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Our Verdict
The Google UX Design Professional Certificate is designed by subject matter experts who work in UX Design at Google. If you want to learn user experience from the basics and establish a solid foundation, I highly recommend taking this course. It offers great value at an affordable price. The professional certificate is helpful enough for getting a job also.
What I like about this course (Pros):
What I don’t like about this course (Cons):
My Rating: 4.8/5
If you looking for a detailed review of the Google UX Design Professional Certificate and whether it is worth it for securing a job? If so, make sure to read this article until the end.
Since I have taken this certification course myself so I can you a better review and guide. In this article, I will share everything you need to know about the Google UX Design Professional Certificate.
Before diving into the review, it’s important to understand Google Professional Certificates since the Google UX Design certificate is part of this program. If you already have knowledge about it, you can skip ahead using the table of contents below.
Read also: Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate Review
We have a lot of things to cover in this article, so let’s dive right into it…
What are Google Professional Certificates?
Google Professional Certificates, also known as Google Career Certificates, are online training programs designed and built by subject-matter experts and senior practitioners at Google in various job fields.
These flexible programs aim to equip individuals with job-ready skills in the following high-growth, high-demand careers such as UX design, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing & e-commerce, IT support, project management, and more.
These certifications are available on Coursera and are open to anyone interested in gaining practical skills and industry-recognized credentials without any experience.
Upon successful completion, you receive a Google Professional Certificate, which can help to showcase your skills to potential employers.
And, today I’m going to share my review of the Google UX Design Certificate. Stay tuned!
Google UX Design Professional Certificate Overview:
Google UX Design Professional certificate is a part of Google Career certificates that help you learn all the essential skills about the user experience. This course starts from the beginner level and gives you a solid foundation in UX.
This training program includes 7-course series that you have to complete in order to earn a professional certificate:
- Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design
- Start the UX Design Process: Empathize, Define, and Ideate
- Build Wireframes and Low-Fidelity Prototypes
- Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts
- Create High-Fidelity Designs and Prototypes in Figma
- Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD
- Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs
Every course includes a series of video lectures, in-video questions, reading articles, practice quizzes, graded assignments, and peer reviews. In addition, you also get access to a discussion forum to interact with other learners. Read my Coursera review for more information.
You may also take notes during the video lectures or download the lecture to watch it offline. On average to complete the all-course series, it may take a maximum of 6 months of studying 10 hours a week. However, it completely depends on your speed of learning.
This professional certification course is available on Coursera but is taught by instructors who have already worked and working in this field at Google.
I’ll tell you later about the cost of this course and whether this professional certification can get you a job. For now, let’s discuss who can be a good fit for this course.
Who is Ideal for this course?
As I have said already this course starts from the beginner level and you don’t need any prior experience in UX. Whether you are new to UX design or have some exposure, you may take this course.
All you need is a laptop (or a computer) and an internet connection. Now the question is who is ideal for this course?
Well, if you want to learn all about user experience like, what makes a product attractive to users, and how to design it in a way that everyone would like it and recommend it to others, this course may be ideal for you.
(A product could be a website, app, or any physical product.)
Regardless of your profession, If you’re passionate about designing a website, app, or any physical product to make it more user-friendly with your creativity while earning a handsome amount of money, you may take this course.
In short, Google UX Design Professional Certificate is good for:
- students who want to learn an in-demand skill besides their academics.
- people who want to switch careers to UX Design.
- people who want to level up his/her business by improving user experience.
- anyone (homemaker, working professional) who wants to gain additional skills.
What you’ll learn in this course actually?
Since the beginning, I have been emphasizing that this course will teach you UX Design. However, let’s clarify what exactly you will learn in UX design through the Google UX Design certificate course.
This certification includes 7-course series to give you a solid foundation of user experience. Let’s go through each course and explore what you’ll learn in them:
1. Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design
This course is the first in a series and its main focus is on the foundations of user experience. It covers the origins of user experience, its importance to businesses, and the concepts of good and bad user experiences.
Additionally, the course teaches techniques for conducting research to enhance user experience. I’d like to share an example of a better user experience that I learned during this course, and if you enroll, you’ll have the opportunity to encounter it as well.
Remember in the past, ketchup was typically packaged in glass bottles, requiring repeated tapping on the bottle's back to get the ketchup out. This method often resulted in difficulties or excessive dispensing of ketchup. However, to improve the user experience, ketchup is now available in squeezable plastic bottles. This design change allows for easy dispensing of ketchup while providing control over the desired amount.
Similarly, you will learn most of the theories with great examples and appealing visuals. Further, you’ll learn about the product development life cycle (i.e. brainstorm, define, design, test, and launch), the basics of wireframes and prototype that every UX designers go through the process, and many more basic but essential things.
Now I could share everything I learned in this course but that will make the article so long. Rather I want you to take this Google UX design certification course, you’ll surely enjoy it.
2. Start the UX Design Process
This course prepares you for entry-level jobs in user experience design. You’ll learn to empathize with users, understand their pain points, and define user needs through problem statements. Generating ideas for user solutions and crafting user stories and journey maps are also covered.
