Career guide

Branding → UX Design

Leverage your visual design skills and learn user research, interaction design, and prototyping

Explore the study outline

01 / About this guide

Skills to build.
Work to practice.

Transition from branding and visual design into UX design by building on your existing design skills while learning user-centered methodologies, research techniques, and interaction design principles.

Skills you’ll develop

  • User Research
  • Wireframing
  • Prototyping
  • Usability Testing
  • Information Architecture
  • Interaction Design

What to work toward

  • Conduct user research and synthesize insights
  • Create wireframes and interactive prototypes
  • Design user-centered interfaces and flows
  • Build a UX portfolio with 3-4 case studies
  • Speak confidently about UX methodologies in interviews

Before you begin

  • Experience in graphic or branding design
  • Strong visual design foundation
  • Basic understanding of user needs
  • Familiarity with design tools (Figma, Sketch, etc.)

02 / Study outline

Choose a topic.
Put it to work.

These 6 modules outline the topics to study. Follow the suggested order or start with a gap in your current work. Linked exercises include instructions, deliverables, and review criteria.

  1. 01

    Foundations of UX

    2 weeks

    Understand UX principles, methodologies, and how they differ from visual design

    • UX vs UI vs Visual Design
    • Design Thinking Process
    • User-Centered Design
    • UX Career Paths
  2. 02

    User Research Fundamentals

    3 weeks

    Learn qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand user needs

    • User Interviews
    • Surveys & Analytics
    • Persona Development
    • Journey Mapping

    Put this into practice

    Your First User Interview
  3. 03

    Information Architecture

    2 weeks

    Structure content and navigation for optimal user comprehension

    • Site Mapping
    • Card Sorting
    • Navigation Design
    • Content Strategy
  4. 04

    Wireframing & Prototyping

    4 weeks

    Create low and high-fidelity designs that communicate interaction flows

    • Lo-Fi Wireframes
    • Hi-Fi Mockups
    • Interactive Prototypes
    • Design Handoff
  5. 05

    Usability Testing

    3 weeks

    Validate designs through structured testing and iteration

    • Test Planning
    • Moderation Techniques
    • Analysis & Synthesis
    • Iteration Cycles
  6. 06

    Portfolio & Career

    2 weeks

    Build a UX portfolio and prepare for job applications

    • Case Study Structure
    • Portfolio Presentation
    • Resume for UX
    • Interview Prep

    Put this into practice

    Redesign with Research

03 / Reading and exercises

Read. Try.
Make it your own.

Published articles, book recommendations, and practical projects that support this guide.

  • exercise

    Your First User Interview

    Hands-on project to practice research skills

    Try the exercise

  • exercise

    Redesign with Research

    End-to-end portfolio project from research to design

    Try the exercise

Start with
one exercise.

Your First User Interview