Professional Diploma in UX/UI and Product Design

• No specific qualifications or prior UX/UI or product design experience are required. 

• Basic computer literacy and an interest in design, technology, creativity and user-centred problem-solving are recommended. 

• The course is suitable for beginners, career changers, creative professionals, digital marketers, communications professionals, developers, entrepreneurs and those considering further study or career development in UX/UI and digital product design. 

• Students will need access to Adobe Creative suite for the duration of this course, they can avail of student subscription rates. 

Module 1: Introduction to Product and UX/UI Design (Weeks 1-2) 

• Explore the fundamentals of UX, UI and digital product design, including human-centred design, Design Thinking and the roles of UX, UI and product designers. 

• Analyse successful and unsuccessful digital experiences to understand usability, user expectations, visual hierarchy and the relationship between business goals and user needs. 

• Introduce user research, pain points, competitor analysis, user profiles, problem statements and “How Might We” questions to frame a meaningful design challenge. 

• Begin working in Figma and introduce the final Product Design Challenge that students will develop throughout the course. 

Module 2: Aesthetics, Usability, and UX/UI Integration (Weeks 3-4) 

• Map user journeys, task flows, user flows and information architecture to understand how users move through a digital experience. 

• Use ideation methods, rapid sketching, Crazy 8s and low-fidelity prototyping to generate and compare possible solutions before moving into detailed interface design. 

• Create wireframes in Figma and translate user flows into clear screen layouts, navigation structures and content hierarchies. 

• Apply visual design and usability principles including typography, colour, spacing, layout, hierarchy, consistency and accessibility, while refining ideas through peer feedback. 

Module 3: Tools and Methodologies for Product and UX/UI Design (Weeks 5-6) 

• Develop high-fidelity UI designs in Figma and strengthen practical skills using Auto Layout, components, variants, reusable interface elements and responsive layout thinking. 

• Explore design systems and learn how shared visual rules, reusable components and consistent patterns support scalable, coherent digital products. 

• Apply contemporary design methodologies including Design Thinking, iterative design and collaborative product workflows, connecting research and feedback to design decisions. 

• Explore AI and emerging design workflows for research synthesis, ideation, UX writing, content development and rapid prototyping, with emphasis on critical judgement, ethics and the limitations of AI-generated output. 

• Week 5 includes special guest professionals currently working in UX/UI and digital product design. Students gain insight into real-world workflows, portfolio expectations, career pathways, multidisciplinary teams and the skills employers value. 

Module 4: Advanced UX/UI and Product Design Techniques (Weeks 7-8) 

• Develop interactive prototypes using navigation, states, overlays, transitions and micro interactions to create realistic and testable user journeys. 

• Explore responsive design across devices and screen sizes, considering how content, layout and interaction adapt to different contexts. 

• Design for complete user journeys by considering alternative routes, empty states, error states and other edge cases that influence the overall user experience. 

• Refine visual and interaction design through critique and feedback, while documenting key decisions and preparing the project for usability testing and portfolio presentation. 

Module 5: Real-World Application and Final Project (Weeks 9-10) 

• Plan and conduct usability testing with a working prototype, using structured tasks and observation to identify friction points, usability issues and opportunities for improvement. 

• Analyse feedback, prioritise findings and iterate the design, demonstrating how user evidence informs meaningful changes to the final product. 

• Develop the final project into a clear portfolio-ready UX/UI case study showing the journey from research and problem definition through to wireframes, UI design, prototype, testing and iteration. 

• Week 10 concludes with an Industry Showcase. Students present their work, demonstrate their prototype and explain their design decisions, with an additional industry professional joining the session to provide feedback and professional insight. 

Final Assessment 

For the final assessment, students will identify a real user need or problem and develop a digital product or experience in response. The assessment is designed to demonstrate the complete UX/UI and digital product design process rather than focusing only on the appearance of the final interface. 

The final project should demonstrate: 

• A clearly defined problem, target user and project goal. 

• Relevant user or competitor research and evidence of how findings informed the design. 

• User journeys, task flows or information architecture appropriate to the project. 

• Sketches and low-fidelity wireframes showing the development of the idea. 

• A considered visual interface using appropriate typography, colour, hierarchy, layout, components and accessibility principles. 

• An interactive Figma prototype demonstrating the core user journey. 

• Usability testing, documented feedback and evidence of iteration. 

• A final presentation and portfolio-ready UX/UI case study communicating the design process, decisions and outcome. 

Submission 

• Students will have a few weeks after the taught course ends to complete and submit their final project, allowing additional time for testing, iteration, refinement and case-study development. 

• The project will be evaluated on research and problem definition, user-centred thinking, quality of UX and UI design, prototyping, usability testing, iteration, problem-solving and the clarity with which the overall design process is communicated. 

The Professional Diploma in UX/UI and Product Design is designed for learners who want to understand how digital products and services are created from the user’s point of view. The course balances design theory with hands-on practice and focuses on learning by doing: students analyse existing products, investigate user needs, generate ideas, build and test prototypes, and refine their work through feedback. 

The programme is suitable for beginners as well as professionals from creative, marketing, communications, technology and related fields who want to develop practical digital product design skills. No previous UX/UI experience is required. 

• UX/UI Design: Focuses on creating intuitive, accessible and visually engaging digital experiences through user research, information architecture, interaction design, usability and visual communication. 

• Digital Product Design: Brings UX and UI together across the full design process, from identifying a problem and defining user needs to prototyping, testing, iteration and presentation. 

• Professional Practice & Portfolio: Students document their process and develop their final project as a portfolio-ready case study, learning how to explain research, design decisions, testing and iteration clearly. 

• Industry Engagement: The course includes direct input from UX/UI professionals in Week 5 and an additional industry professional at the final Week 10 presentation and feedback session. 

• High Demand: UX/UI and digital product design skills are relevant across technology, finance, healthcare, education, retail, public services, media and the wider creative industries. 

• Creative Problem-Solving: UX/UI combines creativity with research and critical thinking, allowing designers to solve real problems and improve how people interact with digital products and services. 

• Career Flexibility: The skills developed can support progression into UX Design, UI Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, Web Design, UX Research, Content Design and related digital roles. 

• Industry-Relevant Skills: Students gain practical experience with Figma, prototyping, design systems, usability testing, accessibility and emerging AI-assisted workflows used within contemporary design practice. 

• Portfolio Development: Students complete an interactive prototype and a structured UX/UI case study that demonstrates the design process from initial problem through to tested solution. 

In this course, you will be introduced to the core concepts, methodologies, and tools that shape the creation of user-friendly and visually appealing digital experiences. Through a blend of theory and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to design interfaces that not only look great but also deliver an intuitive and seamless user experience.

UX/UI design refers to the process of creating user-friendly and visually appealing digital experiences for websites, applications, and other interactive products. UX (User Experience) design focuses on understanding user needs, behaviours, and preferences to design interfaces that are intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable to use. It involves conducting user research, creating user personas, and designing user flows to optimise the overall user journey.

City College Dublin Professional Diploma 

This course offers a practical immersion in UX/UI and digital product design, combining contemporary tools and methods with real-world project development, industry engagement and portfolio-focused learning. Students leave with a stronger understanding of the complete design process and a substantial project that demonstrates how they research, design, test, iterate and communicate a digital product solution. 

Course content is reviewed regularly and may be updated in line with current industry practice and emerging design tools. 

In addition to our scheduled Professional Diploma courses, City College Dublin can provide bespoke training over 3 – 4 days, please contact Kevin.Coyne@citygroup.ie for further details.