Web Design Course
Getting Started with User-Centered Design
An introduction to research methods, user personas, and how to put user needs at the center of your design process from the start.
Design Educator & UX Strategist
Michael Wong
Senior Design Instructor at DesignHub Studio Limited
12 years shaping how designers think about user behavior, digital products, and the principles that actually matter. Based in Central, teaching web design courses and mentoring the next generation of Hong Kong’s design talent.
What He Teaches
Areas of Expertise
Michael’s curriculum focuses on the intersection of design theory and real-world application. These aren’t abstract concepts — they’re tools you’ll use from day one in professional studios.
UI/UX Principles
Research-driven design thinking. How to move beyond pretty layouts and actually solve user problems with evidence behind your decisions.
Digital Prototyping
From rough sketches to interactive prototypes. Tools, workflows, and techniques that mirror what studios actually use on client projects.
Web Design Fundamentals
The core skills: typography, color theory, layout, responsive design. Built on principles that don’t change, even as tools and trends do.
User Research & Testing
How to talk to users, gather real feedback, and validate your assumptions before you spend months building the wrong thing.
Visual Design Systems
Creating consistency across digital products. Component thinking, design tokens, and how to build systems that scale across teams.
Design Leadership
Communicating design decisions to stakeholders, building collaborative workflows, and creating a culture where good design actually gets built.
In Conversation
About Michael’s Work & Philosophy
How did you transition from designing client work to teaching?
Around 2018, I realized I was seeing the same mistakes repeated across teams — not because designers were lazy, but because they’d never been shown the right way to think about problems. I’d spend time mentoring juniors at agencies, and it felt more meaningful than any project I was designing. In 2019, I started teaching part-time at DesignHub while still freelancing, and by 2020 I moved full-time into education. The transition wasn’t about leaving design — it’s about multiplying my impact. Now, instead of improving one product at a time, I’m training designers who’ll improve dozens of products over their careers.
What’s different about your approach to teaching web design?
Most design education focuses on tools — “Here’s how to use Figma, here’s how to use Framer.” But tools change every couple years. What doesn’t change are the principles underneath. I teach Figma and Framer, sure, but the real focus is on the thinking: Why are you making this decision? What research supports it? How will you know if it works? We use real client projects as case studies, we critique live design work, and students don’t just watch — they’re designing from week one. It’s less lecture, more studio apprenticeship.
You’ve worked with over 80 brands. What patterns did you notice across successful design projects?
The successful ones weren’t always the ones with the biggest budgets or the most sophisticated tools. They were the ones where the design team actually talked to users. A fintech project I worked on in 2017 had average resources, but we spent three weeks interviewing the actual users — traders, compliance officers, people using the platform daily. Those conversations changed everything about how we approached the interface. We cut features that looked impressive but nobody used. We emphasized things that seemed boring but mattered for their actual workflow. That project’s still being used by 50,000+ traders across Southeast Asia. Compare that to projects where we guessed what users wanted — those typically got redesigned within a year.
What’s the biggest misconception about UX design you encounter?
That it’s about making things look pretty. UX design is about making things work for the people using them. Aesthetics matter — don’t get me wrong — but a beautifully designed interface that’s confusing is worse than a plain one that’s clear. I’ve seen gorgeous designs fail because nobody tested them with actual users. And I’ve seen “ugly” interfaces that absolutely crush it because they solve real problems efficiently. My job as a teacher is getting students past the idea that design is about their aesthetic taste and toward the reality that it’s about solving problems you can measure and validate.
What skills do you think emerging designers are missing?
Honestly? Communication and feedback tolerance. I can teach anyone Figma in a week. I can teach prototyping, design systems, all the technical skills. But getting comfortable presenting your work to stakeholders, taking criticism without getting defensive, and iterating based on feedback — those are harder to teach. Some of the best designers I’ve worked with weren’t the most naturally talented. They were the ones willing to redesign something five times because the feedback actually improved it. That mindset matters more than raw skill.
Professional Timeline
Education & Experience
2012
Started in Digital Design
Joined a Hong Kong digital agency as junior web designer. Started learning real design workflow, client management, and what happens when designs actually get built.
2014
Bachelor’s in Interactive Media
Completed degree from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Combined design, technology, and human-centered thinking.
2016
Progressed to Design Lead
Led redesign of major Hong Kong financial services platform. Improved user engagement by 43% through research-driven UX improvements.
2018
Nielsen Norman UX Certification
Completed advanced UX research and usability testing certification. Formalized knowledge of user research methodologies and testing practices.
2019
Led E-commerce Platform Overhaul
Comprehensive redesign for regional retail leader across Southeast Asia. Implemented design systems, improved checkout flow, scaled design across 8 markets.
2020
Joined DesignHub Studio Limited
Became Senior Design Instructor in Central. Built web design course curriculum from the ground up, focusing on hands-on prototyping and evidence-based UX.
Design Philosophy
What Drives Michael’s Work
1
Design is Research, Not Guessing
You can’t design for users you don’t understand. Every project starts with questions, not solutions. Who’s actually using this? What are they trying to do? What frustrates them? The answers come from talking to people, watching how they work, testing your assumptions. Only then do you design.
2
Simplicity is the Hardest Part
Anyone can make something complicated look fancy. Real skill is making something complex feel simple. That takes time, iteration, and ruthless editing. You remove features, simplify flows, and test until a first-time user can figure it out without instructions. It’s harder than it sounds.
3
Design Systems Scale Thinking
Design systems aren’t just about consistency (though that matters). They’re about building a shared language so designers, developers, and product teams can move faster together. A good system frees you to focus on problems, not pixels.
4
Teaching Multiplies Impact
One designer improves one product. One teacher creates many designers who each improve many products. That’s why education matters. Michael’s focused on preparing students for real studio work, not just teaching software.
Featured Articles
Courses & Resources
Michael regularly develops course content and educational materials focused on practical design skills you can apply immediately.
Web Design Course
Wireframing Techniques That Save Time
Low-fidelity sketches, digital wireframes, and tools that help you iterate fast. Learn techniques that professional designers use to plan before they design.
Web Design Course
Prototyping Tools and Workflows
From Figma to Framer to code — choosing the right tool for the job and building a workflow that lets you test ideas quickly with actual users.
Web Design Course
Color Theory and Typography in Web Design
The fundamentals that don’t change. How to choose colors that work together, select typefaces that improve readability, and build visual hierarchies that guide users.
Get in Touch
Learn More About Michael’s Courses
Interested in web design training, UX principles, or prototyping workshops at DesignHub Studio Limited in Central? Reach out to learn about course schedules and how Michael’s teaching approach can help you develop real design skills.