The unique nature of UX design, and arguably its most attractive quality, is that you can begin your journey in the UX design industry for free. Picking up foundational skills, simple hacks, and tricks and witnessing the industry through the lens of an expert designer for free is entirely possible—all thanks to YouTube.
As with countless other game-changing designers, it’s been proven that it’s possible to become a designer with zero experience and without spending a cent.
That being said, if you really want to succeed in UX design and become a great product designer, enrolling in a paid course is the best way to expedite the process and deepen your knowledge quickly. A course like The Ultimate Figma Masterclass is a surefire way to get a complete education in Figma design from the ground up, along with access to an exclusive community of like-minded designers.
Subscribing to YouTube channels for Product (UX/UI) designers is beneficial for all designers, from beginner to advanced, because:
- It’s free education.
- You can learn about the industry through the lens of industry experts.
- You can connect and interact with other designers within the community.
- You can improve your design eye and understand subtle yet crucial design decisions by watching other designers create.
- It allows you to test the waters and see if the design is your passion before committing to a paid course.
To help develop your collection, here is our list of the best YouTube channels to learn UX/UI design and become a Product (UX/UI) Designer.
1. Mizko
With over 53K subscribers, Mizko’s YouTube Community is quickly becoming one of the most recognized UX/UI design channels.
Launched by UI/UX designer, advisor, and educator Mizko, the channel features over 30 hours of content with just over 1.2M hours watched, including in-depth lessons, tutorials, career advice, and insights into the day-to-day of the Designership team.
You can learn all the critical Figma skills you need to level up your design game, keep ahead of the game with up-to-date community news, and learn all the trade tricks with his in-depth content.
Mizko also hosts a lot of Q&As with the community and is incredibly active in the comment section, answering questions, taking requests, and helping out other designers.
There are plenty of discussions about working as a freelance designer and as part of a team, as well as real-world design advice such as negotiating fees, building an eye-catching portfolio, and how to build your own business.
For those looking for a free introductory Figma course, check out the Figma Tutorials: The Ultimate Crash Course, where you can learn all the basic essentials for designing with Figma. The Design System Series—Figma playlist is ideal for those looking for a complete rundown of Design Systems and all the visuals and fundamentals.
Great videos to watch:
- Figma Tutorial: Setup a Responsive Grid Layout for UI & Web Design (IN 11 MINUTES)
- Don't Become a UX Designer
2. Figma
Just when you thought the Figma community couldn’t get any better, Figma launched the Figma YouTube channel. Expect an inclusive, creative ecosystem of dedicated product (UX/UI) designers in the comment section and insights from the Figma team themselves.
On Figma’s YouTube channel, you’ll find incredibly straightforward and to-the-point tutorials, lessons, and design discussions. As a company that values inclusivity and accessibility, it’s refreshing to see they have included lots of content in different languages.
Along with video tutorials, you can also watch sessions from “Config,” the global design conference hosted by Figma, where users from around the world come together to learn from each other.
Great videos to watch:
3. ChunBuns
ChunBuns is a product designer based in San Fransisco. Her channel specializes in discussions and tutorials regarding designer productivity and the process of transitioning from a freelance designer to working in a team or entering UI/UX design at larger companies.
Chun Buns has great day-in-the-life vlog-style videos for those interested in designing remotely and working in teams. She has also mentored several designers and helped them prepare for interviews with some big names in the tech industry.
Great videos to watch:
- How to create your first UX design portfolio website
- How I became a UX Designer with no experience or design degree | chunbuns
4. Rachael How
Rachael How is a product designer from Malaysia who has made a name for herself in the UX/UI design space as an entirely self-taught designer. She is incredibly passionate about being self-taught and teaching others how to pave the way for themselves in the design field.
While Rachael’s channel is newer and therefore has fewer videos than other channels, what she lacks in quantity she more than makes up for in quality. Her channel provides very in-depth and inspirational content on UI/UX design, productivity, and how to become a self-taught designer.