By the end of the course, you’ll have completed the initial design phases for a mobile app project, which you can showcase in your professional UX portfolio. The instructor is a current UX designer and researcher at Google, providing valuable hands-on experience in real-world UX design scenarios.
The course consists of four modules and can be completed in approximately three weeks, with a recommended learning commitment of 10 hours per week.
3. Build Wireframes and Low-Fidelity Prototypes
In the first course, I mentioned wireframes and prototypes. If you read it carefully, you would have noticed.
In this course, you will learn about two types of storyboards: big-picture and close-up. You’ll also learn how to draw your first wireframes and transition to digital wireframes using the design tool Figma. Additionally, you’ll explore prototypes and learn how to create a digital low-fidelity prototype in Figma.
If you’re wondering what a wireframe is, it’s a rough structure that UX Designers draw as a guide for creating the actual design.
There are many new concepts in this subject that I can’t explain here. However, if you find what I’m explaining interesting, you should consider taking the Google UX Design Certificate.
This course consists of 3 modules and takes approximately 3 weeks to complete, studying 8-9 hours per week.
4. Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts
This course covers the research process and testing, building upon the previous design work you’ve already done.
You’ll learn how to plan and conduct usability studies to gather feedback on designs. Based on research insights, you’ll make modifications to your low-fidelity designs.
During the research process, you’ll explore seven key elements: project background, research goals, research questions, key performance indicators, methodology, participants, and the script or questions for participants.
The next module focuses on usability studies, a crucial concept in UX design. You’ll analyze and synthesize feedback from participants and use it to enhance your designs. Finally, you’ll share your research insights for improved design outcomes.
This course consists of four short modules and typically takes around 3 weeks to complete, with an average of 8 hours of weekly study.
5. Create High-Fidelity Designs and Prototypes in Figma
This course covers various topics, from creating mockups to building high-fidelity prototypes in Figma. It also introduces the concepts of gestures and motion, which enhance user experience and usability.
Additionally, you’ll learn about visual design elements such as typography, color, and iconography. These elements play a significant role in improving usability and enhancing the user experience, as seen in the popular note-taking app Notion.
Moreover, the course teaches you the importance of giving and receiving feedback and how to implement it in your design process, which is a crucial step.
With six modules to complete, this course takes approximately four weeks, requiring 9-10 hours of commitment per week.
6. Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD
Similar to the previous course, this course focuses on creating responsive designs. You’ll learn the proper steps of UX design to create a responsive website that is usable, equitable, enjoyable, and useful, as taught in the first course.
You’ll also gain experience with Adobe XD, a popular UX design tool. Additionally, you’ll learn how to design responsive layouts for different devices such as phones, laptops, and tablets.
You’ll revisit wireframing, low-fidelity prototypes, and high-fidelity prototypes, but this time using Adobe XD instead of Figma to create digital wireframes and mockups.
By completing these tasks, you’ll be able to showcase your responsive website work, share it with others, and explore job opportunities, which will be covered in the next course.
Interested? This course consists of six modules and can be completed in 4-5 weeks by studying 9-10 hours per week.
7. Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs
This is the last and perhaps the most essential course to consider in UX design if you want to make a career in this field. In this course, you’ll design a responsive app and website focused on social good.
Throughout the course, you’ll acquire a wide range of skills that will be showcased in your portfolio. These skills include understanding user needs, identifying pain points, generating design ideas, creating wireframes and prototypes, conducting design testing for valuable feedback, and more.
In addition to a compelling portfolio, you’ll also learn the importance of establishing a professional online presence and the benefits it brings. Lastly, you’ll gain the knowledge to secure a UX job and explore freelance opportunities by developing a business plan and acquiring strategies to attract your first client.
The course consists of six modules and typically takes around six weeks to complete.
How much Google UX Design Certificate cost?
If you’re interested in the course content and want to enroll, let me tell you about the cost.
This Google certification course is available on Coursera, and the price is determined by Coursera itself. In the U.S. and Canada, the course is priced at $49 per month after a 7-day free trial. The cost may be lower in other countries where Google Career Certificates are available.
The price of the course depends on how long it takes you to complete it. According to Coursera, if you study part-time for under 10 hours per week, it will take nearly 6 months to finish, costing you less than $300.
However, if you’re a fast learner and can study over 20 hours per week, you can complete the course in less than 3 months, bringing the total cost down to $147.
Now, here’s some good news for those in India.
Coursera charges only INR 3448 for this course for 6 months, which is incredibly affordable. If you can finish it in 3 months, the cost is even lower at INR 2299, as recommended by Coursera. Keep in mind that there’s no trial period, but there’s a 14-day refund period.
Regardless of your location, Google UX is very affordable compared to other courses like UX Portfolio Booster on PeakXD and General Assembly UX Design course, which cost over a thousand dollars.
Additionally, Coursera provides financial aid for its courses and offers a free audit option. This can be beneficial for financially disadvantaged students who want to access the course.
Check out our deals and offers page for online learning platforms.
Is Google UX Design Professional Certificate worth it?
