Interaction Design

Which MOOC UX design course/degree might be better?

To anyone who has done any of those courses/nanodegrees. Which one might be better:

User Experience (UX) Research and Design (9 parts nano-degree: https://www.edx.org/micromasters/michiganx-user-experience-ux-research-and-design) - The University of Michigan

or

Interaction Design Specialization (8 parts specialisation: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design) - UC San Diego

Thank you.

Good crash-courses on UX

I've been really interested in pursuing this field further - that said there are a million and one crash courses for UX.

I am mainly interested in UX research, but have almost 0 statistics experience at this point. I know the field contextually through my education (psych-related) and a few people close to me, so my sights are set on this (I'm not looking for something that's there to explain the subcategories of UX to me).

The course that's piqued my interest is https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design...are there any other suggestions in mind?

Anthropologist trying to break into UX design or research

I have a masters degree in anthropology, a strong interest in design, some artistic ability, an introductory knowledge to html, css, JavaScript, Photoshop, and love learning more about coding. I’m currently taking the UCSD Interaction Design course on Coursera . I’ve also been recently given the opportunity to design a website for a local company and already am designing my own website and one for a research project I’m part of, so I’m planning to use these to start my portfolio.

My question is what else should I be doing to prepare myself for a UX career? Considering my coding skills and photoshop skills aren’t really where I’d like them to be, should I focus more on this? Should I pay for a bootcamp? I’m already in a lot of debt and come from a poor family so I don’t really have the money for a bootcamp...but I think the structure would be good for me. I am trying to get into UX as soon as possible - currently stuck in a PhD program and it’s slowly killing me and I need to get out soon (no this is not the only reason I want to do UX. I’ve actually been interested in it for a while and have been told my anthropology degree and research xp might actually help me).

Coursera has some amazing courses to start.

Udemy is also another great resource.

This one giantmnm https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design becaue the paid one offers the capstone project which is the main thing I am looking for.

Hey there! I'm currently taking Coursera's Interaction Design Specialization through UC San Diego and it's been really helpful so far. It spans about 10 months and I'm currently on week 4, totally free aside from the cost of Coursera. You get to learn some really useful skills like storyboarding and heuristic evaluation

For those interested: Online Interaction Design Specialization by Coursera starts tomorrow

Interaction Design

Coursera or General Assembly?

Hello everyone, first time posting here. I apologize in advance for yet another post about education but after reading throughout the multitude of comments and questions made on this sub by other students, I've reduced my choices to either taking part of the Coursera's class (Interaction Design Specialization, 7 courses £184) or join the General Assembly's online course (User Experience Design, $850).

There's a good amount of posts about GA but the community seems to be splitted. Some says it's bad and a waste of money, some says it's good and it's a great course to start with the basic of the field. Also there are less posts about Coursera so it's harder to choose which one is better for me.

Yes, I know that having a strong portfolio is almost all that matters, and that there's a lot to do if you want to work in this field, but I think that it's also important to have at least some kind of certification in your resume, and studying as a self-taught is not always easy.

I've a BSc in cognitive psychology with a focus on HMI and I've good knowledge of design (worked as freelancer graphic designer for some time). I'm looking for a career in the UX/UI field obviously.

Should I go with Coursera or GA? What's the difference between them?

Any other suggestions?

^Thanks ^for ^taking ^the ^time ^to ^read ^this ^even ^if ^the ^sub ^is ^saturated ^with ^similar ^posts.

I am relatively new to UX and I come from a Industrial Design background so I am completely opposite of you. In my experience I would say the software tools you need to learn are Sketch (industry standard) some basic Adobe Illustrator, maybe photoshop, i like using animation tools to express interaction so I have learned principle and adobe after effects. The tools will only get you so far, if you want to know UX you need to understand the research process and what user experience is. I don't recommend reading books but rather taking an online course I took a course on Coursera called the interaction design specialization

https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design

This course was really good for absolute beginners and only $39 a month which is incredibly cheap. It teaches you the research process, the definition of user centered design, and also has a capstone project at the end.

coursera has a great set of introductory materials [here] by UCSD (https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design)

HCI is more about switching your problem-solving approach to more user-centered perspectives than system (or algorithm) first approach.

The coursera classes at https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design seems to have gained a lot of praise, if they are the type of resource that you are looking for.

