What Is UI Design Certification?

A user interface (UI) design certification can help you build skills to start or advance your career as a UI designer. You can choose from certifications from leading industry organizations or Professional Certificates to help you master specific skills. Other professionals who can benefit from a UI design certification include UI/UX researchers and product designers. 

Explore the benefits of a UI design certification, jobs you can qualify for with UI/UX certification, and three examples of certifications that can help you advance your career. 

What is UI design?

User interface design is the field of creating interfaces that people can use to interact with computers. Interfaces are the portals you use to interact with software, so you don’t have to directly look at or manipulate computer code. User interfaces also include the tools you use to interact with computers, like keyboards and screens, and the functional components of websites and apps, such as buttons or icons. In this position, you will work on creating user interfaces that are easy and enjoyable to use and help your users accomplish their goals. 

What are the benefits of UI design certification?

Earning a UI design certification can help you move forward in your career or even potentially start a new one. Some certification programs allow you to start learning without prior experience in UI design, which can help you build the skills you need to qualify for an entry-level UI/UX job. You can also learn new skills to build on your education and experience and qualify for specialized jobs or jobs with more advanced responsibilities. A certification demonstrates your dedication to personal and career growth to potential and current employers. 

• Learn new skills: If you’re already working as a UI designer, you can learn new skills or specialize in areas like research, interaction design, or management. 

• Demonstrate credentials and credibility: Earning a certification can help you show your employer you’ve mastered new skills, qualify for a higher-paying role, and demonstrate your drive to better yourself and advance your career. 

• Start a new career: If you aren’t currently working as a UI designer, a certification program can help you build the skills you need to begin. 

What jobs can you get with UI/UX design certification?

Earning a UI certification can help you learn new skills and prepare to work in the field of user interaction design. Three potential careers to consider are UI designer, UX/UI researcher, and product designer. Explore the responsibilities of these careers as well as the average salary and job outlook in the field. 

UI designer

Average salary in the US (Glassdoor): $84,479 [1]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [2]

As a UI designer, you will design and create user interfaces that help users accomplish their goals in an easy and enjoyable way. You will analyze the usability of interfaces and find ways to make them more intuitive and accessible. In this role, you may also work with user experience designers, or you may complete UX tasks yourself. 

UX researcher

Average salary in the US (Glassdoor): $108,496 [3]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [2]

As a UX/UI researcher, you will be responsible for conducting research to understand what target users want and how they will use a product. You will use this research to find ways to improve user experience and look for new opportunities to offer value to users. In this position, you will often use a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis to help you gain a better understanding of how your customers think and act. 

Product designer

Average salary in the US (Glassdoor): $88,343 [4]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 3 percent [5]

As a product designer, you will oversee the design, creation, and development of a product. You will consider what users want and create a product that fits their needs and solves a problem. This role is similar to a UX/UI designer, but UX/UI usually refers to computer-related products like software, websites, or applications. A product designer can refer to UX design for any kind of product, from nightstands to kitchen appliances to shoes. 

Options for UI design certifications

You can choose from different types of UI/UX credentials to help you take your career to the next level. Two of the ways to demonstrate your skills are to earn certifications from professional organizations in UI/UX and to earn a Professional Certificate that demonstrates mastery of specific skills. For example, you could become certified as an HFI User Experience Analyst or earn an NN/g UX Certification. You could also explore Professional Certificates like the Google UX Design Professional Certificate. 

1. Human Factors International (HFI) User Experience Analyst

Human Factors International (HFI) offers three types of certification: Certified Usability Analyst (CUA), Certified User Experience Analyst (CXA), and Certified Digital Persuasion Analyst (CDPA). The certification most relevant for UI designers is the CXA, which focuses on applying UX principles to large and complex development projects. However, to take the CXA exam, you must first hold a CUA certification. 

Who should get it? This certificate is for professionals working in UI/UX.

Requirements: You will need to hold a CUA certification as well as understand advanced UX concepts. You are not required to take the HFI courses to prepare for the exam, but you can elect to complete the coursework to learn the concepts you’ll need for the final exam. 

Cost (US): $6,850, occasional discounts available [6]

What’s on the exam? The exam will cover topics like creating and implementing a strategy of persuasion, emotion, and trust; launching new products based on UX research; and assessing your UX processes. You can opt to take four classes, either individually or as a package, to learn the material on the exam prior to testing. The available classes are: 

• How to Design for Persuasion, Emotion, and Trust (PET Design)

• The PET Architect 

• Omni-Channel UX Strategy and Innovation

• Institutionalization of a Mature UX Practice

2. Google UX Design Professional Certificate

A Professional Certificate, like the Google UX Design Professional Certificate, is a less formal designation that demonstrates your mastery of skills, usually with a smaller scope than an industry certification. This credential can help you build job-ready skills to start a career in UI design. 

Who should get it? This Professional Certificate is appropriate for UX designers, UI designers, interaction designers, visual designers, and product designers. 

Requirements: You do not need to have prior UI or UX experience to enroll in this Professional Certificate. After completing the program, you’ll have foundational skills to start working as an entry-level UI/UX designer. 

Cost (US): Enroll for free and complete the Professional Certificate on Coursera for as little as $59 a month.

What’s on the exam? The exam covers topics such as developing user journeys through user personas and journey maps, conducting usability testing, creating wireframes, and testing and iterating UI/UX designs. 

3. Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification

Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) is a professional industry organization for UX professionals that offers two types of UI/UX certification: the UX Certification and the UX Master Certification. Both are relevant to your UI career and demonstrate different levels of experience and mastery in UI and UX principles. These flexible certifications allow you to select which courses and topics you’re certified in, which gives you the chance to specialize in areas like interaction design, management, and UX research. 

Who should get it? NN/g certification is appropriate for many different professionals working in UI/UX design because you can customize your certification in areas like interaction design, management, and UX research. 

Requirements: To earn an NN/g UX Certification, you will need to complete five courses from their course catalog and pass the exam for each course, representing more than 30 total training hours. To earn an NN/g UX Master Certification, you will need to complete 15 total courses and exams, representing over 100 hours of training. 

Cost (US): A UX Certification starts at $6,050, while a UX Master Certification starts at $18,150 [7]. 

What’s on the exam? Each exam corresponds to the topics covered in the course and consists of 30 questions. You will have 1 hour to complete the exam and will need an 80 percent score to pass, but you will also be allowed to attempt the exam three times. 

Explore UI design certification on Coursera

Earning a UI design certification can help you learn new skills and demonstrate your competencies to your employer. If you want to see what a UI design certification can do for your career, you can find programs on Coursera to help you learn what you need to know. For example, you can earn your Google UX Design Professional Certificate on Coursera and learn in-demand skills to help you start a career in UX/UX design.