Great videos to watch:
- How I became a UI/UX Designer in 3 months | No degree, no experience, self-taught
- 15 tips to design 15X faster in Figma | Figma Tutorial 2021
5. Flux Academy
Flux Academy’s channel was launched by Ran Segall—a designer, a freelance designer, and the founder of Flux Academy itself. Flux Academy is a content machine, with the channel releasing new videos every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
On this channel, expect in-depth discussions from Ryan about his journey from a designer to a business owner. Expect lots of conversations about his career path and all the highs and lows, including setbacks and lessons learned along the way.
Great videos to watch:
6. Jesse Showalter
Jesse Showalter, aka Jesse Atomic, is a full-stack designer and content creator. Jesse shares weekly digital design and web development videos focused on designing with tools, alternative approaches, and his thoughts on different projects.
Jesse shares brilliant content for those looking to learn more about being a web designer, UI designer, or front-end developer. Of particular interest is his recent series, where he explores the five most common UI design patterns.
Great videos to watch:
- UX Design vs. UI Design | What's the Difference? Which one is right for me?
- 5 Common UI Design Patterns | Part 1
7. Femke
A senior product designer based out of British Columbia, Canada, Femke von Schoonhoven’s channel is ideal for those looking for advice on a UX career path and working in a corporate setting.
A former full-time product designer at Uber, Femke launched her own YouTube channel in early 2019. Her channel hosts a variety of different videos on UX and product design, as well as a look into her career trajectory.
Great videos to watch:
- How to handoff your designs to Engineering
- My Uber Whiteboarding UX Challenge // How to approach design whiteboarding exercises
8. Vaexperience
Vy Alechnavicius is an award-winning experience designer, design leader, strategist, and UX team manager who uses the Vaexperience channel to focus on more holistic human-centered services and products.
Vaexperience was initially launched as an educational tool for his in-house design team, providing them with proper user experience methods, rapid UX prototyping techniques, and designing at scale. The content quickly gained traction from other designers and is now known as a channel for UX user research advice and portfolio creation.
Great videos to watch:
- UX Portfolio: How to Create a UX Design Case Study
- Creating a Second Brain for Researchers and UX Designers
9. AJSMART
AJ&Smart is a professional product design and innovation studio based in Berlin, Germany that works with many global brands and companies. Their channel provides great insight into working in large teams and effective communication and collaboration across departments.
Similar to Flux Academy, AJSMART is consistently sharing new videos every week. Recently, the two brands collaborated to release a Flux & AJSMART Design Sprint Bootcamp following AJSMART’s decision to specialize in design sprints.
Great videos to watch:
10. Mike Locke
Mike Locke is a familiar name in the UX/UI Youtube space, with over 15 years of content. As a product (UX/UI) designer, Mike’s channel explores his personal experiences and opinions on everything from digital marketing to hands-on UI/UX design to front-end development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript).
Mike hosts a brilliant live streaming session every week to dissect design as a career, how to find value as a UX designer and tips for career progression.
Great videos to watch
- Struggling Coming Up with Ideas for Personal Projects? (Portfolio Advice)
- What I Would Do If I Was Getting Started Today (in UI/UX Design)
Saptarshi Prakash
Saptarshi, also known as Sapta, is an engineer turned self-taught Product Designer based out of Bangalore, India.
Sapta has a lot of content specifically for designers living in India, including discussions on university or formal courses vs. free online courses and internships under the Design Gyaan (design knowledge) series.
Great videos to watch:
- UX Designer vs Product Designer - Differences explained with analogies
- Design school vs Self-learning UX design - Indian comparison
Paid UX/UI design courses, or free courses: which is best?
When it comes to UX/UI design, you have complete freedom to choose which education roadmap works best for you. Some designers find that enrolling in a free online course is the most beneficial choice for their design career, especially if costs are a concern or if they are still unsure if design is their passion.
For those looking to get a solid UX/UI design foundation, paid courses are a must. Free courses and using YouTube as a classroom do come with the added pressure of self-discipline and the potential for knowledge gaps. With a paid course like The Ultimate Figma Masterclass, you can access a comprehensive design curriculum, accountability, and an exclusive community of like-minded designers.
That being said, every designer should subscribe to YouTube channels dedicated to product (UX/UI) designers regardless of where they are in their design journey. It’s easy to ensure you are consistently upskilling, staying up to date with the industry, and immersing yourself in the design space.
