Course Description.
“User Experience.” What does that mean? It was a term coined by cognitive psychologist and designer Don Norman in the 1990s on the cusp of the new digital era; however, the field in practice has existed long before that. Unfortunately, due to its over use and misuse, the pure concept of UX has become lost in the weeds and details of all of its components and methods. In this course, we will take a deep look at the true meaning of UX as simply “a user’s experience” and what that means for you as both a designer and a user. You will learn about core UX principles and methodologies from both an academic and practical standpoint and be challenged to apply what you learn in classroom workshops and assignments. Finally, you will be asked to think outside the bounds of technology to find innovative solutions to real world design problems.
Details
IDEA258U meets on Mondays at 4:00 pm once weekly in ESJ 2101. You will spend class time on applying UX/UI components and methods in hands-on workshops, and receive in-person coaching and feedback from the instructor. Outside of class, you will learn more about UX/UI principles through recorded lectures that tie in specifically to the in-class workshops. There will also be several guest speaker interviews that will give students the chance to ask professional designers questions about specific topics.
MATERIALS
The main thing you will need for this class is an open mind and a learning mindset. Other than that, it is encouraged that you bring a laptop, a writing utensil, and paper. We will have access to a lot of materials in our room, but if I feel you need anything extra, I will let you know in advance. Examples and templates will also be provided during class to guide students in formatting their assignments.
Grading
Grading will be based primarily on participation, effort, and application of feedback in this course. As such, class attendance is very important and will be recorded. The exact grade percentages for participation, the midterm, and the final will be released with the final syllabus at a later date. Feedback will be provided on each assignment as needed through the assignment's ELMS rubric. Students will have the opportunity to read and apply feedback to earn points back if the grading method is not completion based.
Learning Objectives.
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
Understand what "user experience" means and its significance.
Think critically with a problem-solving mindset within the field of UX.
Increase your design literacy and comprehension.
Develop practical skills for different stages in the design process.
Carry a UX project through to completion.
Write an in depth case study to be used in portfolios.
Syllabus.
We are still sorting out the details of the curriculum, but this is a preview of the topics and timeline we expect to have. Recorded lectures will focus on the topic for the next week's class while assignments will be tied to that week's class (i.e. Lecture 1 will prepare you for class in Week 2). Please Note: things are subject to change based on your feedback.
| WEEK | TOPIC | ASSIGNMENT |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intro to UX | Lecture 1, Project Selection |
| 2 | Generative Research | Lecture 2, Define Project Problem |
| 3 | User Research: Interviews | Lecture 3, User Interviews |
| 4 | User Research: Analysis | Lecture 4, User Personas |
| 5 | Hypothesis Development | Lecture 5, Project Goals |
| 6 | Ideation | Lecture 6, Ideation |
| 7 | Journey Mapping | Lecture 7, User Flows |
| 8 | Midterm | Lecture 8, Midterm |
| 9 | Spring Break | Midterm |
| 10 | Branding | Lecture 9, Branding Guide |
| 11 | Design Principles | Lecture 10, Design Guide |
| 12 | Low Fidelity Prototyping | Lecture 11, Low Fidelity Prototype |
| 13 | High Fidelity Prototyping | Lecture 12, High Fidelity Prototype |
| 14 | User Testing | Lecture 13, User Testing |
| 15 | Presenting Designs | Lecture 14, Catch Up |
| 16 | Final | Prepare Case Study and Final |
Instructors.
Kat Close
Hello! My name is Kat, it's nice to meet you! I will be the primary instructor for this course. I am a current senior pursuing a dual degree in graphic design and environmental science & policy. A weird combo, right? It's actually not as unusual as people think! I plan on becoming a UX/UI researcher and designer for an environmental think tank, non-profit, or organization. Currently, I work part-time as a UX Contractor for CreditXpert, Inc. and as the UX Design Lead for the Center for Conservation Innovation at Defenders of Wildlife on their upcoming conservation web app suite. I am also a leader in a fast growing online art community known as the Art Club.
Mira Azarm
Mira will be our faculty advisor for this course. She is an Innovation Instigator in the Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (AIE), where she teaches classes on innovation behaviors, skills, and mindsets, with an emphasis on the design thinking and lean startup processes. She's also devoted to sustainability practices, and works with faculty to help them innovate their teaching methods and offerings to students.
Interested?
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