Online UI/UX Design Bootcamp with USF CTPE

✨ NEW! AI Learning Units

Learn sought-after design skills. Transform your career. Join our online UI/UX Design Bootcamp in Florida.

Format:

100% online

Learn on your own time

Duration:

9 months

10 hours/week

Apply by:

To be announced

University of South Florida UI/UX Design Bootcamp

UI/UX designers have a carefully learned skill of getting into the minds of users — combining empathy-driven research and visual design best practices to create products that are usable, enjoyable, and accessible all while keeping business goals top of mind. The creative and technical impact of UI/UX designers is interwoven into any website, app, or product you’ve used recently.

The demand for designers is at an all-time high as industry leaders vie to build products that are continually engaging and easy to use. UI/UX designers enjoy high job satisfaction, great pay, and the opportunity to work with technologies that drive innovation and growth.

The University of South Florida UI/UX Design Bootcamp will prepare you to learn the core principles, tools, and best practices to secure a variety of roles in the design industry.

You’ll learn design concepts through a curated curriculum pulled from some of the best resources available and then apply what you learn through hands-on learning activities and end-to-end projects that include UI practice exercises, a capstone project for your portfolio, and three additional projects that are optional for you to complete.

This 100% online program allows you to learn on your own schedule, and you can complete the course earlier if you put in more study hours per week.

In addition, you’ll receive 1:1 mentor support through regular phone calls where you can ask questions, receive feedback on your projects, and get insight into the design industry.

We’ll also set you up for career success with eight optional career units that cover finding the right job titles and companies, networking fundamentals, writing resumes and cover letters, and conducting mock interviews.

Read more to learn how USF’s UI/UX Design Bootcamp can help you launch your career in the design industry.

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Why study UI/UX Design?

The University of South Florida UI/UX Design Bootcamp will prepare you for a variety of roles in the design industry. By designing creative and intuitive user experiences, you can enjoy a successful, fulfilling career based on your personal interests and skills.

What do UI/UX designers do?

  • User Interface: UI designers are responsible for determining the visual elements (e.g. menus, buttons, icons, etc.) that a person uses to interact with a product or service.

  • User Experience: UX designers are responsible for a user's overall experience as they interact with every aspect of a product or service, such as an app or multi-step form.

According to Glassdoor and Payscale, the average mid-level UI/UX Designer salary in Tampa is

$99k

According to Glassdoor and Payscale, the average mid-level UI/UX Designer salary in Tampa is $99k

Exploring Career Opportunities in UI/UX Design

There are a variety of different paths you can take when beginning your career in the design industry. Your career path depends on your varied goals and interests, including choosing if you want to be more of a generalist or specialist or if you want to work for an agency or be a freelancer. Below are possible fields, titles, and average salaries you may want to consider after graduating:

Study in-demand design skills

Curriculum readings, projects, and career resources will teach you to apply industry best practices and prepare you for a variety of jobs in the industry. Preview several course units below.

NEW! AI for UI/UX Designers Curriculum

Leverage AI tools to create more intuitive and engaging design, and set yourself apart as a designer equipped with the latest knowledge and skills. We've added seven new optional units to our curriculum to allow you to learn AI alongside key topics in UI/UX.

  • Introduction to AI and Its Relevance to UX

  • AI-Enhanced User Research

  • Dynamic Persona Building and Journey Mapping with AI

  • Information Architecture and Ethical Considerations in AI

  • Designing for AI: Tools, Practices, and Usability Testing

  • Prototyping for AI: Tools for Prototyping AI-Based Systems

  • AI and Usability Testing: Adjusting Techniques for AI Systems

Intro to Design Tools

Before working on a hands-on project, you'll get comfortable with the design tools that will make up your arsenal.

  • Explore and use design tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, or Figma

  • Gain an understanding of how you will use each design tool in your work

  • Complete your first UI practice exercise by recreating the UI of a few screens

Conducting Research

Dive into hands-on work that will help you learn the ins and outs of understanding your users.

