How to get started with UX/UI design (a practical path)
George Peric · Conversion designer · 6 min readShort answer
To get started with UX/UI design, learn the fundamentals in order (research, user flows, wireframes, visual design, prototyping), learn Figma well, and practise on three small but real projects. Turn those projects into case studies that show your thinking, then apply for junior roles, internships or small freelance jobs. A focused 90 days is enough to build a first portfolio.
Key takeaways
- UX is how something works for the user. UI is how it looks and feels on screen. You need both.
- Learn one tool properly. For most beginners that is Figma.
- Three honest case studies beat twenty pretty screens.
- Your first job is often a small one. Take it, ship it, and write it up.
What is the difference between UX and UI design?
UX (user experience) design is about how a product works for the person using it; UI (user interface) design is about what they see and touch on the screen. UX covers research, the steps a user takes and whether they can finish a task. UI covers layout, type, colour, buttons and states. Nielsen Norman Group defines user experience as every part of how people interact with a company, its services and its products, which is broader than the interface alone.
Most junior roles ask for both, so I suggest learning them together. A screen that looks good but confuses people fails, and so does a clear flow that nobody trusts because it looks broken.
What fundamentals should a beginner learn first?
Learn the steps in the order you will use them on a real project: research, flows, wireframes, visual design, prototyping and testing.
| Skill | What it means | What to practise |
|---|---|---|
| Research | Finding out who the users are, what they need and where they struggle | Five short interviews, reading app store reviews, watching someone use a product |
| User flows | The steps a user takes to finish one task | Map “sign up”, “book a table” or “check out” as boxes and arrows |
| Wireframes | Simple layouts that show structure and content, with little styling | Grey-box versions of each screen in a flow |
| Visual design (UI) | Type, colour, spacing, components and states | Redesign one screen with a clear type scale and an 8-point spacing grid |
| Prototyping | Linking screens so people can click through the flow | A clickable prototype of one full task |
| Usability testing | Watching real people try to complete tasks | Test your prototype with three to five people and note where they get stuck |
Don’t try to master research methods before you design anything. Learn enough of each step to finish one small project, then go deeper on each pass.
Which tools do you need to start?
Start with Figma, because it covers wireframes, visual design and prototypes in one place and most teams use it. Figma’s own guides explain wireframing and prototyping well. In prototyping, you connect a button (a hotspot) to the next screen, add an interaction, and preview the flow as a user would see it.
Inside Figma, learn these early, because teams expect them:
- Auto layout, so buttons, cards and lists resize properly.
- Components and variants, so one button style can have default, hover and disabled states.
- Styles or variables for colour and type, so changes happen in one place.
- Prototype connections, so you can test a flow without writing code.
Pen and paper still count. Sketching a flow before opening Figma is faster and stops you polishing the wrong idea.
What practice projects should you do?
Pick small, real problems you can research yourself, and finish them end to end. A finished small project teaches more than a half-done big one. Good options:
- Redesign one flow of an app you use, such as booking, sign-up or checkout. Start by writing down where it frustrates you and test whether others feel the same.
- Design a tool for a local business or a friend, such as a booking page for a hairdresser or a menu for a café.
- Redesign a landing page or a form and explain each change. This is close to the paid work many teams need.
Avoid copying a famous app screen pixel for pixel and calling it a project. It shows you can use Figma, not that you can solve a problem.
How do you build a portfolio with no experience?
Write each project up as a case study that shows the problem, your process, the decisions and what you would do next. Hiring managers want to see how you think. A simple structure:
- The problem: who it was for and what was wrong.
- What you learned: research, reviews, test notes. Quote real users where you can.
- The flow and wireframes: show the structure before the polish.
- The final UI: the key screens, with short notes on why each choice was made.
- What happened or what is next: test findings, or how you would measure it.
Be honest about what kind of project it is. If it is a self-initiated redesign that was never shipped, say so. My own landing page redesign is labelled as not yet A/B tested, and it shows how I would test it instead of claiming a lift.
From my work
I started as a freelance UX/UI designer in July 2020, focused on conversion from the start. A few months later I joined Spiralyze, an A/B testing agency, part time. There I brainstormed test ideas based on UX principles and designed high-fidelity, dev-ready mockups and alternative layouts for each hypothesis. From 2021 to 2023 I was a Product Designer at Neopix, where I did UX research, wrote user stories, built interactive prototypes and a design library, and designed responsive, dev-ready UI. Both jobs taught me the same thing: the handoff matters as much as the design.
How do you get your first UX/UI job or freelance client?
Apply widely for junior roles and internships, and take small freelance jobs at the same time, because both give you real work to show. Practical steps:
- Look beyond “UX designer” titles. Product designer, UI designer, web designer and design assistant roles often lead to the same work.
- Start with people you know. A small business, a friend’s startup or a non-profit is often the easiest first client.
- Show dev-ready files. Clean layers, components and clear states make you easier to hire than prettier but messy files.
- Write short case studies of every job, even small ones, so your portfolio grows with your work.
What does a 90-day plan look like?
Spend the first month on fundamentals and Figma, the second on projects, and the third on your portfolio and applications.
| Weeks | Focus | Output by the end |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | UX basics: research, user flows, usability | One user flow and notes from three short interviews |
| 3 to 4 | Figma: auto layout, components, styles, prototyping | A small UI kit (buttons, inputs, cards) and one clickable flow |
| 5 to 6 | Project 1: redesign one flow of an existing app | Wireframes, final UI, prototype, test notes from three to five people |
| 7 to 8 | Project 2: a real problem for a real person or business | A shipped or handed-off design, with their feedback |
| 9 to 10 | Project 3: a landing page or form redesign | Before and after, with the reason for each change |
| 11 to 12 | Portfolio and applications | Three case studies online, ten tailored applications sent |
| 13 | Review and repeat | Feedback from a working designer, one case study improved |
What are common beginner mistakes?
- Jumping straight to high-fidelity UI. Polishing before the flow works wastes time.
- Skipping research. Designing from your own taste means designing for one user: you.
- Collecting courses instead of finishing projects. Courses help, but finished work gets you hired.
- Portfolios full of screens with no story. Show the problem and your decisions, not only the result.
- Messy files. Developers and teams notice unnamed layers and missing states.
- Never testing. Even three people clicking a prototype will show problems you can’t see yourself.
- Claiming results you don’t have. Label self-initiated work honestly. It builds more trust than invented numbers.
If you enjoy the part where design changes a number, such as sign-ups or sales, read how to become a CRO designer.
FAQ
Can I learn UX/UI design without a degree?
Yes. Many designers come from other fields. What gets you hired is a portfolio of case studies that shows how you solve problems, plus clean, usable design files.
Is Figma enough to start UX/UI design?
For most beginners, yes. Figma covers wireframes, visual design and clickable prototypes. Add basic research and testing skills alongside it.
How long does it take to get started in UX/UI design?
A focused 90 days is enough to learn the basics and build a first portfolio of three projects. Getting good takes longer and comes from real work.
Should a beginner learn UX or UI first?
Learn them together on small projects. Start each project with research and flows, then design the interface. Junior roles usually expect both.
Sources
Conversion designer, CXL certified in Conversion Optimization and Ecommerce Marketing. I design ads, landing pages and funnels and A/B test them.