UC San Diego offers an amazing Interaction Design specialization in Coursera. You can take all or some of the courses, depending on your interests and learning pace, and you can take it for free unless you want to receive a certificate. https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design

Resume question:

I'm currently taking this Coursera specialization as part of my self-study: UC San Diego Interaction Design. I have been browsing people's LinkedIn profiles to see their career tracks, and I noticed UX designers are putting this course both in the Certificates and Education section like this:

Education

• University of California, San Diego- Interaction Design Certificate

Certificates

• Interaction Design Specialization- Coursera Course Certificates

To a recruiter, is this technically correct? I've seen at least 10 profiles like this. To me, being enrolled on Coursera isn't the same as being enrolled at UCSD, but I could just be selling myself short.

If the research project is relevant to user experience and there is overlap between your application of research and value employers might find then I'd say go for it. Just be transparent that it was a non-commercial endeavor.

Another approach for getting more portfolio pieces and UX experience might be to do a MooC. The University of Michigan has a UX Research and Design micomasters which is very good, plus at the end of it you have a capstone project to showcase and certificate from UofM School of Information which might be a CV boost.

UCSD also has a good Interaction Design program

https://www.edx.org/micromasters/michiganx-user-experience-ux-research-and-design

https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design

UX/UI Design- Self Learning Path

So I, along with the rest of the world apparently (for good reason!), have recently decided to pivot to UX/UI Design. I've read a bunch of UX/UI articles on medium, have read almost every relevant thread on this subreddit, gone through the wiki, and in general have done a bunch of research.

I just wanted to run my plan by you guys, so I can get feedback as to what I am doing wrong/right.

I plan on using as many free/low cost resources as I can. At the end of all this, I hope to have the skills to put together a competitive portfolio.

Step 1 (in progress): Foundation of UX principles

Interaction Design Specialization on coursera

I think I may need some more courses in this area.

Step 2: Learn HTML/CSS/Javascript

Web Developer Bootcamp

Step 3: Learn Sketch / Axure / Balsamiq Mockups

Not sure how these courses are regarded because Lynda doesn't have any reviews. I am open to any alternatives.

Sketch for UX Design

Axure for UX Design

Step 4: Create portfolio

Of course, along the way I will be reading all the UX books I should be reading.

Hey, even i am on the second course of the ui/ux specialization. and i am considering this one.
2.https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design-

​

also wanted to know what are your thoughts so far on the cal arts specialization?

Oh great. It opens up your options a lot if you can get your company to fork out for a paid course.

I did something similar to this HCI course a while ago which was a decent grounding in the basics of UX. It was the same professor, but slightly older syllabus. Mostly emphasizes usability, human perception, and best practice in interactive systems.

If you're more into the visual, graphic design / UI side of things, this course 'Learn UI design' is meant to be great (though I can't afford it!)

https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design

Hi, I'm currently a UX Writer/Content Designer looking to specialize further in UX Design. My goals are to have a better knowledge base of UX Design, to build portfolio pieces to highlight my skill set, and eventually continue my UX career into UX Design. After a lot of research, I think the UC San Diego offerings are within in my budget, content needs, and time frames but I've found two seemingly similar programs from them with different titles and price points.

UC San Diego Extension User Experience Design Certificate Cost $5400 Time Est 15-21 Months

Coursera UC San Diego Interaction Design Specialization Cost $39/ month (roughly $460/year) Time Est 8-12 months

They are wildly different price points for seemingly similar content from the same University. I'm hopeful someone will have insight on the program differences and quality and/or a recommendation on which to pursue.

Sorry for the late response, got home later than I'd have liked...bad rain and wind last night.

Anywho it appears I was incorrect and you do have to pay to access the content, but it still might be worth looking into:

https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design

I really like Scott Klemmer, I believe I first found out about him on this sub. This specialization course seems to be highly regarded so it might be worth your time and money. I found the assignments to be interesting but the feedback on them slightly lacking. I think you can purchase each course individually, or subscribe month-to-month and following along.

Here's another option that actually is free:

https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-the-design-of-everyday-things--design101

It's pretty basic but still a place to get started.

Hope this helps!

You can learn in 3 ways:

1. Courses. For example, Coursera – Interaction Design Specialization
2. Find a mentor. It allows to skip many problem points and accelerate your growth.
3. Start from the practice.

