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    • Software Design

    Software Design Courses Online

    Learn software design for developing robust applications. Understand design patterns, object-oriented principles, and user-centered design.

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    Explore the Software Design Course Catalog

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Michigan

      Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding

      Skills you'll gain: Wireframing, Responsive Web Design, HTML and CSS, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Web Design, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Browser Compatibility, Bootstrap (Front-End Framework), Javascript, Front-End Web Development, User Interface (UI), Web Development Tools, Verification And Validation, Interactive Design, Application Frameworks, Code Review, Web Design and Development, Event-Driven Programming, Usability

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      35K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Minnesota

      Introduction to Software Testing

      Skills you'll gain: Software Testing, JUnit, Verification And Validation, Unit Testing, Test Case, Test Automation, Development Testing, Test Planning, Code Coverage, Software Quality Assurance, Functional Testing, Testability, Integration Testing, Test Data, Issue Tracking

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      782 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Colorado System

      Software Design Threats and Mitigations

      Skills you'll gain: Application Security, Vulnerability Assessments, Software Design, Threat Modeling, Vulnerability Management, Security Engineering, Secure Coding, Software Design Patterns, Software Architecture, Software Visualization, Cryptography, Blockchain, Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS)

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      93 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Introduction to Embedded Systems Software and Development Environments

      Skills you'll gain: Software Configuration Management, Embedded Software, Embedded Systems, Git (Version Control System), Version Control, System Programming, Build Tools, Software Development Tools, C (Programming Language), Development Environment, Software Design, Hardware Architecture, Debugging, Command-Line Interface

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      639 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Michigan

      User Experience Research and Design

      Skills you'll gain: UI/UX Research, Surveys, Qualitative Research, Usability Testing, User Experience Design, User Experience, User Research, User Story, Prototyping, Wireframing, User Centered Design, Survey Creation, Sampling (Statistics), Design Research, Interaction Design, Ideation, A/B Testing, Conceptual Design, User Interface (UI), Test Case

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.2K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      T

      The Museum of Modern Art

      Fashion as Design

      Skills you'll gain: Culture, Cultural Diversity, Aesthetics, Innovation, Design, Art History, Environmental Issue, Research, Sociology, Design Thinking, Creativity, World History

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.9K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      M

      Michigan State University

      Game Design and Development 1: 2D Shooter

      Skills you'll gain: Game Design, Unity Engine, Video Game Development, Peer Review, Cross Platform Development, Software Design, User Interface (UI), C# (Programming Language), UI Components, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Animations, Scripting, Creativity

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      500 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Colorado System

      Software Design as an Element of the Software Development Lifecycle

      Skills you'll gain: Software Design, Software Development Life Cycle, Application Security, Systems Design, Technical Design, Software Architecture, Software Development Methodologies, Conceptual Design, Requirements Analysis

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      252 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      C

      California Institute of the Arts

      Game Design: Art and Concepts

      Skills you'll gain: Animation and Game Design, Game Design, Animations, Prototyping, Conceptual Design, Storytelling, Software Design Documents, Ideation, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Storyboarding, Video Game Development, Virtual Environment, Art History, Technical Design, Usability Testing, Creative Design, Design Strategies, Graphic and Visual Design, Design, Design Elements And Principles

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      4.1K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • T

      The University of Chicago

      Software Defined Networking

      Skills you'll gain: Software-Defined Networking, Computer Networking, Virtualization, Network Architecture, General Networking, Network Administration, Network Routing, Network Security, Network Protocols, Hardware Architecture, Scalability

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      289 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      I

      IBM

      Applied Data Science

      Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, Data Visualization Software, Plotly, Data Visualization, Predictive Modeling, Interactive Data Visualization, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Wrangling, Data Analysis, Jupyter, Matplotlib, Pandas (Python Package), Seaborn, Data Presentation, Data Import/Export, Web Scraping, Automation, Data Science, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Python Programming

      Build toward a degree

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      58K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Embedded Software and Hardware Architecture

