10 UI Kits That Web Designers Will Find Useful!

Knowing CSS doesn't guarantee that you will be able to create a good UI. UI Kits are often needed. 

Designing the right user interface is often the most difficult part of a web designer's task. This is where an UI kit comes in. Such applications make the task easier and reduce the time taken. Here are 10 such UIs that you can use.

1. Almost Flat UI: This is an easy to use user interface, which is based on the Foundation Framework.

2. uikit: Developed in LESS, this is a modular framework, which is easy on your computer's resources. It has a number of useful components like modals, buttons, tools, tips etc.

3. Bootflat: The name comes from the framework for this one. It is based on Twitter's Bootstrap framework and has a number of themes and other features for you to use.

4. Yet Another UI v2: This UI also presents a number of features and widgets to the user. It can be a useful tool for a web designer.

5. Brick: This has a number of modern UI components that have been designed for creating modern web applications.

6. INK v2: This user interface focuses on creating a responsive design and layout. It can also be used as an alternative approach for grid layouts.

7. Flatby UI: This UI is very similar to Twitter's Bootstrap and takes a simple approach to developing your website.

8. Pure: This is a lightweight and responsive CSS module that allows tons of features and elements.

9. Futurico UI HTML Edition: This is a set of UI elements that you can use for your web design purposes.

10. MetroStyle Web UI: This takes from Microsoft's Windows reboot and uses it for the web. 

Author : Shivam Kotwalia, CodeKill

Free Online Courses on Web Design

CodeKill Group brings some free online courses for students who wish to master web designing.

Free online courses in web designing means training in general design and technology along with programming languages that are frequently used in web design. These free courses do not have credit value or involve assessment or grades.

Certain courses come with extra software requirements, but a majority of these are free and available through links on course websites. Let’s take a look at a few of them below:

Free Web Design Courses

1. Accessible Web Design from the University of Washington – This video educates students on how to make websites that can be accessed by those having disabilities. The video does not contain assignments or exams, but has an accompanying publication and a list of resources with extra information. The tutorial has no credit value assigned to it.

2. Applied Multimedia from the University of Notre Dame – This free, online course in Applied Multimedia at the University of Notre Dame encompasses various techniques used in basic web design, including sound editing, image design, blog publishing, Flash animation and virtual design. Students can learn about the usability, aesthetics, content and functionality required in good website design. The course has lectures, readings and assignments, however students do not get credit or homework assessments.

3. Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - This is a self-directed graduate-level course covering various parts of information technology, including web development, networking and security. The lessons take students through a web application design project. There are readings, lecture notes, presentations and exams available for free with this non-credit course.

4. Introduction to Web Design from the University of Michigan – This course assists students to learn about topics like graphics, digital captures, browsers and computer platforms. Coding with HTML5, CSS and JavaScript are stressed in the lessons and the lessons are taught via video tutorials which can be viewed online or downloaded.

5. Media Programming from Carnegie Mellon University – This was originally taught to non-computer science students and teaches students to perform simple web design techniques comprising of loops and arrays, nested loops and graphical user interfaces.

Free Web Programming Courses

6. Flash from Utah State University – This course offers a free, non-credit version of the course covering how to use Flash 8. One should have access to the software for the course, and a free 30-day trial that can be downloaded from the course site. You can learn how to use Flash for making animated graphics, sound and video in web design.

7. Introduction to Flash MX from Sofia Open Content – This course is located on the Sofia Open Content website and trains students in creating streaming animation, graphics and sound that are commonly used in web design. Those who don't have the Macromedia Flash MX software can download a 30-day free trial.

8. Java Programming from Sofia Open Content – This course offers a free, non-credit course in Java Programming as per Orange Coast College. It educates students object-oriented programming with Java through 14 lessons, assignments and resources.  

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