2024

Best Content Design Certifications 2024

Looking for the best content design certifications? You came to the right place. Content design is an exciting career path and offers career growth for skilled and talented content professionals. 

Content designers require a range of skills to perform their roles effectively. Skills such as user-centered content design, UX writing, content concepts and prototyping, and stakeholder relationship management are essential for successful content designers.

Certifications offer a credible avenue for content design professionals who are looking to learn new skills and grow in their careers. In this article, we will review some of the best content design certifications that are available today.

Benefits of Content Design Certifications

Certifications offer numerous benefits for content designers including

  • Skill development: learning from experts allows content designers to learn and practice new skills that can be immediately put into practice.
  • Credibility: certifications provide professionals with enhanced credibility, which improves the chances of career growth.
  • Earning power: certifications enable content designers to demand higher salaries.
  • Marketability: professionals with valid and up-to-date certifications find it easier to secure in-demand job roles.
  • Peer respect: content design professionals with highly credible certifications earn the respect of peers, which enables them to influence and lead with authority.

Don’t forget to check out our UX writing certification course that allows you to master content design and UX writing skills:

5 Best Content Design Certifications

Let’s dive in and learn about the best content design certifications.

1. User Research and Testing from Content Collective

One of the most important skills needed by content designers is the ability to create user-centred content designs. Why? Because all content is created for users.

It is not possible to create user-centred content designs without having a deep understanding of user needs and wants. User research is essential for understanding the user, and therefore the ability to conduct research is an essential skill for content designers.

The User Research and Testing certification covers fundamentals such as user research methods for content and testing, optimizing testing with A/B testing, collecting, analyzing, and presenting data, and applying findings to designs.

How much does the certification cost?

The fee for the User Research and Testing certification is $550.

Who should complete the certification?

The certification is ideal for content designers, UX professionals, and product managers who want to learn how to research content, quantify it, test it with users, and present findings to critical team members and stakeholders.

2. UX Writing Fundamentals from Content Collective

It is likely that content designers won’t actually have to write microcopy. However, it is more than likely that part of the content designed by content designers will be created by UX writers. Therefore knowing the essence of good UX writing gives content designers the ability to see from the perspective of UX writers. This ability can prove invaluable for content designers who are looking to create great content designs.

The certification content includes an introduction to UX writing, voice and tone, writing for User Interface (UI) components, and working with teams.

How much does the certification cost?

The cost of the UX Writing Fundamentals certifications is $1,200.

Who should complete the certification?

In addition to content designers, the UX Writing Fundamentals certification is perfect for professionals who are looking to learn UX writing and transition to this exciting field.

3. Content Design + UX Writing Certification from Content Science Academy

The certification is comprised of four courses:

  • Introduction to Content Design: this content design course focuses on understanding needs and presenting digital content so people can easily find and understand information is no small feat. Participants receive a printed copy of The Content Advantage book with certification.
  • Content Analytics for Content Design: analytics provide direct insights into audience needs and are crucial to understanding the makeup of the user base. This course helps participants learn how to interpret content analytics and use them to inform strategy for content design.
  • Mastering Microcopy: this course helps participants learn how to make microcopy effective in digital experiences and user interfaces.
  • User Journeys for Content Design: this course helps participants learn user journey mapping and use user journeys for informing content strategy and design.

For each of the four courses, participants need to complete two to three assignments and one exam.

How much does the certification cost?

The fee for the Content Design + UX Writing Certification is $949.

Who should complete the certification?

The certification is aimed at content design and content strategy professionals who want to improve their content design and analytics skills.

4. Content Analysis + Strategy Certification from Content Science Academy

The certification consists of six courses:

  • Introduction to Content Strategy: this course provides an overview of content strategy to help participants learn how to effectively plan, create, deliver, and maintain content.
  • Content Auditing: evaluating existing content helps with making decisions about how to move forward. This course aims to teach participants how to conduct comprehensive auditing to inform content strategy.
  • User Journeys That Work for Content: user journeys offer deeper insights into how people navigate content. This course helps participants learn to define user journeys and use them to inform content strategy.
  • Content Analytics: insights from analytics should feed into your strategy and guide your organization’s approach. This course is aimed at helping participants learn how to interpret content analytics and use them to inform content strategy.
  • Competitive Content Analysis: the course is aimed at helping participants learn how to analyze the competitive landscape to inform content strategy.
  • Building Message Architecture: helps participants learn how to deliver the right message to get powerful results.

For each of the six courses, participants need to complete two to three assignments and one exam.

How much does the certification cost?

The fee for the Content Analysis + Strategy certification is $949.

Who should complete the certification?

Content design requires knowledge and skill in a diverse range of areas related to content. Knowledge and skill in content strategy and analytics can help content designers improve their craft and create amazing content designs.

5. Project Management Professional (PMP)

The Project Management Professional (PMP) is the world’s leading project management certification. It now includes predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches. The PMP designation demonstrates to current and potential employers that you have demonstrated a solid foundation of knowledge from which you can competently practice project management.

How much does the certification cost?

The PMP certification is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The fee for the PMP certification is $555 for non-PMI members and $405 for PMI members.

Who should complete the certification?

Project management is about prioritizing, organizing, and maintaining an efficient workflow, and it is an essential part of being productive. Therefore project management skills are essential for all professionals in the modern economy.

Wrap Up

If you are a content designer, then certifications can help you learn new skills, meet other professionals in the field and increase opportunities for career growth.

Even if you are not a content designer but want to learn about content design, then certifications can give you the skills you need to transition to this exciting and rapidly growing field.

Choose the certification that is right for you, and use it as a stepping stone to achieving success in your career.

FAQ

What is the difference between a course and a certification?

You can complete courses and certifications to learn new knowledge and skills, and advance in your career. Both courses and certifications include a curriculum comprised of mandatory topics. Some courses and certifications also include elective topics.

After completing a course, you get a certificate of attendance. Courses usually don’t include an end-of-course exam.

Certifications usually do include an exam: only participants that pass the exam earn the certification. Passing the exam authenticates and validates the knowledge and skills of participants.

Certifications are valid for a period of time, after which candidates need to renew them. This happens because the curriculum is updated periodically: some topics are added and some are removed. Renewing certifications help candidates to stay updated with the latest developments in the field.

What is Figma and Adobe XD?

Figma and Adobe XD are digital content design tools.

Figma is an online collaboration tool. It allows designers and developers to build digital products. Collaborators can edit, comment on, and review designs and code together.

Adobe XD is a prototyping tool for user experience and interaction designers. Adobe XD features allow the creation of wireframes, prototypes, and screen designs for digital products such as websites and mobile apps.

 


If you are new to UX writing and are looking to join the professional UX writer community, we recommend taking our UX Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamental skills for UX writing, how to successfully land UX writer interviews, and how to stand out from the rest of the crowd as an expert UX writing candidate.

Josh Fechter
Josh is the founder and CEO of Squibler.