Third way works well if you focus not to the tone of theory and books, but to practice. Project topics could be everything around you: from new website for kindergarten near your home to application that will solve some needs for specific group of people.

For example, I start teach my students from simple project: create the mobile app for a toaster, or create wish-list app. It seems simple, however, you should read how you can gather information about what users want, how you can earn money on that, who are competitors. And with these questions you go to https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ and read. Why that way betters? Because, you don't read theory, but looking for the answers and take only important things. After 10 projects you will understand more than 10 theoretical books.

I recommend start from the book Sprint (Google), and "Mom's Test".

Cog-sci is probably more valuable in UX than CS - UX is about Human interaction after all.

Yes, you'll need a portfolio to have any chance of an interview for the vast majority of UX postings. UX is relatively new and very hot right now, and therefore competitive. Many organizations hiring UX don't really understand the skillset aside from making websites more efficient.

As you begin to explore the field, bear in mind that UX is not some monolithic practice, you can generalize or specialize in research, UI design, information architecture, interaction design, and more. Keep your horizons broad at this point and see what you enjoy.

Get a head start by subscribing to NNg

Some online resources:

Coursera

Web Skills

I've just finished my Graphic Design studies and I would like switch/specialize my career path into UX/UI.

After reading this post about how to get into UX/UI, I've decided to take a Coursera program. However, I'm doubting between these ones:

• Specialized program: User experience design and research. ; or
• Specialized program: Interaction Design

I feel kinda lost because I don't know which one would give better knowledge and job opportunities. I've read some articles about their differences, so I got to the conclusion that Interaction Design puts more emphasis on wireframing and prototyping, while real UX is focused on data analysis. Correct me if I'm wrong tho.

Personally, I find the Interaction Design course more attractive, but maybe it has less job opportunities than specialize on UX itself?

What do you think? Feel free to recommend any other online courses or material.

Thanks.

Hard skills:

Human computer interacion

Martin Fowler videos on YT

Soft skills:

Software Processes and Agile Practices

Innovation Management

Peopleware

General:

The End of Procrastination

Model thinking

​

Good sources are Coursera, Khan academy, edX and short TED videos

Hello all, I'm software developer based in Calgary, Canada, and after 7 years of full stack software development I'm thinking about a change. I've always been interested in the field of design, and in my side projects I always have the most fun planning the layout and storyboard, much more so than actually implementing anything. I'm also reading The Design of Everyday Things and it's quite honestly a very enjoyable read. It makes me excited to think I could be paid to care about finding the best designs for software, and actually making an impact on the product itself. I have an engineering degree but although it's in software there wasn't much opportunity to learn anything about human-computer interaction.

I've taken a look at some job postings for UX design at consulting firms such as Deloitte (I'm at a software consulting firm now and enjoy the opportunity for a wide variety of work), but most don't have any specific credentials, so it's hard to know where the best starting point is. I know I'd need a portfolio, but maybe some formal education would help to make sure it's the best it can be. I was looking at maybe one of BrainStation or General Assembly (the part time options, not the immersive) - https://brainstation.io/course-package/user-experience-design/online - but I don't know if much of it would be strictly necessary, or if the benefits of the program are worth the cost? There's also the coursera specialisation which seems quite intensive: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design.

Just curious as to what recommendations everyone has. Thanks so much.

Thank you for your honesty, that actually helped a lot!

I was also looking into this course at EdX and CourseRA. Do you know anyone who has taken these courses? I am mainly looking at the UCSD or the UoM one.

UoM: https://www.edx.org/micromasters/michiganx-user-experience-ux-research-and-design

UCSD: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design

Both focus on UX Design/Research, but if I wanted to go into research, I wanted something more in-depth. Since I don't have an intensive research background, do you think that by taking one of these courses would be beneficial for my career? As of right now, I can start looking for entry-level research positions to get some hands-on experience as well.

Woah! That’s a terrible experience, you should definitely get a refund!

