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This program is not currently accepting applications. Submit your information via the Request for Information form on this page to receive program updates.
About the Certificate
Develop your expertise in designing for digital interfaces in ways that engage participants through dynamic interactive experiences. Through coursework in the UX/UI for Designers Certificate Program at Otis Extension you will learn industry-standard tools and workflows and apply visual communication strategies to broad applications within the fields of user experience and interface.
After completing the program, you will be prepared to begin a career or enhance your skills in the field of web design. Learn from experienced professionals and artists, connect with a network of creatives, and receive career support, including career counseling, career assessment, internship advising, and employer networking opportunities. Ultimately, you will create a professional-quality portfolio demonstrating conceptual, design, and technical proficiency for entry-level positions in the web design industry.
What You Will Learn
- Design fundamentals, including color theory, typography, and graphic design
- How to create digital designs using multiple assets and visual formats
- Design standards, accessibility best practices, basic coding, and common workflows
- Industry-standard tools, including Sketch, Figma, Mirro, and Adobe Creative Suite
- Professional practices relevant to careers in UX design, UI design, web design, and portfolio development
Prospective Student Resources
- Attend an Info Session for certificate details and a registration discount
- View a course planning document to learn more about course sequence and timelines
- Submit materials to waive a required course
- Review our policies and FAQs for answers to common questions, including refund schedules, information for international students, and details about various certificate processes
- Chat with us during drop-in hours: Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00 p.m. via Zoom
- Schedule an appointment with an Extension Advisor
- Email certificates@otis.edu with any questions
Program Costs
- Approximate Course Cost: $553*
- Total Number of Courses: 10
- Estimated Total Tuition: $5,530**
*Cost for an online course after certificate tuition discount. Upon submitting the
certificate application and fee, students qualify for a 15% tuition discount per course
at the time of enrollment.
**Cost after certificate tuition discount. Courses are individually priced. Tuition
and course fees are paid at the time of enrollment in each course. Total tuition is
not paid in advance or in a lump sum. Additional course fees or materials costs may
apply.
Eligibility and Requirements
Students must be 18+ years of age to enroll. No portfolio or prior experience is required.
Individuals interested in this certificate program can take up to two courses before committing to the program. Before beginning their third course, students are required to submit a Certificate Program Enrollment Application with a non-refundable $185 application fee.
Required Courses
What is good design? Line, space, balance, value, texture, perspective—these are just a few of the elements and principles that designers engage with to create strong design solutions. This course provides a thorough introduction to visual elements, language, and applications fundamental to 2-dimensional design. Through weekly assignments, students apply design principles using digital or traditional media. This course builds confidence in the design process for beginners and professionals by focusing on perception and thinking, historic and current references, and craftsmanship. Instruction includes design projects, online lectures, online discussion, process, and critique.
Color is emotional. A color resonates based on memory, cultural bias, and personal preference. Artists and designers alike communicate effectively through choice of hue, saturation, and value. In this course, knowledge and understanding of color are developed through weekly exercises and homework projects. Through lecture, demonstration, critique, and practical experience, students investigate color theory; fundamental elements, principles, and terminology; color systems, color modes; and more. Students develop an investigative process for problem-solving, revising, and inventing through the application of color as it exists in physical and digital worlds.
Deepen your understanding of color systems and their strategic applications across design disciplines. In this course, students expand beyond foundational principles to explore how color operates in professional contexts such as fashion, interiors, graphic design, gaming, product design, and branding. Through practical, software-integrated assignments and industry-specific critiques, students refine their palettes and develop advanced visual fluency with color. Artists and designers with foundational color theory knowledge are encouraged to enroll.
Designers are, at their core, problem solvers. In this course, students experience the process of creative problem solving through ideation, sketching, research, designing, and prototyping. Students communicate product concepts, work with feedback, and interface with other students and team members. This course facilitates creating a concept that will be further developed as the final portfolio project with mind mapping, wireframes, and a pitch.
Whether your interest is in producing digital interfaces or animated content for social media, you need to start with the basics and become familiar with the digital tools of the trade. Students will be introduced to digital design-specific applications that are used by design professionals in areas of multimedia, animated graphics, UX/UI and web design – Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Animate, Adobe XD, and Adobe Dreamweaver.
This course is recommended for Animation, Motion Graphics, and UX/UI for Web Design certificate students.
Curate your body of work and get your talent noticed in the marketplace. In this required course, advanced students enrolled in the UX/UI for Web Design certificate program create a portfolio from work produced throughout their course of study. The instructor provides individualized critique and guidance in technical and conceptual development. Students work independently and collaboratively to create a professional-quality portfolio demonstrating relevant skills and experience in the web design industry.
How do designers express ideas? Layout, typography, symbols, photography, and illustration are strategically combined to convey a message, tell a story, or distinguish a brand. Through weekly hands-on assignments and in-depth interactive discussions, students are introduced to a wide variety of topics in graphic design. Students explore the fundamentals of visual communication through the exploration of composition, imagery, and typography. Also covered are the creative process, curation, problem-solving, historic context, and career options. Students complete assignments digitally, by hand with traditional materials, or by combining both. This is an excellent course to begin working toward a professional graphic design portfolio.
Why is Helvetica so widely used? Sans Serif or Serif? If these questions sound familiar, this course is just your type. While learning typography, students consider type classifications and production, with an emphasis on the mechanics of type, including measurements, type spacing, and composition. The anatomy of basic letterforms and letter indication are also explored. Students in this course produce a small booklet or a poster.
A strong foundation is vital to any project, from a new building to a new website. In this course, students gain a holistic understanding of the foundation of any interactive design product - User Experience Design. Students explore project management processes and collaboration central to user experience, product design, and brand design teamwork. They acquire essential knowledge of agile workflows, conducting user testing, and collecting feedback from developers and users to learn and improve a product.
Spending time in front of a screen, whether it’s your computer, phone, tablet, etc. is a dominant feature of daily life. We interact with dozens of apps, websites, and platforms each day, some are transformative, informative, gratifying, and sometimes downright infuriating. It is because of the central role these daily interactions now play, that many people interested in design want to learn UX/UI theory. And why not, it can have a big impact.
Working as a team to create innovative interactive design requires common language and communication tools. Web design students develop a working knowledge of universal design methodologies with an emphasis on accessibility along with an understanding of multiple coding languages to facilitate collaboration in the workplace. Students learn common industry terminology and practices throughout the course that will help them jumpstart their professional development in the fields of Web, UX, and UI Design.