PLEASE NOTE: The Institute will be closing at 5:00pm (GMT) on Thursday 23 December 2021 and re-opening on 9.00am (GMT) Tuesday 4 January 2022. During this time our academic and professional services teams will be unavailable. If you book onto an online course that begins on 3 January 2022 after the 23 December, you will receive your Welcome Email on 3 January, the course start date. This email will include your username, password, and instructions on how to access the Virtual Learning Environment.
Aims of the course
- To gain knowledge of the principles of User Experience (UX) Design
- To develop awareness about UX Design methods and tools
- To understand the importance of empathy in UX Design
- To experiment how to creatively build ideas and tell compelling stories
- To develop a user-centred, inclusive mindset applicable in both personal and working life
- To connect with a group of like-minded colleagues and UX Design leaders from major worldwide businesses
Target Audience
- Those interested in learning more about design thinking, creativity, innovation, and storytelling
- Those considering becoming User Experience Designers or approaching User Experience Research
- User Experience Designers and User Experience Researchers in training
- No prior UX Design experience is necessary, although participants would normally be working within organisations or working professionally with organisations.
Course content overview
Nowadays, in a time everyone is required to continuously acquire new skills, it is extremely relevant to make sure that we understand the importance of having a user-centred, inclusive mindset, what being a UX Designer means and what tools are available to efficiently craft meaningful experiences.
This course will emphasise the central role of thinking creatively with empathy, and the importance of understanding different methods to approach problem solving, innovation, and establish a working practice that helps to craft inclusive experiences.
The UX Design course will stress the importance of inclusion and diversity in the creative process, storytelling, pitching and advocating about ideas to influence peers by delivering inclusive experiences across different countries.
With this course participants will be able to transition in to UX Design roles, approach life with a more empathetic, inclusive attitude, and infuse the UX Design mindset to colleagues and friends.
Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)
Orientation Week: 3-9 January 2022
Teaching Weeks: 10 January-13 February 2022
Feedback Week: 14-20 February 2022
Teaching Week 1 - Introduction to UX Design: the importance of meaningfully connecting with people
The focus of this week is to explore what UX Design is, the relevance of connecting with people and the overall core skills of a User Experience Designer.
Learning outcomes
By studying this week, participants should have:
- Knowledge and understanding of the principles of UX Design
- Knowledge and understanding of the importance of connecting with people according to the principles of inclusion, diversity, and equity
- Taken part in a practice session with a fellow participant to experiment how to meaningfully connect with other individuals
Teaching Week 2 - The relevance of UX Design: approach, methods and applications
The focus of this week is to comprehend the approach and available methods and to familiarize with them across multiple applications in different scenarios
Learning outcomes
By studying this week, participants should have:
- A deeper understanding of UX Design approach and methods with a focus on Inclusive Design
- Knowledge and ability to clearly justify what research methods to use, according to inclusion principles, project goals, timing and budget
- Taken part in a learn by doing session with a fellow participant with a practical challenge
Teaching Week 3 - Deep dive into UX Design methods and tools: WWWWWH, what, who, where, when, why and how
This week will deep dive into methods and tools and will explore the “what, who, where, when, why and how” of UX Design by helping participants to recognize which tool fits best their specific goals in collaboration with co-workers.
Learning outcomes
By studying this week, participants should have:
- Knowledge and understanding of the methods and tools and their applicability
- Learnt how to apply tools and methods sessions through applied exercises
- Knowledge and understanding of how to prioritise choices for creating inclusive experiences
Teaching Week 4 - Industry case studies
The focus of this week is to illuminate participants with case studies and allow them to discover how to apply user-centred research into user-centred design and create inclusive products and services.
Learning outcomes
By studying this week, participants should have:
- Greater awareness on how to communicate ideas, the art of storytelling and to influence peers and customers with compelling stories that evoke emotions
- Deeper understanding of the mindset, the job as a UX Designer in a large organization
- Understanding on how to connect with companies and what to offer for a possible career change or new job opportunity in UX Design
Teaching Week 5 - Becoming a UX Designer: opportunities and challenges
This final teaching week focuses on the practical aspects of becoming a UX Designer, what are the opportunities offered in the market, what are the challenges and how to get ready to land a job in the UX Design market
Learning outcomes
By studying this week, participants should have:
- Knowledge and understanding of the pragmatic aspects of being an inclusive UX Designer
- Grasp the significance of Inclusive Design in different business sectors and job market dynamics
- Understanding the importance of an online presence, building a portfolio and tips and tricks to secure a job as an inclusive UX Designer
- Reflections from industry case studies
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours reading material, etc., although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Virtual Learning Environment
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (discussion boards etc).
Certificate of participation
A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.