Some online resources which may help you: Coursera has a very good Introductory course on UI and UX design, with topics ranging from prototyping, wireframing & user studies. Attended the course a couple years ago, and it’s been incredibly useful! https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design

Butterick’s practical typography website is a great resource for Typography studies https://practicaltypography.com/

Nielsen Norman Group’s articles often have great insights on interface design: https://www.nngroup.com/

If you’re designing for a specific platform, you could read their human interface guidelines, which provide a lot of practical help. https://developer.apple.com/design/ (Make sure to watch their WWDC sessions, which often talk about basic principles in UI Designs)

If you haven’t already, check out the Design of everyday things by Don Norman. It’s definitely worth reading to get a hang of basic design principles. https://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Revised-Expanded/dp/0465050654/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540074486&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=design+of+everyday+things&dpPl=1&dpID=410RTQezHYL&ref=plSrch

No, I don't have a degree and I'm a college dropout, but I have some links for you :)

I'm currently working through a self learning design/code curriculum, those are some courses that you may find helpful.

https://www.coursera.org/specializations/michiganux#enroll

https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design#enroll

https://www.coursera.org/specializations/user-interface-design

I recommend that you throw some books in the mix.

If you are like me and see value on learning how to code to build your own products and/or bridge the design development gap, I would recommend www.theodinproject.com/

There are so many amazing content to learn online, and I'm actually pretty jealous from the educational resources that the CS and Programming community have made, look there is a free open-source CS Curriculums https://github.com/ossu

Maybe the design community should get together to build a path for a more tradicional design education. I would like to be part of it!

Some of the programs I'm aware of include

1. Interaction Design Foundation: https://www.interaction-design.org/

2. UX Design Institute: https://www.uxdesigninstitute.com/

3. IDEO (various certifications): https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking-certificate

4. EdX (Micromasters in design thinking): https://www.edx.org/micromasters/design-thinking

5. UC San Diago (offered through Coursera): https://www.coursera.org/specializations/interaction-design

7. CareerFoundry ( https://careerfoundry.com/en/courses/become-a-ux-designer/

>good eye for website design

Let me save you from this idea. Design is not about aesthetics. Design is about problem-solving.

Web designers place too much emphasis on aesthetics. They play a fairly diminished role overall. That's not to say that problems are never solved by aesthetics (e.g., luxury brands), but most of the time they're simply not that important beyond "good enough" (i.e., simple, clean, and stays out of the way of the user completing tasks).

That said, here are some resources.

Design Disciplines

• BOOK: The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett. This particular books provides an excellent framework for thinking about websites. It specifically focuses on UX Design. It's one of the most important books that I've read.
• BOOK: Graphic Design Thinking by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips. This teaches you Design Thinking and Graphic Design concurrently.
• BOOK: Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Eupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips. By the duo above, a basic introduction to graphic design.
• BOOK: The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams. This is great book on basic Graphic Design.
• BOOK: Design: A Very Short Introduction by John Heskett. A good introduction to Design as a broader discipline. It's good for helping understanding that design is much more than aesthetics.
• BOOK: Typography Workbook by Timothy Samara. One of the best books on typography that I've come across.
• BOOK: The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman. Considered by many to be one of the key texts for designers, across all disciplines, to read. It promotes a user-centered design approach.
• COURSE: Graphic Design Specialization on Coursera.
• COURSE: Interaction Design Specialization on Coursera.
• COURSE: UI/UX Design Specialization on Coursera.
• WEBSITE: Smashing Magazine. Great resources on web design in general.
• WEBSITE: A List Apart. While I don't see it recommended much anymore, they were the one who popularized responsive design.
• WEBSITE: Nielsen-Norman Group. They place a strong emphasis on user-centered design. The Norman in the name is Donald Norman from above.

Communication (Soft Skills)

• BOOK: Writing for Multimedia and the Web by Timothy Garrand. Writing is one of the most important tools we can developed. That's because communication is so fundamental to everything we do.

Business (Soft Skills)

• BOOK: Value-Based Fees by Alan Weiss. This is primarily about how to price services based on value rather than time and other approaches. You'll find that value is a fundamental concept in business, so it's helpful to be business savvy even if you're not on the business side of things.
• BOOK: Jobs to Be Done by Stephen Wunker and Jessica Wattman. This book is focused on marketing, particularly knowing your customers, but the jobs-to-be-done concept is actually quite helpful in a design context (e.g., What are your users trying to get done on your website?).
• COURSE: Digital Marketing Specialization on Coursera.