CAWEB’s student’s essential guide to learn UX design

As you may already know, learning UX design can be both exciting and frustrating. Are you unsure about how to get started, not knowing which tools to familiarize yourself with? No worries, we’ve got your back!

Our CAWEB students selected the essential things and tools you need to know to help you navigate on your UX design learning journey. We’ve got something for every learning style. Many of these resources are available on both your laptop and smartphone, so you can learn on the go! Without further ado, here are our CAWEB student UX design learning essentials!

But what is the difference between UX and UI?

Before we dive in, we need to talk about the difference between UI and UX. User Experience (UX) is all about how users feel interacting with a product or service. It takes into account their emotions, beliefs, and behaviors during their entire user experience. UX also includes branding, usability, and functionalities. User Interface (UI), on the other hand, focuses more on the visual look and feel of the interface. While learning UX design, you’ll need to master the complete User experience journey. This means getting into user research, design principles, and testing methodologies to create intuitive and satisfying interactions. Whether you’re focused on user emotions and behaviors or usability and aesthetics, an in-depth understanding of UX allows you to develop products that perform well with your audience.

How do I learn UX design?

The internet is an endless sea of resources to help you learn! This also means that you can easily get lost. That’s why we created a collection of resources to help you learn in the way that works best for you! Whether you’re a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner, we’ve got you covered!

Recommendations for Visual Learners

Perfect fit for individuals with photographic memories

Must-Read books

• The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
• Laws of UX: Design Principles for Persuasive and Ethical Products by Jon Yablonski
• Designing Interfaces by Jennifer Tidwell

UX influencers you need to follow to get daily tips and inspiration!

• Erika Hall https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikahall
• Romain Dao: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romaindao/?originalSubdomain=fr
• Stephanie Walter https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniewalterpro/

Stephanie Walter is a teacher in our CAWEB master’s program. She is a UX Researcher and Product Designer specializing in user-centered, inclusive, and accessible products.

Best YouTube UX specialized Channels

• Caler Edwards
• Mizko
• Design Course
• UX Mastery

Recommendations for Auditory Learners

Resources to learn new things while doing plenty of other things

Podcasts:

• “UI Breakfast” by Jane Portman
• “The UX Podcast” by Per Axbom and James Royal-Lawson.
• “Design Matters” by Debbie Millman
• “Writers in Tech” by Yuval Keshtcher

Recommendations for Kinesthetic Learners

Do you learn by doing things?

Interactive Tools

Use Miro for creating mind maps about your interactive designs.

A Gamified learning experience

Platforms like Uxcel offer cool gamified learning experiences, making it a fun and engaging way to build your skills. Uxcel is kind of similar to Duolingo, and it’s on point for those who enjoy a hands-on approach.

Which tools do I need to learn?

Since you are interested in UX design you may have already heard about tools such as Figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch. These are essential prototyping and wireframing tools to help you turn your ideas into truly interactive experiences. 

NB: To get started you can also use your old pen and paper, it also does the job!

Figma

It’s a powerful, cloud-based tool for UI/UX design. It’s free for students through GitHub’s Student Developer Pack, making it an excellent choice for those starting. Figma’s collaborative features are perfect for team projects and feedback.

Adobe XD

Adobe XD offers a comprehensive platform for designing and prototyping user experiences. With seamless integration with other Adobe products, it’s ideal for those already familiar with Adobe’s ecosystem.

Sketch

Sketch is a vector graphics editor primarily used for UI/UX design. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and extensive library of plugins that extend its functionality.

Cheers! You are prepared to navigate through the complexities of UX design with confidence. Now that you’re familiar with the tools and resources available to master UX design. You can explore CAWEB ‘s brand-new master’s program!

A Master’s Program that Combines Both Professional and Technical Expertise?

The CAWEB Master’s program just launched its new UX specialization, available both on-site and through distance learning. Are you ready to master UX design with us? Check out our “UX Design Professional Program” to see if it’s the right fit for your needs. Take your first step towards becoming a UX design expert!

Article written by Maëlle Thomazo