How I Would Learn UI/UX Design in 3 Months (If I Had to Start Over)
Six years ago, I was a graphic designer who created logos for satisfaction, imagining a profession combining creativity and problem-solving.
Finding UI/UX design was like finding a perfect pair of jeans: relaxing, flexible, and ideally fit.
Looking to get into UI/UX design but don’t know where to start? What if you could go from zero to skilled in just three months?
Here’s an easy way to convert your love for design into a successful career.
Why So Confusing?
Starting with UI/UX design might feel like being at the base of a mountain without a map.
Which tools should you learn? How can you build a portfolio without experience? And how the heck did you land your first job?
I remember looking at job advertising and wondering if I’d ever break the code.
This plan gives beginners a clear path to becoming confident designers in three months.
Your 90-Day Design Experience Is In Waiting!
This three-month course is for anybody interested in learning more about UI/UX design without delving too deeply into its complexities.
Whether starting from scratch or switching jobs, I’ll walk you through the skills, tools, and mindset shifts needed to get from “What’s a wireframe?” to “I just nailed my first freelance project!”
Based on my six years of experience creating user-friendly interfaces for tech startups and large companies, I’ve simplified the concepts into an achievable approach that’s simple to carry out but successful enough to get you hired.
Who This Is For
This guide is perfect for:
- Young UI/UX designers are looking to break into the industry.
- Career changers (e.g., developers or marketers) looking to make the move into design.
- Professionals who want to put into practice their design skills and improve their profession.
No previous experience? Not a problem.
All you need is curiosity, an interest to learn, and an extra dose of dedication.
Why UI/UX Design Is a Great Career Choice
Job Demand and Opportunities
UI/UX design is expanding, and data to back it up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 15% increase in demand for digital design professions from 2021 and 2031, leading other industries.
Every sector, from IT companies to healthcare startups, needs designers to design clear and visually appealing products.
Whether you want to be a UI Designer, UX Researcher, or Product Designer, the chances for you to collaborate across jobs and fields are unparalleled.
Plus, what about remote work? It’s the default setting in this field.
Skillset Advantages
You can flex your creative muscles with font and color palettes, solve challenges with user flows, and nerd out on technical skills like prototyping.
What was the result? A fun and satisfying job. According to Glassdoor, the global median salary for UX designers ranges from $80,000 to $120,000, with the best jobs paying much more.
AI solutions, such as smart layout generators, are meant to improve productivity rather than replace the skills of humans.
The Impact of UX
UI/UX design is about making people’s lives easier, besides making money.
Imagine the last time you purchased pizza or scheduled a ticket online.
Good UX made such tasks effortless, whereas horrible UX made you scream at your screen.
As a designer, you will take on real-world issues by building digital experiences that are both simple and inspiring. This type of impact makes you happy to say, “I designed that.”
Month 1: Laying the Foundation and Building Core Skills
Understand the Basics
Your first month is all about building a solid basis.
To start with, separate between UI (visual interface, such as buttons, colors, and layouts) and UX (total experience, such as ease of use and satisfaction).
I discovered this the hard way when I spent weeks smoothing a button’s gradient, only finding out that users couldn’t find it. Oops.
Key Skills to Focus On:
- Basic Design Principles: Understand typography, color theory, grids, and layouts. These are the basic components of any outstanding design.
- User-Centered Design: Build the practice of thinking about your users’ demands. Who are they? What makes people frustrated? Design small user personas for practice.
- Wireframing and prototyping: Start taking low-fidelity wireframes (rough sketches of app screens) to map out user flows.
Resources:
- Watch short YouTube videos on YouTube to grasp the basics.
- Read The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman, it’s a game-changer for understanding design’s “why.”
- Check lawsofux.com for compact principles such as Hick’s Law and Fitts’ Law. (You don’t believe, but I still check this website sometimes, and you know it’s okay, I think)
- To make learning easier, try playing interactive design games like Method.ac or It’s Centered That.