  • Learn how to develop a research plan

  • Study best practices for recruiting interview participants, writing screeners, and conducting interviews

  • Synthesize data to draw insights about your user and problem space so that you can create a successful solution

Design Systems and Brand Platforms

Designers establish a visual language with the help of design systems and style guides. Design systems and style guides are artifacts that define the rules and representations of a product's visual language including what fonts, colors, UI elements, and imagery will be used.

  • Develop an understanding of design systems, as well as their value in the UI/UX industry

  • Become familiar with common components of a design system

  • Learn how to understand a company’s existing design system

  • Describe the components of a basic brand platform and understand their importance

  • Analyze how designers translate a brand platform into visual style

  • Understand how you will interact with brand platforms throughout your career

  • Develop an awareness of how logos are treated and used in UI

Wireframing

Wireframes are digitized versions of your sketches and sit between sketching and high-fidelity mockups. This unit prepares you to map your product’s content while also teaching you that there is room for flexibility and innovation. 

  • Create wireframes for mobile and desktop

  • Develop an understanding of the importance of designing for edge cases

  • Learn about and create wireflows for multiple states of the same screen

Prototyping and Animations

Prototyping is the next step in the process of increasing the fidelity of your designs. High-fidelity prototypes like the ones you create in this unit are as close an approximation of your final product as you can get. Creating and testing prototypes is another way to identify aspects of your product that could be improved and ensure that your product meets the needs of your users.

  • Learn how to create a clickable prototype

  • Understand the purpose of animation and interaction patterns within UI/UX design, including how they affect functionality, brand personality, and user delight

  • Familiarize yourself with current animation and interaction patterns and guidelines

  • Learn about the role that animation plays on a high-screen level, such as when screens transition from one to the next

  • Explore the role animation plays at a granular level within designs, such as how a dropdown menu animates when it opens

Showcase your skills through a standout portfolio project

You’ll complete a capstone project and have the choice to complete three more optional portfolio projects.

  • Capstone 1: An end-to-end design project that includes each phase of the design process.

  • Design Sprint: A Google Ventures-style design sprint where you’ll work on a complete project in a 1-week timeframe.

  • Capstone 2: An end-to-end project that incorporates each stage of the design process. You’ll apply all of the methods you’ve learned while working with real-world constraints.

  • Industry Design Project: A ~4-week real-world project where you use your design skills to help a company tackle a business problem. You’ll apply all of your course learnings to identify a customer problem to solve, conduct competitive research, sketch, design, and build a prototype, and perform usability testing and identify improvements.

Past projects from students

Lynette May

Capstone project: An app that enhances the relationship between therapist and patient

See Project

Annie Nguyen

Capstone project: An efficient and engaging process to find furniture

See Project

Fit learning into your life, with industry experts in your corner

Learn on your own time and study on your schedule. Stay on track with mentors and peers to keep you accountable.

  • Get dedicated 1:1 mentor support

    Meet regularly with your personal mentor to receive feedback on projects, discuss blockers, and refine your career strategy.

  • Build study plans that work for you

    Complete the course sooner by putting in more hours per week.

  • Plan ahead with 1:1 career coach calls

    Craft your design job search, practice interviews, and negotiate offers.

  • Connect with our community

    Get extra help from other mentors in our community, at no extra cost.

Meet our mentors

Build your skills faster and advance your personal growth with 1:1 mentorship.

Is this Florida UI/UX Design Bootcamp Right for You?

Do you have an eye for design? Do you like to make things beautiful, organized, and user-friendly? If so, this program is right for you!

  • All backgrounds are welcome as long as you can demonstrate strong visual skills, creativity, and clear communication.

FAQ

More questions about the program?

Schedule a call with our Enrollment Team by applying now or email Carolina, our Enrollment Advisor, to aid in your decision.

Email Carolina

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