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UX Design Fundamentals

Approx. 13 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course is designed to introduce students to the principles of user experience (UX) design. Students will learn the foundations of UX design, including user research, design thinking, and prototyping.

Key Learning Points

Learn the basics of user experience (UX) design
Understand the importance of user research and design thinking
Gain hands-on experience in prototyping and user testing

Learning Outcomes

Understand the principles of UX design
Create and test prototypes
Apply design thinking to solve problems

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

No prior experience in UX design required
Access to design software like Sketch or Figma is recommended

Course Difficulty Level

Beginner

Course Format

Self-paced
Online

Similar Courses

Interaction Design Specialization
User Experience Research and Design Specialization

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Description

This hands-on course examines how content is organized and structured to create an experience for a user, and what role the designer plays in creating and shaping user experience. You will be led through a condensed process that acts as a roadmap for developing robust UI/UX design: from ideation and sitemapping, to the creation of paper and digital prototypes. Building on the design skills learned in Visual Elements of User Interface Design, you will apply this methodology to produce a digital prototype for a multi-screen app of your own invention.

By the end of this course, you will be able to describe and apply current best practices and conventions in UX design, and employ the fundamental principles of how UX design functions to shape an audience's experience of a given body of content. This is the second course in the UI/UX Design Specialization, which brings a design-centric approach to user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, and offers practical, skill-based instruction centered around a visual communications perspective, rather than on one focused on marketing or programming alone. These courses are ideal for anyone with some experience in graphic or visual design and who would like to build their skill set in UI or UX for app and web design. It would also be ideal for anyone with experience in front- or back-end web development or human-computer interaction and want to sharpen their visual design and analysis skills for UI or UX.

Outline

Course Overview
Course Introduction
Why Peer Review?
Peer Review Tips
How to apply feedback
About this course
About the assignments
Required Tools
Academic Integrity
About CalArts and the Program in Graphic Design
What is peer review?
Instructor Presence and Staff Support
Forum Guidelines
Requesting Peer Reviews

Ideation, Articulation, Development
Introduction to Week 1
Ideation, Articulation, Development
Good Ideas
Ideas and Goals
Research and Development
Audience and Rationale
Goals and Outcomes (for the Client/Designer)
Naming and Mission
Try it yourself: Analyze an existing app
Try it yourself: Map out the possibilities

Planning, Testing, Researching, Mapping
Introduction to Week 2
Mapping, Testing, Envisioning
Mapping Content
Mapping Interaction
Non-Visual Paper Prototyping
Non-Visual User Testing
Sitemap
Look and Feel/Visual Research
Defining your app's functions step-by-step
Try it yourself: Non-Visual Prototyping & User Testing

What Goes Where?
Introduction to Week 3
Getting real: Wireframes and Interfaces
Nielsen's Usability Heuristics
What goes where? Part 1
What goes where? Part 2
Consistency and Details
Wireframe Map
Visual Direction
Developing UI
Refining UI
Try it yourself: Build a wireframe map
Usability Heuristics

Making it by Faking it
Introduction to Week 4
Making it by faking it
Feeling Real
Linking Up
Branching Out
Making Pathways
Publish your Prototype
Important notes about this week's assignment
Try it yourself: Create a generic prototype
Next Steps

Summary of User Reviews

The UX Design Fundamentals course on Coursera receives high praise from users. Students have found the course to be informative and engaging, with a strong emphasis on practical skills development. One key aspect that many users thought was good is the focus on real-world case studies.

Pros from User Reviews

Informative and engaging course material
Strong emphasis on practical skills development
Real-world case studies
Helpful feedback from instructors
Flexible schedule and self-paced learning

Cons from User Reviews

Limited interaction with instructors and classmates
Some technical issues with the online platform
Not enough emphasis on design theory
Course content can be repetitive
Lack of variety in assignments

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