3 Websites that will help you start your journey as a UI/UX Designer
Starting a career as a UI/UX Designer can be frustrating. While we live in an era where you can find anything on the internet, it is still hard if you don’t know what you are looking. Here are my top 3 websites that help me when I first started as a UI/UX Designer.
1. NN Group
Quoting their website, Nielsen Norman Group is the “World leaders in research-based User Experience.” You can find various articles and videos to help you learn and enhance your UX skills on their website. NN Group provides libraries of research findings and reports, guidelines, and UX methods, as well as seminars and UX certificate program. If you are new to UI/UX design, here, you can understand the differences between UI and UX and learn about UX principles. Whenever I need to conduct research or evaluate my design, this website is my go-to.
2. Google Material Design
Google Material is an impressive design system that consists of design, components, documentation, and resources. While the NNGroup website will help you build your UX knowledge, this website is a great start to understanding UI foundations and guidelines. Furthermore, as they provide Developer resources, it helps streamlines collaborations between designer and developer.
When I started as a UI/UX Designer, https://material.io/components helps me understand component names and use cases.
In addition, Google Material’s growing resources help me to improve my design. From icons, fonts, and my favorite, Color Interface Tool, to assess color usage and accessibility.
3. Dribbble
Dribbble is a place to find design, creative and visual inspiration. Not only can you find inspiration here, but you can also leverage it to build an online design portfolio. What’s more, many users upload design iterations in Dribbble, so this is one of the best places to keep up with design trends.
Whenever I’m stuck at creating UI layouts and style, Dribbble is the place to go.
Bonus
Medium
From bite-size learning to an in-depth case study, Medium provides helpful articles that you can finish in one sitting. While some people still prefer to read a book rather than Medium articles, not everyone can commit to reading a whole book. UX Collective and UX Planet provide extensive UI/UX articles for beginners or even seasoned designers. On the other hand, you can also use the platform to post a case study to build your online portfolio.
Udemy, Coursera and Linkedin Learning
Suppose you are looking for more in-depth learning, or your goal is to have a certificate to back up your portfolio. In that case, these websites provide online learning on various subjects with exam-based certification that you can take at your own pace. What’s more, they also offer free courses and grants.
