User Experience Design
In this course students will be working hands-on as they begin to develop and apply the practice, principles and methodologies of a user experience practitioner.
From context scenarios, sketches and wire framing, to rapid prototyping and user testing, students will learn to craft a user centered experience from the ground up through a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving. Be it a tablet, desktop or even a mobile experience students will walk away with a firm foundation and a practical skill set to build upon.
The entirety of this course is highly interactive and collaborative where students with diverse backgrounds are coming together to share, collaborate, challenge and learn from one another as they set out to solve a wicked problem (tbd) through the lens of user experience design.
Instructor
Frances Close
Open Digital
Frances is a Design Lead at Open Digital with a passion for craft and getting the details right. She believes that functionality is just as important as aesthetics and bridges the two to create and deliver meaningful experiences. Outside of design you can find her on her bike, hiking with her husband and their dog, or exploring new places by eating her way through them.
Starts September 11, 2018
September 11th–December 18th
Every Tue 6pm - 8:30pm
Orientation: Sep 11th
Graduation: Dec 18th
Class size: 20 students
Cost: $800
Career and financial assistance is available during signup.
Learn More.
Supplement Your Learning
As part of the Community
Check out the Conga calendar for meetups & dates
Coffee With Creators
Every Wednesday morning at The Factory from 8:00am-9:30am
Course Goals
Understanding User Experience Principles
Build a foundation to understand the principles of user experience design including UX heuristics, personas, user journeys, information architecture, and wireframing. Discover the value of these practices as a user experience designer.
User Experience Research
Gain confidence in building connections to real people through interviews and observations. Learn the process of ethnography to solve the right problems for real people. Feel empowered to create a project hypothesis, identify stakeholders, and map a user journey.
Building a Proper Framework
Discover and prioritize the key features and scope of a project grounded in ethnographic research. Build a clear information architecture and map user flows to prioritize design decisions.
Communicate with Key Stakeholders
Communicate clearly through proper documentation to keep key stakeholders engaged throughout the process. Create discovery documents to ensure alignment and simple feedback loops.
Design with Purpose
Visually design solutions through rapid prototyping, creating key screens, and going further through user testing and iterations. Begin with simple wireframes and move toward high-fidelity compositions to create a final deliverable.
Deliver Results
Share the right solution with the team and build confidence in communicating design decisions grounded in the user experience. Present your ideas effectively and recognize your role in a continuous design cycle.
Before Class You Should Know
It’s not necessary to have previous experience within the discipline of UX but would encourage those who share passion for the creative process, have a desire to explore and learn something new, and ultimately are uncomfortable being comfortable with what you’re doing and want to dive into something fresh and exciting.
- Students will be required to have a laptop for this course due to the fact that we’ll be designing in the digital space and also exploring prototyping tools for user testing purposes.
- Only one of these tools is required: Photoshop, Fireworks, Illustrator, Keynote/Powerpoint, Sketch or some other visual design tool is required.
After Class You Will Understand
- What user experience is and why it matters
- How the Art and Science of experience design can change the way we live and work
- What disciplines make up the UX practice
- How to utilize the available toolsets of a UX practitioner
- On a personal level where you may best fit into the UX framework
- How to research and articulate “better” practices in a device centric world
- How psychology, art and science come together to influence experience
- Ethnography and the implications of human centered study
- Cultural and economic impacts of user experience design
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