Learn Ui Design By Erik Kennedy Updated 2021 Review

UI Design Report: Learn UI Design by Erik Kennedy (Updated 2021)

Introduction

"Learn UI Design" is a comprehensive online course created by Erik Kennedy, a renowned UI designer. The course, updated in 2021, aims to teach individuals the fundamentals of user interface (UI) design, covering the principles, processes, and best practices of designing intuitive and visually appealing interfaces. This report provides an overview of the course, highlighting its key takeaways, strengths, and weaknesses.

Course Overview

The course "Learn UI Design" by Erik Kennedy is designed for individuals with little to no prior experience in UI design. It consists of 12 modules, covering topics such as:

Introduction to UI Design: Understanding the basics of UI design, its importance, and the role of a UI designer.
Design Principles: Learning about the fundamental principles of design, including typography, color theory, and composition.
User Research: Understanding user needs, behaviors, and motivations to inform design decisions.
Wireframing and Prototyping: Creating low-fidelity sketches and high-fidelity prototypes to visualize and test designs.
Visual Design: Learning about visual design elements, such as typography, color, and imagery.
Interaction Design: Designing interactive elements, such as buttons, forms, and navigation.
Design Systems: Creating and implementing design systems to ensure consistency across products.
Designing for Accessibility: Understanding accessibility guidelines and designing inclusive interfaces.
Mobile and Responsive Design: Designing for mobile devices and creating responsive interfaces.
Designing for Web and Desktop: Designing for web and desktop applications, including layout, navigation, and interaction design.
Case Studies and Critique: Reviewing real-world examples and receiving feedback on design work.
Next Steps and Career Development: Preparing for a career in UI design and continuing education.

Key Takeaways

A solid understanding of UI design principles, processes, and best practices
Skills in wireframing, prototyping, and visual design
Knowledge of design systems, accessibility, and mobile-responsive design
Ability to design intuitive and visually appealing interfaces for web, desktop, and mobile applications

Strengths

Comprehensive coverage: The course covers a wide range of topics, providing a thorough understanding of UI design.
Practical exercises: The course includes hands-on exercises and projects, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge.
Real-world examples: The course uses real-world examples and case studies to illustrate design principles and best practices.
Erik Kennedy's expertise: Erik Kennedy is an experienced UI designer, and his expertise shines through in the course content.

Weaknesses

Steep learning curve: The course assumes little prior knowledge, but UI design can be a complex topic, making it challenging for beginners.
Time commitment: The course requires a significant time commitment, with 12 modules to complete.
Limited feedback: While the course provides some feedback opportunities, students may need additional guidance or mentorship.

Conclusion

"Learn UI Design" by Erik Kennedy is a comprehensive online course that provides a thorough introduction to UI design. With its practical exercises, real-world examples, and expert instruction, the course is suitable for individuals looking to start a career in UI design or improve their existing skills. While the course has some limitations, it is a valuable resource for anyone interested in UI design.

Recommendation

We recommend "Learn UI Design" by Erik Kennedy to:

Individuals new to UI design
Designers looking to transition into UI design
Product managers and developers interested in understanding UI design principles

Rating

Based on the course content, structure, and overall value, we give "Learn UI Design" by Erik Kennedy a rating of 4.5/5.

Mastering Digital Aesthetics: A Guide to "Learn UI Design" by Erik Kennedy (2021 Update)

For many developers and aspiring creatives, user interface (UI) design often feels like a mysterious "black box" where beautiful results are born from raw talent or subjective whims. However, the Learn UI Design course by Erik Kennedy has fundamentally challenged this notion, proving that high-end visual design is a logical, learnable skill set. learn ui design by erik kennedy updated 2021

The 2021 update (often referred to as Version 2.0) significantly matured the curriculum, expanding it to over 36 hours of video content and 53 lessons. Whether you are a senior designer looking to refine your fundamentals or a developer wanting to build professional-looking software, this course offers a pragmatic, "no-jargon" pathway to mastery. Core Pillars of the 2021 Curriculum

The Learn UI Design course is structured into six primary units, each focusing on a critical aspect of the interface design process:

Fundamentals: Move beyond vague aesthetics by mastering alignment, spacing, sizing, and the "6 techniques" for consistent design.

Color Systems: Learn why "gray is the most important color" and how to generate entire interfaces from just one or two base colors using HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness).

Typography: Access the "Good Fonts Table" featuring over 100 top-tier fonts and learn the logic behind styling text for both interactive apps and editorial content.

UI Components: A deep dive into creating component libraries, including buttons, states, icons, and complex data visualizations like charts and tables.

Digital Paradigms: Master responsive design, accessibility, and the specific UI patterns required for iOS and Android.

Communicating Design: Practical advice on building a portfolio, interviewing for design roles, and finding high-paying clients. Why the 2021 Update Matters

The 2021 refresh brought several critical improvements that kept the material relevant for modern design workflows:

Modern Tooling: The course transitioned to feature Figma as the primary tool for most lessons, while still providing support for Sketch users.

Expanded Content: The video library grew from its original length to over 33-36 hours, including re-recorded lessons for better clarity.

Redesign Vault: Students gain access to over 50 hours of narrated redesigns, where Erik takes real-world student submissions and transforms them into professional interfaces.

The Learn UI Design course by Erik Kennedy, which received a significant update in 2021 (Version 2.0), is a highly-rated, practical video course focusing on the visual side of interface design. Unlike many theory-heavy programs, it prioritizes "design logic" and objective rules to help students create polished, professional interfaces. Course Highlights (2021 Update)

Expanded Content: The course includes over 36 hours of video lessons across 53 distinct modules.

