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Design Academy My progress

Curriculum

Courses and modules.

Thirteen stages, each a course of short lessons. Core stages are the recommended path to a junior role; optional stages are specialisms for later.

Stage 0CoreBeginner

Orientation and design foundations

What UI and UX design are, what designers do all day, and how to plan your learning.

  • 8 lessons
  • about 3 h 35 min
  • all written
  • Explain the difference between UI, UX, product, interaction and visual design in your own words.
  • Describe what a product designer does across a typical project and week.
  • Walk through the design process from problem to solution, and say where design thinking helps and where it falls short.

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Stage 1CoreBeginner

Visual design fundamentals

Hierarchy, layout, typography, colour, spacing and accessibility: the craft that makes interfaces readable.

  • 10 lessons
  • about 5 h 50 min
  • all written
  • Create a clear visual hierarchy using size, weight, colour, position and space.
  • Apply contrast, alignment, proximity, repetition and grouping deliberately.
  • Set up a type scale and a colour palette with semantic roles and accessible contrast.

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Stage 2CoreBeginner

UX research and problem definition

Learn what people need, test your assumptions and define the right problem before designing.

  • 13 lessons
  • about 7 h 5 min
  • all written
  • Separate assumptions from evidence and turn them into research questions.
  • Plan and run a short, ethical user interview without leading the participant.
  • Synthesise notes into themes with affinity mapping, and avoid over-claiming.

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Stage 3CoreBeginner

Information architecture

Organise content and navigation so people can find what they need.

  • 10 lessons
  • about 5 h 25 min
  • all written
  • Run a content inventory and group content using evidence from card sorting.
  • Draw a sitemap and a task flow for a small product.
  • Choose navigation, search and filtering patterns that fit the content.

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Stage 4CoreBeginner

Wireframing and ideation

Generate ideas, sketch quickly and build low and mid-fidelity wireframes.

  • 9 lessons
  • about 4 h 50 min
  • all written
  • Generate several distinct solutions before choosing one.
  • Sketch and wireframe responsive screens with clear content hierarchy.
  • Design empty, loading, success and error states, not just the happy path.

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Stage 5CoreBeginner

Figma and design tools

Learn the concepts behind professional design tools, taught through Figma.

  • 14 lessons
  • about 7 h 50 min
  • all written
  • Organise a Figma file with pages, frames, naming and sections that others can navigate.
  • Build responsive layouts with auto layout and constraints.
  • Create components with properties and variants, and use variables for tokens.

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Stage 6CoreIntermediate

UI design and design systems

Turn wireframes into polished interfaces and build a small design system.

  • 13 lessons
  • about 7 h 5 min
  • all written
  • Translate wireframes into polished UI with a consistent visual language.
  • Design buttons, inputs, cards, navigation, dialogs and menus with all their states.
  • Structure tokens into primitive and semantic layers, including a dark theme.

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Stage 7CoreIntermediate

Interaction design and prototyping

Design how interfaces behave: feedback, patterns, forms, motion and realistic prototypes.

  • 11 lessons
  • about 5 h 20 min
  • all written
  • Use affordances, signifiers and feedback so actions are obvious and confirmed.
  • Design forms and validation that prevent and explain errors.
  • Apply motion purposefully and respect reduced-motion preferences.

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Stage 8CoreIntermediate

Usability testing and iteration

Plan and run usability tests, prioritise findings and improve designs with evidence.

  • 12 lessons
  • about 5 h 50 min
  • all written
  • Write a usability test plan with unbiased tasks and success criteria.
  • Moderate a session without leading the participant.
  • Rate the severity of issues and turn findings into prioritised recommendations.

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Stage 9CoreIntermediate

Accessibility and inclusive design

Design products that work for disabled people and, as a result, for everyone.

  • 12 lessons
  • about 5 h 50 min
  • all written
  • Explain WCAG principles and conformance levels accurately.
  • Design for keyboard, screen reader, zoom and motor accessibility.
  • Write accessible form labels, errors, instructions and alternative text.

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Stage 10CoreIntermediate

Product thinking and collaboration

Connect design to outcomes, work well with your team and make ethical decisions.

  • 12 lessons
  • about 5 h 45 min
  • all written
  • Connect design work to product goals and measurable outcomes.
  • Prioritise and make trade-offs with product managers and engineers.
  • Understand A/B tests and analytics well enough to use them responsibly.

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Stage 11CoreIntermediate

Portfolio and career readiness

Build case studies, a portfolio site and the skills to get hired or win clients.

  • 18 lessons
  • about 7 h 55 min
  • all written
  • Choose portfolio projects that show reasoning and range.
  • Write concise case studies with context, process, trade-offs and outcomes.
  • Present work and handle design challenges in interviews.

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Stage 12OptionalAdvanced

Advanced and specialised topics

Optional paths for going deeper once the core curriculum is done.

  • 12 lessons
  • about 11 h 30 min
  • all written
  • Go deeper in one or two specialisms that match your interests or job.
  • Apply core skills to specific product types and disciplines.

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