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UX Design Essentials
Beginner · In-person

UX Design Essentials

An introduction to UX research, prototyping, and thoughtful digital product design.

  • Starts 20 Jul 2026 · 10 weeks
  • 6 hours a week
  • GH₵ 350.00
ApplySee the syllabus

Overview

Learn research, wireframing, user journeys, and design critique through accessible product design exercises.

Category

Design

Topics

User research; Wireframing; Figma; Product thinking

Skills and tools

  • User research
  • Interviews and surveys
  • Personas and journey maps
  • Information architecture
  • Wireframing
  • Figma
  • Prototyping
  • Usability testing
  • Accessible design
  • Design critique

What you’ll learn

By the end of the course you will be able to:

  • Plan and run user interviews and surveys, and turn findings into insights
  • Create personas, journey maps and user flows grounded in research
  • Design wireframes and high-fidelity screens in Figma
  • Build clickable prototypes and test them with real users
  • Apply accessibility principles so designs work for everyone
  • Present a design case study and respond to critique

Who it’s for

Creative and curious learners who want to design digital products people find easy to use, and anyone moving towards UX, UI or product roles. No design experience needed.

Before you start

  • Comfortable using a computer and the internet
  • No design experience needed

What you’ll need

  • A laptop that runs a modern web browser (Figma runs in the browser)
  • A free Figma account, set up in the first session
  • About 6 hours a week

Syllabus

8 modules · 60 hours of guided learning

  1. Module 1What UX is and how designers think6 h

    The design process and the role of the people you design for.

    Topics

    • UX, UI and product design
    • The double diamond process
    • Good and bad design around us

    You’ll produce: A critique of an app you use every day

  2. Module 2Understanding users12 h

    Finding out what people actually need.

    Topics

    • Research goals and questions
    • Interviews and surveys
    • Synthesising findings

    You’ll produce: Interview notes and an insight board

  3. Module 3Defining the problem6 h

    Turning research into a clear design direction.

    Topics

    • Personas
    • Journey maps
    • Problem statements and 'how might we'

    You’ll produce: Personas and a journey map

  4. Module 4Structure and flows6 h

    How a product is organised and how people move through it.

    Topics

    • Information architecture
    • User flows
    • Card sorting

    You’ll produce: A user flow for your app

  5. Module 5Wireframing6 h

    Sketching solutions quickly before committing to detail.

    Topics

    • Sketching ideas
    • Low-fidelity wireframes
    • Figma basics

    You’ll produce: Wireframes of the key screens

  6. Module 6Visual design in Figma12 h

    From wireframe to polished screens.

    Topics

    • Layout grids and spacing
    • Typography and colour
    • Components and styles
    • Accessibility: contrast and touch targets

    You’ll produce: High-fidelity screens

  7. Module 7Prototyping and testing9 h

    Checking your design with real people.

    Topics

    • Clickable prototypes
    • Planning a usability test
    • Running sessions and recording findings

    You’ll produce: Usability test report

  8. Module 8Case study and presentation3 h

    Telling the story of your design.

    Topics

    • Writing a case study
    • Presenting design decisions
    • Next steps in a UX career

    You’ll produce: Final case study, presented

Projects

Work you build during the course and keep for your portfolio.

Research study

Interviews with real users of a local service, turned into personas and a journey map.

Clickable prototype

A Figma prototype of a mobile app that solves a problem your research found.

Case study

The whole process, from research to tested design, written up for your portfolio and presented.

How you’ll learn

Live studio sessions

each week opens with a short talk and moves into hands-on design work in small groups.

Real users

you interview and test with real people, not imagined ones.

Critique

work is shown and discussed every week, the way design teams improve their work.

Assessment

Weekly design exercises: 30%

Usability test report: 20%

Final case study and presentation: 50%

A pass is 60% overall with the final case study completed.

Certificate

A certificate of completion from IT For Youth Ghana for at least 80% attendance and a passed final case study.

Where it can lead

  • Junior UX designer
  • UI designer
  • Product design intern
  • UX researcher (entry level)
  • Next step: our Advanced UI/UX Design Intensive

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be good at drawing?

No. UX design is about understanding people and solving problems. You will learn the visual skills you need in Figma.

What is the difference between UX and UI?

UX is how a product works for the people using it; UI is how it looks. This course covers both, with a focus on UX.

Why is there a fee?

The fee covers the studio sessions, materials and testing with real users. Ask us about support if the fee stands in your way.

What comes after this course?

Graduates can apply for junior design roles or continue to our Advanced UI/UX Design Intensive.

UX Design Essentials

  • Starts 20 Jul 2026 · 10 weeks
  • 6 hours a week
  • GH₵ 350.00
Apply