Tool Support: While originally focused on Sketch, the updated version fully integrates Figma alongside traditional tools. UI Design Report: Learn UI Design by Erik

The "Design Gut": A core focus of the program is Erik's 2-step process for building a "design gut instinct," allowing you to analyze why a design works and how to fix it.

Pragmatic Curriculum: The syllabus covers critical UI pillars including:

Color: Mastering HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness), fixing clashing colors, and picking primary/secondary palettes.

Typography: Rules for styling text, choosing body fonts, and pairing typefaces effectively.

Components: Building extensive libraries with buttons, dropdowns, switches, and radio buttons.

Real-World Process: Guidance on responsive design, mobile paradigms (iOS/Android), and accessibility. What’s Included

Student Community: Access to a special forum and Slack channel for peer discussion and mentor feedback.

Resource Library: A collection of cheatsheets, checklists, and Figma templates to speed up the design process.

Portfolio Guidance: Specific lessons on approaching your portfolio as its own design problem to help land freelance or full-time roles. Feedback & Investment

Students from companies like Home Depot have credited the course with helping them land their first professional UI roles. Reviewers emphasize that the course is a significant investment (often priced around $1,000) but noted it can pay for itself quickly through higher-value client projects.

For more details on enrollment or to view free tutorials, you can visit the Official Learn UI Design website or explore Erik Kennedy's resource page. Learn UI Design Course Video Review

The Learn UI Design course by Erik Kennedy is widely regarded by design professionals from companies like Google and Amazon as one of the most comprehensive resources for mastering user interface design. The 2021 update, often referred to as Learn UI Design 2.0, introduced re-recorded video lessons, expanded content on tools like Figma, and deeper insights into visual design and user research. Core Course Content

The curriculum is built on over 36 hours of practical video lessons organized into seven major modules:

Introductory Topics: Includes a primer on Figma/Sketch, workspace setup for rapid design, and techniques for building a "design gut instinct".

Fundamentals: Covers objective principles of aesthetics, such as alignment, spacing, consistency, sizing, and advanced lighting/shadows. Introduction to UI Design : Understanding the basics

Color: Focused on practical skills like using the HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) system, generating interfaces from limited base colors, and designing dark interfaces.

Typography: Provides a "Good Fonts Table" of 100+ free or cheap fonts and strategies for choosing body fonts and pairing typefaces.

UI Components: Deep dives into creating component libraries (buttons, states), icon design, and data visualization (charts and tables).

Digital Platforms & Paradigms: Covers responsive UI design, accessibility, and platform-specific guidelines for iOS and Android.

Communicating Design: Practical career advice on creating portfolios, interviewing for jobs, finding clients, and developer handoff. Key Features and 2021 Highlights

Live Redesign Vault: Over 41 hours of narrated videos where Erik redesigns student submissions, tagged by color, font, and brand for easy reference.

Pragmatic Approach: Unlike theoretical courses, this program emphasizes "watching over his shoulder" as he works on realistic projects.

Figma Deep Dive: The update added specific lessons on Figma's autolayout functionality and updated developer handoff checklists.

Personal Mentorship: Students receive feedback on homework and personal projects from a paid team of design mentors and Erik himself. Notable Perspectives

Efficiency Gains: Reviewers on Medium have noted finishing projects in 10% of their previous time due to the workflow-speeding techniques taught in the course.

Professional Outcomes: Many students report landing retainer clients or full-time UI/UX roles within months of starting the course.

Investment Value: While the price is approximately $1,000, it is frequently cited as being more practical and valuable than four-year university programs or expensive bootcamps. What I've Learned From Learn UI Design by Erik Kennedy

4. Whitespace is Functional

Beginners tend to cram elements together. This creates cognitive overload—the user doesn't know where to look. Pros use whitespace as a layout tool.

Law of Proximity: Elements that are related should be close together; elements that are unrelated should have space between them.
Visual Hierarchy: The more important an element is, the more space you should give it.
The Breathing Room: Don't be afraid to add generous padding inside buttons and between sections. In 2021/2022, "airy" designs are the industry standard for luxury and tech aesthetics.

✅ Buy if:

You can design a wireframe but it looks "off" (bad spacing, muddy colors, inconsistent alignment)
You're a front-end dev who wants to stop relying on Tailwind defaults
You've taken a UX course but still can't make a beautiful dashboard or landing page
You want a portfolio-ready project (course includes 3 full UI redesigns)

Module A: The Visual Grammar

Color theory for UI (not art). Learn the 60-30-10 rule applied to dashboards and landing pages.
Consistent iconography. How to use stroke width, corner rounding, and visual weight to make icons feel "pro."
The grid. Advanced use of 8px and 4px grids for spacing harmony.

How to practice critiques

Post one project per week to a design community or a study partner.
Use the “I like / I wish / What if” framework for actionable feedback.
Track three changes from each critique and implement them.

Module C: Interaction & Micro-copy

Buttons: Primary, secondary, tertiary—when to use outlines, ghosts, or solids.
Form design best practices (floating labels, error states, validation).
Micro-copy that converts (e.g., "Get started" vs. "Claim my free trial").

What You Will Build (The Portfolio Proof)

By the end of the course (specifically the 2021 version), you will have three portfolio pieces that get interviews:

The Fintech Dashboard: Proving you can handle dense data.
The Mobile Fitness App: Proving you understand touch targets and iOS/Android guidelines.
The E-commerce Product Page: Proving you can drive conversion through hierarchy.

These are not Dribbble "shots" (visuals with no context). These are clickable prototypes with interaction states.