Study UX/UI Design Abroad and Level-Up Your Design Skills
If you have a passion for design and want to apply your creativity in a practical manner, UI/UX design might be for you. Design programs can help you refine your skills, learn how to use tools and software, and gain industry knowledge from experienced designers. Studying UI/UX abroad can open the doors for learning unique design styles, from world-renowned institutes equipped with many facilities.
What is UX/UI?
UX refers to “User Experience”, which is the way a consumer of a product feels when they interact with or use a product. Therefore, UX designers design products in a way that they are easy, enjoyable and practical to use.
UI refers to “User Interface” – this relates more to digital products and involves the design and layout of apps and websites. A UI designer is focused on making the screens, buttons and format of a digital product easy and intuitive to use.
Overall, UX/UI design is an interesting design discipline which involves innovating physical and digital products so that consumers can enjoy them to their full potential.
Why Study UX/UI abroad?
If you are interested in becoming a UX/UI designer, you might want to consider studying abroad. Each UX/UI design program differs in their learning objectives and goals, so you have many options to choose from. Aside from the variety, other benefits of studying UX/UI abroad include:
Accredited and Non-Accredited Programs
If gaining accreditation is important to you, or your dream job requires it, many UX/UI programs abroad allow you to gain accreditation upon graduation. Accreditation is one way of verifying your skills if you are a new graduate or have no prior design experience.
World-Class Facilities
UX and UI design courses will focus heavily on practical assignments, where you can put your skills into practice and learn new software tools. Studying abroad means you have more options for design facilities, as many top universities will be equipped with design labs, tools, equipment and software licensing, allowing you to build your design skills without worrying about access to materials.
Different Perspectives
UX/UI courses will be taught by professional designers, with extensive portfolios and many years of experience. Although you will learn fundamentals of UX/UI design in any program, professors in universities abroad might provide new perspectives on design, based on their unique experience and background. UX/UI programs might also offer different specializations, such as communications, health technology, digital products, and mobile design, allowing you to focus on niche topics within UX/UI design.
How to Become a UX/UI Designer
If you are interested in building your design skills, studying a UX/UI design degree from a university or design institution can provide you with opportunities to gain practical experience. Usually taught as a one or two-year master’s program, UX/UI design courses involve learning fundamentals and practical assignments, with a final project at the end. Studying a course at a university is a great way to build your portfolio if you are new to UX/UI design or have no professional experience.
Study Abroad Options for UX/UI Design
Study UX/UI Design in the US
Arizona State University – MS User Experience
This master’s program is focused on UX only, where students learn the fundamentals of UX Design, and then can expand on their interests through a range of elective courses. ASU is equipped with 6 UX-related design labs for their students to use, where they can specialize in UX design in data visualization, health technology, online documentation, and product design.
IIT Institute of Design – Master of Design
This 2-year program can be customized after learning design fundamentals to suit your own design interests and career goals. If you have no formal experience, this masters’ program has foundation courses to cover the basics of design. There are course options to suit everyone, including physical and digital UX, design innovation and product design.
Savannah College of Art and Design – MS Service Design
This innovative course in service design focuses on designing products which are human-centred, and solve unique problems across many industries. The Savannah College of Art and Design has world-class design labs for 3D design labs, printing, and computing. This program also allows you to take an internship as an elective course, allowing you to apply your design education through hands-on experience.
DePaul University – M.A. in Experience Design
This interdisciplinary UX design course allows students to gain first-hand experience through collaborations with local organizations as a part of coursework. With the ability to engage with industry leaders through the course, this M.A. program provides a unique opportunity in niche UX areas such as game development, sound production and film development.
Study UX/UI Design in Australia
University of Technology Sydney – Master of Design
Focused on the applications of design to make positive changes, this course has been developed to equip students to tackle real-world issues through utilizing design. Recommended for students with a design background, this masters’ course encourages collaboration, with students taking advantage of the University’s industry partnerships.
Griffith University – Master of Design
Another course for practising or emerging designers, the Master of Design is focussed on upskilling designers with UX/UI related courses, to help them apply their skills across more industries. Incorporating practical assignments and a major design project, this course is suited to those who are looking to level-up as a designer.
Study UX/UI Design in the UK
UCL – MSc Human-Computer Interaction
Different from regular UX/UI design courses, UCL offers a course focusing on the applications of human-computer interaction in the design of interactive systems. Applicable to many industries, this course is suited to people who desire more than a typical designer role and can apply their skills in a range of environments. Involving practical activities, design lab collaborations and a design project, this course can help you build valuable hands-on experience.
Loughborough University – MSc User Experience Design
An innovative course which allows students to develop critical skills whilst making empathetic and human-centered designs, Loughborough University also aims to expand design students’ knowledge of technology such as AI. A scientifically driven course, students will learn to become analytical and technically-minded designers who can still put the user first.
Kingston University London – User Experience Design MSc
With design projects embedded within every module, students at Kingston University will develop their skills in design, prototyping, evaluation, and analysis. Accredited by the British Computer Society, this course will cover fundamentals before moving on to advanced courses, and eventually the option for specializing in a design niche.
Study UX/UI Design Abroad Through IDP
If you’re interested in studying UX/UI abroad to level up your skills as a designer, consider talking to an IDP Counsellor. Our counsellors can discuss your options for UX/UI design courses abroad, depending on your experience and career goals. Reach out to our counsellors today to get started on your UX/UI studies.