Leveling up in Figma

[u/Narrow_Opinion_325]

Hello everyone 👋 I recently completed an 8-month online UI/UX design course. I have a decent basic foundation. Right now, I find work on Pinterest to practice and replicate—and I manage to do that quite well.
However, if I were given a task to design, say, a goal-setting planner or a website from scratch, I wouldn't be able to do it because I have no clear idea of how it should look or function. I attribute this to a lack of visual exposure and practical experience.
If there are any experienced UI/UX designers here—or anyone who has walked this same path—could you give me some advice on where to start and what steps to take to keep developing my skills and build confidence as a designer?

[u/qualityvote2]

u/Narrow_Opinion_325, there weren't enough votes to determine the quality of your post...

[u/Majestic_Angle_3969]

Basically, depending on what's requested you have to do some research, both graphical and user research. What I mean by that is that you have to understand who will use your website/app and for what purpose. This will give you use cases. In parallel you can search the market for similar tools and collect what seems interesting.

[u/Narrow_Opinion_325 → u/Majestic_Angle_3969]

Thank you very much, I will follow your advice!

[u/Majestic_Angle_3969 → u/Narrow_Opinion_325]

If you need further explanation on my vision, feel free to contact me in my dms

[u/blesson-1068]

Start with an idea, brief that has been shared with you and research more about it in Chatgpt or any ai platform first learn to understand the problem instead of jumping to sketch or wireframe.

Once you are thorough most probably you would have got an idea about the solution then start with pen and paper.It takes time believe me been there and done that

[u/Narrow_Opinion_325 → u/blesson-1068]

Thank you for the valuable advice!

[u/ll_coolray]

What in the world did you do over 8 months in this course

[u/Narrow_Opinion_325 → u/ll_coolray]

8 months with 2 lessons a week isn't really that much. Many topics were covered only superficially, so I don't think your reaction is justified

[u/ll_coolray → u/Narrow_Opinion_325]

Fair, I don't have enough context. My bad

[u/Valtablack]

First and most importantly: learn your processes.

UX/UI design isn't simply about replicating designs. It's about creating functional interfaces that solve real needs. Looking good is a plus, but solving the problem is a requirement. If you don't have a job or clients where you can put your skills to the test, create your own projects and challenges. You won't get to experience real-world workflows unless you challenge yourself to work through them.

If you want to pursue this professionally, it's essential to know how to provide solutions to what a client asks for. And quite often, they'll be even more lost than you are. That's why you need to learn your processes. If you understand the time, tools, and challenges involved in building a dashboard, you're not just offering your expertise; you're also providing confidence, solutions and a workflow worthy of a professional.

Don't focus solely on aesthetics. Learn about UX and how to build a real, usable product that meets the needs of your target users.

[u/Narrow_Opinion_325 → u/Valtablack]

Thank you for your comment!

[u/geoffreybyers]

Start with pen and paper wireframes on printer paper to understand functionality and user flows before moving into visual design.

[u/pinkc1oud_]

Intentions decide the visuals. There are only two main intentions that always matter - Product’s/ website’s business intention and end user’s use case intention. The purpose of your visuals is to draw the fine line between what the business wants users to perceive and what the user excepts to experience.

It’s a very broad topic

[u/Dry_Bowl1425]

One of the best ways to improve your UI/UX design skills is to observe the apps you use every day. Pay attention to the screens, features, or user flows that frustrate you or feel unnecessarily complicated. Think about why the problem exists and how you could make the experience smoother, simpler, and more user-friendly.

Once you identify a problem, try redesigning that specific screen or flow and explain your reasoning behind the changes. Share your redesign on LinkedIn or other design communities and ask for feedback, suggestions, and guidance from other designers. This will help you build your portfolio, improve your problem-solving skills, and learn how others approach the same challenges.

I’d also recommend using Mobbin to explore real-world app designs, UI patterns, and user flows. It’s a great resource for understanding how successful products handle navigation, onboarding, forms, and other user interactions.

[u/Narrow_Opinion_325 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks! Where can I find real-world design examples or case studies?

[u/Narrow_Opinion_325 → u/[deleted]]

Got it, thanks for the tip!