UI & UX Design
Designing with purpose. Learn how to create digital products that are not only beautiful but intuitive, accessible, and inclusive.
UI vs. UX: What's the difference?
Design is more than just making things "look pretty." It's a scientific process of understanding user behavior and solving friction points.
- 🧠 UX (User Experience): "How do we make the checkout process feel effortless and trustworthy?"
- 🎨 UI (User Interface): "Which font and button color best represent our brand's personality?"
- 🔍 Research: "Let's watch 10 people use the app and see where they get confused."
The Design Thinking Process
"Great design follows a repeatable loop of empathy and testing:"
1. User Personas & Journey Maps
2. Wireframing (Low-fidelity)
3. High-fidelity Prototyping (Figma)
What is the work lifestyle like?
| The Good | The Challenging |
|---|---|
| Visual Impact: You see your work come to life on millions of screens. | Subjective Feedback: Everyone has an opinion on "colors," which requires thick skin. |
| Human Centered: You spend your day talking to people and solving their real problems. | Dev Constraints: You have to balance "dream designs" with what is actually buildable. |
| Tooling: Modern tools like Figma make collaboration and handoff seamless. | Accessibility: Ensuring designs work for everyone (blind, colorblind, etc.) is hard work. |
How to land the job
Design interviews are all about storytelling. You need to show how you got from a problem to a solution.
1. The Portfolio Review
Walking through 2-3 case studies. Recruiters look for "why" you made choices, not just the final UI.
Tip: Include your "failed" iterations. It shows you know how to pivot based on feedback.
2. Whiteboard Challenge
Live-solving a prompt: "Design a kiosk for a space station." Tests your logic and speed.
Tip: Ask clarifying questions! "Who are the users?" is the most important first step.
Preparation Checklist
- ✅ Master Figma: It is the industry standard. Learn Auto-Layout and Components.
- ✅ Copy Work: Re-create your favorite apps pixel-for-pixel to learn spacing and hierarchy.
- ✅ Case Studies: Write about your process. Use the "Problem-Action-Result" framework.
- ✅ Basic HTML/CSS: You don't need to code, but knowing how it's built makes you a better partner.
Design Specializations
Product Designer
The "Generalist." You handle everything from research to the final visual UI.
UX Researcher
The "Scientist." You focus on user testing, interviews, and data to guide design.
Design Systems
The "Architect." You build the reusable library of buttons and grids for the whole company.
Ready to build your portfolio?
Get a 1-on-1 portfolio audit from lead designers at Airbnb, Google, and Pentagram.
Book a Portfolio Review