I’ve already mentioned that this certification course is created by Google, with instructors who are experts and experienced professionals in the field. The Google professional certificates aim to provide job opportunities in technical support and high-growth fields for individuals without a college degree or experience.
If you trust Google and believe what I’m saying, I assure you that the certificate is valid and accredited by ACE. It is definitely worth pursuing, especially for those interested in learning UX design and building a career in that field.
The course starts from the basics and provides a solid foundation in UX Design. You’ll learn a great deal and gain practical experience using tools like Figma and Adobe XD. By the end, you’ll be prepared for an entry-level job in UX Design.
In addition, you’ll receive complimentary access to the Big Interview portal and Google’s Interview Warmup practice tool. There are also opportunities for mock interviews, resume-building workshops, career coaching sessions, and more.
The course is available on Coursera, and they have done an excellent job of making it engaging by including in-video questions, readings, quizzes, graded assignments, weekly challenges, and a discussion forum for interaction with other learners.
How one may earn this professional certificate?
Since the Google UX Design Professional Certificate is offered directly by Google and accredited by ACE, it’s important to include this credential on your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV to showcase your skills.
But how do you earn this professional certificate?
Simply paying for the course won’t be enough to obtain the certificate. To earn the Google User Experience (UX) Design certificate, you must complete a portfolio that features three major UXD projects and three case studies. These projects are designed to prepare you for a job in the field of UX Design.
The assignments for the projects are as follows: Project 1 (Mobile App) in Course 2, Project 2 (Responsive Web Design) in Course 6, and Project 3 (Design a User Experience for Social Good) in Course 7.
By the time you complete this certificate, you will have designed two mobile apps and two responsive websites, which you can proudly share on your social media as your accomplishments.
How hard this certification course is to complete?
The course is specially designed for the beginner level and everything you’ll learn from scratch.
From the beginning of this course, you’ll be introduced to the basics of user experience and then how to use wireframing and prototypes with tools like Abode XD and Figma.
In my opinion, if you take the course in proper sequence, you’ll never find any content hard to understand. In fact, along with every video lecture, you’ll get detailed reading notes and references to further clear your concept.
If you’re concerned about the graded assignments and quizzes then I must those are not very hard unless you learn the course effectively. If you make wrong answers you’ll also get the right solution for them to learn where you made mistakes.
It may possible you may find a few projects are hard to design but with the expert’s guidance during the course, you’ll surely able to complete them.
Should you enroll in Google UX Design Professional Certification?
In this review of the Google UX Design certification, I have provided all the necessary information for you to consider before enrolling in the course.
Now, you should be able to provide a better answer to the question. However, if you would like my opinion, I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in learning UX Design from a reputable company like Google.
This course offers great value at an affordable price, leaving no reason to decline it.
Nevertheless, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons I listed at the beginning and make a decision based on that. Additionally, I will be featuring some alternative courses for you to consider next.
Alternatives to Google UX Design Professional Certificate:
Google professional certificate is not only the option to learn UX Design. There are many online platforms available that also help you to learn and master these skills. Nevertheless, here I am going to feature some best alternatives to this course:
Udacity UX Design Nanodegree:
Udacity is renowned for its Nanodegree programs, including the Nanodegree certificate in UX Design.
Similar to the Google UX Certification, Udacity offers a beginner-level course that covers the fundamentals and provides hands-on experience with tools such as Figma for creating high-fidelity prototypes. Interestingly, two instructors from the Google UX certification course also teach at Udacity.
The Nanodegree course structure is excellent, and Udacity provides career support to help you secure a job. However, it’s important to note that the Nanodegree is not accredited by any institution, unlike the Google UX certification. Additionally, it focuses exclusively on Figma and does not include Adobe XD, which is something to consider.
You may read our Udacity review or check out this Udacity UX Design Nanodegree program.
UX & Web Design Master Course on Udemy
Udemy offers hundreds of courses in various fields. This is one of the UX Design courses on Udmey that has a high enrollment and rating. The course is very affordable and doesn’t take more than a week to complete by studying 10 hrs a day.
In this course, you’ll start from the basics and build a good foundation in UX design. However, this course teaches you to design a responsive website with WordPress. You won’t get any exposure to tools like Figma and Adobe XD.
Additionally, Udmey certificates are not valid but the skills you’ll gain are worth considering. I highly recommend reading my Udmey review.
Read also: Udemy Vs Coursera Vs Udacity- Which is best?
UX Fundamentals on Pluralsight
Similar to the previous course, this course will clear all your basics on user experience. It’s just 2 hrs of course but gives you lots of basic information. In a few minutes, you will quickly user research, wireframes, prototypes, and a few more basic concepts.
This course is available on Pluralsight which is a well-known online learning platform and taught by Krispian Emert, who has over 10 years of experience in the field of User Experience. You may consider this course if you just want to explore the basics of User Experience.
Now It’s your turn:
So, in this Google UX Design Professional Certificate review, I have shared everything you need to know about this course.
Now I’d like to hear from you: Got any thoughts or questions about this Google Professional Certificate course? And, Did you satisfy with my review?
Let me know in the comment…
