Design class reviewing fundamentals or a comprehensive course called UX Design Immersive. The latter option is more career-oriented, offering one-on-one coaching services and opportunities to network with hiring managers.
Ledet Training offers a class in the popular prototyping application Adobe XD at their Aurora location, which is about a half-hour drive from Denver. This class is ideal for beginners who want to practice making designs in XD with basic tools like grids and layers.
In addition, both the University of Denver and General Assembly offer bootcamps covering UX Design topics. University of Denver’s bootcamp provides extensive training in UX Design and UI Design, while General Assembly’s bootcamp is a one-day experience that focuses solely on UX Design.
Live Online UX Design Classes
Live online UX design classes are becoming more and more popular over time. This popularity is because live online classes work exactly like in-person classes, but can be taken from the comfort of your own home. Because the class is happening live, you’ll be able to interact with your instructor and classmates in real-time. You can ask questions. You can even receive hands-on feedback on your work using screen-sharing software.
Noble Desktop is a top design, coding, and business school based in NYC. They have more than three decades of experience teaching design and offer live online UX design classes. Their unique approach to online training guarantees that you’ll learn the skills you need: instructors teach a short “micro-lecture, ” and then immediately guide students through applying what they learned using hands-on, real-world projects. All of their classes have a “free retake” option, which allows students to “retake” a course for free to continue developing their skills.
Noble Desktop’s certificate programs are designed to provide comprehensive career training. Their UX & UI Design Certificate is designed to help you launch a new career in user experience (UX) & user interface (UI) design. Some of the skills taught in this certificate program include website and app design, design principles and best practices, building clickable prototypes, conducting user testing, using Figma and Sketch for design and prototyping, and writing case studies. This certificate program includes 1-on-1 job assistance and guidance through building a professional-level portfolio to help you get hired. Graduates earn a New York State-Licensed Certificate in UX & UI Design.
Their UI Design Certificate provides comprehensive training in designing graphics and interfaces for mobile apps and websites. Students are guided through hands-on, real-world projects to develop a professional portfolio. Some of the skills taught in this certificate program include using Figma for design and prototyping, understanding design concepts and practices, principles of design for websites and apps, retouching photos using Adobe Photoshop, and creating graphics using Adobe Illustrator’s drawing tools. Graduates earn a New York State-Licensed Certificate in UI Design.
UX Design Bootcamps in Denver
If your objective is to gain a solid base of knowledge in UX Design over a short period of time, a virtual or in-person bootcamp may be a good fit. There are several UX Design bootcamps in Denver that will provide this intensive learning environment for beginners.
Virtual UX Design bootcamps are available through Thinkful, Devmountain, and Noble Desktop. Thinkful’s UX Design bootcamp is a six-month part-time program, while Devmountain has a part-time and full-time option. Noble Desktop offers a short UX Design bootcamp as well as the multidisciplinary UX & UI Design Certificate. While the content and depth of these courses will vary based on the length, they all provide training in essential skills like wireframing and prototyping.
You can also take an in-person UX Design bootcamp at the University of Denver or the General Assembly. The University of Denver’s UX/UI Bootcamp includes lessons in a wide range of design and prototyping tools, including Adobe XD, InVision, Bootstrap, JavaScript, and Google Slides. General Assembly offers a UX Design course and an immersive program that includes significant career coaching.
Corporate & Onsite UX Design Training in Denver
You can introduce exciting new UX design skills into your company with the help of Noble Desktop’s onsite and corporate UX Design training. Private live online training is available, as well as onsite training at your offices in Denver.
Additionally, you become eligible for a group discount when you purchase multiple vouchers to Noble Desktop’s general UX Design courses for employees to take at their preferred time.
Want to learn more about how Noble Desktop can train your team in UX Design? Send Noble Desktop an email to receive more information.