Visual Design & Interface Creation
Transform concepts into beautiful, functional interfaces through advanced visual design techniques. Master typography, color theory, and composition principles specific to digital products.
Back to HomeAbout This Course
This intensive 14-week program focuses on developing your visual design capabilities for digital products. You'll learn to create interfaces that balance aesthetic appeal with functional usability, understanding how visual elements guide user attention and support interaction.
The curriculum covers industry-standard design tools including Figma, Sketch, and Adobe Creative Suite. You'll develop proficiency in these platforms while learning fundamental principles that transcend specific software. Through hands-on projects, you'll explore typography selection and hierarchy, color theory application, grid systems, and spatial relationships.
Responsive design forms a core component of the program. You'll learn to create flexible layouts that maintain visual integrity across different screen sizes and devices. Understanding breakpoints, fluid grids, and scalable components prepares you to design for the multi-device reality of modern digital products.
The course includes comprehensive coverage of design systems and component libraries. You'll learn to create reusable interface elements, establish design tokens, and document patterns that ensure consistency across products. Projects include redesigning existing applications, creating brand identities for digital products, and building your own design system from foundational elements.
Career Development & Outcomes
This program develops visual design capabilities applicable across various digital product roles. Your portfolio will showcase your ability to create polished, professional interfaces that balance form and function.
Skill Development
- Typography selection and hierarchy creation
- Color theory application and palette development
- Grid systems and layout composition
- Component design and design system creation
Professional Applications
- UI designer positions at product companies
- Mobile interface design specialization
- Brand and visual identity designer roles
- Design system architect positions
Portfolio Development
Your portfolio will include multiple interface redesigns, original application concepts, icon sets, and a comprehensive design system. Each piece demonstrates your process from concept sketches through final pixel-perfect deliverables, showing both creative thinking and technical execution.
Previous participants have used their portfolios when transitioning from graphic design to digital product design, applying for junior UI positions, and establishing freelance practices. The breadth of work you create provides evidence of versatility across different design challenges and platforms.
Design Tools & Software
Gain proficiency in professional design tools used throughout the industry. The course emphasizes understanding design principles that remain constant regardless of which software you use.
Figma & Interface Design Tools
Master Figma's component system, auto-layout features, and prototyping capabilities. Learn to create design systems with variants, manage complex component libraries, and collaborate effectively with team members. You'll also explore Sketch as an alternative interface design platform, understanding when each tool might be preferable.
Adobe Creative Suite
Develop skills in Photoshop for image editing and manipulation, Illustrator for icon design and vector graphics, and understand when to use each tool in your workflow. Learn to prepare assets for different screen densities, optimize images for web, and create scalable graphics that maintain quality across sizes.
Typography & Layout Tools
Explore type design principles using professional tools and resources. Learn to select appropriate typefaces, establish typographic scales, and create readable text hierarchies. Understand web typography considerations including font loading, variable fonts, and responsive type sizing.
Color & Visual Tools
Master color theory application using digital tools. Learn to create harmonious color palettes, ensure sufficient contrast for accessibility, and understand color psychology in interface design. Explore tools for generating color schemes, testing accessibility, and documenting color systems.
Design Standards & Best Practices
Professional visual design requires understanding established standards and guidelines that ensure your work functions well across contexts and user populations.
Accessibility Standards
Learn to apply WCAG guidelines in your design work, ensuring interfaces remain usable for people with various abilities. This includes maintaining appropriate color contrast ratios, creating clear focus states, designing scalable interfaces, and understanding how screen readers interpret visual hierarchies.
- Minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratios for text
- Scalable typography and layouts
- Color-independent information hierarchy
Platform Guidelines
Understand design guidelines for major platforms including iOS Human Interface Guidelines and Material Design principles. While maintaining creative expression, learn when following platform conventions improves usability and when innovation serves user needs better than adherence to norms.
- iOS and Android design patterns
- Web design conventions and expectations
- Responsive breakpoints and scaling
Performance Considerations
Visual designers share responsibility for interface performance. Learn to optimize images appropriately, choose efficient formats, and understand how design decisions affect loading times. Balance visual richness with performance requirements, recognizing that slow interfaces frustrate users regardless of aesthetic quality. You'll learn techniques for asset optimization, lazy loading strategies, and working within technical constraints while maintaining design integrity.
Who This Course Is For
This program serves creatives ready to specialize in digital product design and develop their visual design capabilities for screen-based interfaces.
Graphic Designers
Print or brand designers transitioning to digital product work. You'll learn how interface design differs from print design and how to adapt your visual sensibilities to interactive contexts.
UX Designers
UX professionals wanting to strengthen their visual design skills. If you excel at research and wireframes but want to improve your visual execution, this course bridges that gap.
Creative Professionals
Individuals with artistic backgrounds seeking structured training in digital interface design. Your creative foundation will be channeled into functional, user-centered visual work.
Prerequisites
Some design experience or visual training helps but isn't strictly required. You should have basic computer literacy and willingness to learn professional design software. Having a personal computer capable of running design applications is necessary for coursework.
More important than previous experience is having a developed visual sense and interest in digital product design. If you notice details in interfaces you use, have opinions about visual aesthetics, and want to create polished digital experiences, you'll find this program valuable.
Learning Progress & Assessment
Your progress is measured through portfolio projects that demonstrate increasing complexity and polish. Regular critiques help refine your visual sensibilities and technical execution.
Weekly Design Exercises
Complete focused exercises targeting specific skills like typography pairing, color palette creation, or icon design. These shorter assignments let you experiment and receive feedback before applying techniques to larger projects.
Portfolio Projects
Develop four major projects including an application redesign, original app concept, icon set, and comprehensive design system. These pieces form your portfolio and progress from simpler challenges to complex, multi-screen applications.
Design Critiques
Participate in weekly critique sessions where you present work and receive feedback from instructors and peers. Learning to articulate design decisions and accept constructive criticism develops professional communication skills essential for collaborative work.
Final Portfolio Presentation
Conclude the course by presenting your complete portfolio to instructors and invited design professionals. This presentation simulates real portfolio reviews and provides networking opportunities within Helsinki's design community. Course completion requires submitting all portfolio projects.
Explore Other Courses
Expand your capabilities with complementary programs in user research and interaction design.
User Experience Foundations & Research Methods
Develop understanding of human-centered design principles and user research methodologies. Learn to conduct interviews, create personas, and map customer journeys.
Learn MorePrototyping & Interaction Design
Bring designs to life through interactive prototypes and sophisticated interaction patterns. Master prototyping tools and motion design principles.
Learn MoreReady to Develop Your Visual Design Skills?
Join our next cohort and learn to create beautiful, functional interfaces that balance aesthetic appeal with usability. Limited to 12 participants for personalized instruction and detailed feedback.