Best Free UX & UI Resources & Tutorials

There are plenty of professionals who are eager to learn UX & UI design but hesitate because of the perceived up-front costs. Comprehensive courses that teach UX & UI design generally cost from $3,000-$5,000. Outside of class, there are a number of tools used by UX & UI Designers such as Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, and Sketch. All of these programs cost money if they are not provided through your workplace or educational institution. However, there are a surprising amount of free resources available to help beginners get the hang of UX & UI design. 

Read on to learn more about the different types of free resources and tutorials available to help you learn UX & UI design. 

What is UX & UI Design?

User interface (UI) design involves the development of a digital application’s interface and how it appears to users. Interface designs need to not only look appealing but also effectively communicate information to audiences. UI Designers create graphic assets and use them to build menus and layouts, among other aspects of a user interface. UI design relies heavily on principles of visual and graphic design.

UI design pairs closely with user experience (UX) design. Rather than building the look of a digital application, UX Designers focus on how an application feels to use. A user’s experience should be simple and engaging in ways that allow them to easily navigate the program. UX Designers conduct focused tests and analyze data to understand their audience’s behaviors.

UX & UI Designers work closely together. The fields also overlap so that it’s not uncommon for one designer to fulfill aspects of each role, particularly at small firms. 

Read more about what UX & UI design is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with UX & UI Design?

There are many skills gained through studying UX & UI design. UX & UI designers learn how to identify and solve problems. They form hypotheses, conduct research, engage with customers, analyze data, and build prototypes. They know how to build a long term project plan, follow through, and iterate. Even if not pursuing UX & UI design as a career, the skills gained through studying the field are useful for Department Managers, Project Managers, and entrepreneurs. 

UI design specifically focuses on creating text, images, and graphics and combining them into a digital interface that must be both visually appealing and functional. These skills are essential for marketers and entrepreneurs looking to build websites, social media content, and other digital media.

UX Designers work closely with customers through focus groups, user surveys, and interviews. Many UX Designers spend more time interacting with the public than with their team of designers. Building the skills needed to understand your audience is useful in any field that works closely with people such as hiring, general management, marketing, campaign strategy, and market research, among others.

UX & UI Designers are ultimately responsible for crafting the experiences of the digital products we use in our everyday lives. They work to ensure those experiences are accessible and enjoyable. Choosing to pursue a career in UX & UI Designer can be exciting as these designers play a large role in influencing how the world around us works.

Free Online Video Tutorials

There are a number of free online video tutorials for learning UX & UI design. You can find these courses through skill development and video websites such as Youtube, Udemy, and Coursea. These online video tutorials are ideal for beginners to learn the basic concepts of UX & UI design. Courses can also be found teaching overviews of various UX & UI design tools, such as Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD. These videos are generally only an hour or two long and can be excellent resources to start your learning journey. 

You can view Noble Desktop’s Graphic Design video playlist that features tutorial videos on UX & UI design tools, including Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD. You can find more free learning resources through Noble Desktop’s UX & UI Design learn hub. 

Free Tool Trials

One of the best ways to learn the popular tools of UX & UI design is to use the tools themselves. Figma is available for free as a full program but only allows users to create up to three project files. Sketch offers a timed free trial. Both programs are available for free for students and educators. Adobe XD also offers a timed free trial and discounts for students and educators. Each website also offers tutorials on their relative programs along with support communities where you can ask questions and learn from peers. All of these are excellent resources for beginner learners.

You can view Noble Desktop’s free seminar on Figma vs. Sketch vs. Adobe XD to gain an understanding of the difference between these three programs and how they are used in UX & UI design. 

Free Practice Websites

Once you have gained a basic understanding of UX & UI design and its tools, there are a number of free websites where you can practice your design skills such as uxtools.com and fakeclients.com. These websites challenge UX & UI designers with project prompts, design briefs, and case studies so you can practice your design skills and build your professional portfolio. 

Key Insights

• Learning UX & UI design does not have to be expensive as free resources exist.
• Skill-sharing websites such as Youtube, Coursea, and Udemy offer free video tutorials with overviews of UX & UI Design concepts and tools.
• Free trials and student discounts can be obtained for popular UX & UI design tools.
• Practice websites exist for UX & UI design where you can build your skills and portfolio.
• Noble Desktop offers free UX & UI Design learn hubs.

Learn UX & UI Design with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you’re interested in learning UX & UI design, Noble Desktop offers several classes for you to choose from. These classes are available both in-person and live online. Classes are small and are taught by instructors who are experts in their fields. Free retake options are also available. 

In Noble’s UX & UI Design Certificate program, you’ll learn both UX & UI design concepts, build a professional portfolio, and gain one-on-one job preparation assistance. This is the perfect course to jump start a new career. Additionally, you may wish to enroll in the Figma Bootcamp. While Figma is taught in the UX & UI Design Certificate, the bootcamp dives in depth into the program. You’ll thoroughly learn the leading application for interface design from beginner to advanced techniques applicable to both UX & UI design. 

Additional classes can be found through the Visual Design and UX Design categories. The UI Design Certificate teaches graphic and interface design for websites and mobile applications. You’ll also learn essential software used by professionals including Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator. The Digital Design Certificate teaches design techniques for web, print, and mobile. You’ll learn Figma for interface design along with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for designing digital and print materials. The Visual Design Portfolio Bootcamp teaches interface design through hands-on and multi-project courses. You’ll need to feel comfortable using Figma before enrolling in this course. 

Whether you know you want to start a career in UX & UI design or want to explore how UI design principles can be utilized in more graphically inclined careers, Noble Desktop has the classes you are looking for.