Pro Tip: Start looking at normal things, such as your coffee maker, banking app, or vending machine. “Why is this designed this way?” “How could it be better?” This attitude improves your designer’s creativity.
Month 2: Building Real Skills
Learn Design Tools & Practice
Now it’s time to go hands-on. Month two is focused on learning tools and applying them to real-life scenarios.
Design software can seem scary at first, but once you get the feel of it, it’s as easy as riding a bike (with fewer skinned knees).
Practice, Practice, Practice:
- Redesign an existing app or website: Choose a popular app (such as your favorite food delivery service) and improve its interface using Month 1 concepts. Focus on improving value and appearance.
- Build a Portfolio: Use these redesigns to create a simple portfolio. Even one finished project is a good start.
- Key Skills: Skills in responsive design (designs which work on mobile and desktop), user flows (by creating a user’s journey), and high-fidelity prototyping using Figma or Framer.
Resources:
- Watch free Figma tutorials on YouTube (try channels like DesignCourse or Flux Academy).
- Join the Daily UI Challenge (dailyui.co) for bite-sized design prompts.
My first redesign was for a hard e-commerce website. I spent hours changing button colors just to learn the checkout process was a labyrinth. That’s when I realized that appealing designs are good, but solving user problems is what gets you employed.
Month 3: Build Portfolio & Real-World Challenges
You’re in the home stretch! Month 3 is about proving your skills with real-world projects and building a portfolio that screams, “Hire me!”
This is where I went from “I think I can do this” to “I am a UI/UX designer.”
Collaborate with Others:
- Work on a real project, like redesigning a local business’s website or contributing to open-source projects on GitHub.
- Get feedback from design communities, such as Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Dribbble, Behance, and Reddit’s r/userexperience. Early in my career, a mentor’s honest review (“Your font choices are crazy”) saved my portfolio from damage.
Portfolio Development:
- Showcase 2–3 of your greatest work on a smooth web portfolio (Notion or Webflow, or Framer (which I personally use) are free options).
- Write case studies for each project that explain your process: research, ideation, testing, and iteration. This shows companies that you are a thinker, instead of just a pixel pusher.
- Key Skills: Learn user testing (ask friends to try your ideas and record any issues), revision (improve depending on feedback), and presentation (practice expressing your work effectively).
Resources:
- Behance’s portfolios of popular designers might inspire.
- The UX Design Community on Medium gives free case study templates.
Boost your productivity with AI-powered Figma plugins such as smart layout tools and color palette generators. It’s like having a design helper that never sleeps.
And I recommend that you start using AI for your workflow so that you can work 10 times faster than other designers!
Key Habit
Make observing an everyday habit. Analyze physical and digital things, like fitness trackers, news apps, and restaurant menus.
What is the usability like? Why this color? How could it be improved?
This helps you to think like a designer, and you’ll soon see problems with user experience (and solutions) everywhere.
Expert Advice & Pro Tips
- Network as if your career depends on it. My first freelancing work came from a chance meeting when I nervously offered my portfolio. Direct message designers you respect on LinkedIn and Instagram.
- Consistency is key. Even 30 minutes per day, learning a new thing, or reading Hooked by Nir Eyal, can make an important difference.
- Accept Feedback: Feedback hurts, but it’s the quickest way to improvement. I once deleted a whole project based on comments, and the rework got me a customer.
Employers want designers who can speed up a checkout process or increase customer engagement, instead of just making things interesting.
Final Thoughts
Becoming a UI/UX designer needs only a strategy and dedication, not a design degree or years of experience.
In three months, you can progress from beginner to job-ready by understanding the basics, creating real-world projects, and confidently showing your work.
Take the first step now: Choose an app, redesign a single screen, and share it with a buddy, and don’t forget to share it on social media also for feedback.
The design industry is looking for your unique insight.
Feeling inspired? Follow me on Instagram (@rehan.designs) for daily insights, portfolio critiques, and behind-the-scenes looks into my design process.