      Skills you'll gain: Embedded Software, Embedded Systems, Debugging, Data Structures, System Programming, Microarchitecture, C (Programming Language), Hardware Architecture, Computer Architecture, Integrated Development Environments, Software Design, Maintainability, System Configuration, Peripheral Devices

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      517 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    Software Design learners also search

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    1…678…729

    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular software design courses

    • Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding: University of Michigan
    • Introduction to Software Testing: University of Minnesota
    • Software Design Threats and Mitigations: University of Colorado System
    • Introduction to Embedded Systems Software and Development Environments: University of Colorado Boulder
    • User Experience Research and Design: University of Michigan
    • Fashion as Design: The Museum of Modern Art
    • Game Design and Development 1: 2D Shooter: Michigan State University
    • Software Design as an Element of the Software Development Lifecycle: University of Colorado System
    • Game Design: Art and Concepts: California Institute of the Arts
    • Software Defined Networking: The University of Chicago

    Skills you can learn in Software Development

    Programming Language (34)
    Google (25)
    Computer Program (21)
    Software Testing (21)
    Web (19)
    Google Cloud Platform (18)
    Application Programming Interfaces (17)
    Data Structure (16)
    Problem Solving (14)
    Object-oriented Programming (13)
    Kubernetes (10)
    List & Label (10)

    Frequently Asked Questions about Software Design

    Software design is the process of creating a plan to guide the development of a software solution based on an assessment of user requirements determined through research and testing. It is a very important phase of the software development lifecycle, as software design provides the foundation for subsequent coding and implementation by programmers and software engineers.

    The software design process may encompass many aspects including planning for software architecture, design of user interfaces and other visual elements, and the selection of software design patterns and other components. Application security is another critical consideration for software design, and implementing secure practices as early as possible in the software development lifecycle can help ensure that the final product provides adequate protections for business and customer data.‎

    An understanding of software design principles can be a terrific asset for a career in software development, as it provides an overarching view of the entire software development lifecycle. In some ways, you can think of the software designer as the architect whose vision directs the work of a team of engineers and construction workers. According to Glassdoor, software designers in the U.S. earn an average annual salary of $92,046 - significantly more than software programmers, whose average salary according to Glassdoor is $76,526.‎

    Certainly. Taking online courses on Coursera has become an incredibly popular way for students from around the world to learn about a wide range of computer science topics, including software design. Top-ranked schools like the University of Alberta, the University of Colorado, and the University of Minnesota offer individual courses as well as Specializations spanning multiple courses covering software design and related topics such as application security and software design patterns. And, since you can view lessons and complete coursework on a flexible schedule, you can build these valuable, job-ready skills regardless of whether you’re a student or a mid-career professional looking to upgrade your skill set.‎

    The skills and experience you might want to acquire before starting to learn software design would include practical knowledge and work experience in all kinds of software development work, from websites to apps to network maintenance and more. You may already have skills or experience in designing, developing, and installing software for enterprise information systems via an internship or job role.‎

    Some of the common career paths for someone in software design might include starting out in junior roles in web design and development, and possibly moving into creative director roles for gaming systems (if on the creative side), or software analysis manager, if more geared to the operational side of the business. Software design workers could also possibly branch off into deeply analytical roles like computer science engineer, or information research scientist, depending on the company and industry.‎

    The kind of people best suited for roles in software design are computer science enthusiasts, who love programming and are excited about creating new software possibilities. These people are often creative, focused, and cerebral individuals who know programming languages such as Java, SQL, and Python. These languages are important to know as a software designer’s work may include developing software projects and programs for external clients or internal company usage. They might also write code, create charts and diagrams to represent the software, and may even supervise a team of programmers.‎

    Learning software design may be right for you if you love design challenges, love working with new software tools, and are interested in building a lucrative career in software design. You may be able to earn a good income in software design, as jobs for software developers are expected to rise by over 20% in the next decade, according to projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you find passion in work that involves designing computer systems, projecting network capabilities, and determining performance interfaces, then learning software design may be a good step in the right direction.‎

    Online Software Design courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Software Design skills. Choose from a wide range of Software Design courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.‎

    When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Software Design, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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