Master Digital Product Design: UX Research & UI Design from Udemy

Digital products are more abstract and complex than any product we've designed before. People are using their digital devices faster, with less conscious thought and more distracted than ever in history.

These issues present new challenges that require a new kind of design team to address. These design teams need to understand a complex range of behavioral psychology, perception, creativity, business. They need to understand what has come before, the history of design didn't start with the iPhone. The history of product design started with the history of products.

I created this course out of frustration. Frustration that design education has been reduced to a handful of feal good quotes, an ineffective standardised design process, unquestioned research activities and no mention of philosophy or critical thought. We are designing the most complex product in history for the most distracted users. We're expecting designers to work with an embarrassingly narrow understanding of design. I had to create this course for them, I had to create The Master Digital Product Design Course because no one else was doing it ;)

The Master Digital Product Design Course will give you everything you need to start designing products people love. It will take time and I advise you to work through all the exercises over a period over several months, leaving time for reflection and experimentation. This is not a fast track to any design job, this is a slow track to a great career. What do I get with this course?

This course comprises of 12 modules, each around an hour long. Each module contains high-quality explainer videos with multiple activities and downloadable worksheets. Every video has resource links for further reading to ensure you get a range of opinions and allow you to dig deeper into topics that interest or apply to you.

The modules will cover a unique range of topics that I believe are missing from the majority of modern design curriculums. The 12 sections are:

Introduction: background into the industry and some of the problems
What is Design?: looking at, where design came from and some misconceptions about how to design
Design Process: the elements of a design process. You'll then create your design process
Critical Thinking: the core skill to design effectively, how to challenge ideas, especially your own
Experience Economy: experience is vital to create products people love, yet most people are ignoring it.
Creativity: you can learn to be creative, I'll show you what it is and how to get it.
Perception: looking at how people see the world and how we can design for them (people)
Usability: let's make sure your product is easy to use and doesn't frustrate
Figma: is a rapid design and prototyping tool, you'll learn to mock up your designs
Form & Function: why your product has to look good and what to do about it
Minimalism: minimalism is hard and we often get it wrong
Balance: you can have too much of anything. lets balance standards with trends

Is this course for me?

I created The Master Digital Product Design Course to fill many of the holes in other product design courses, for this reason, I believe it'll be useful for a seasoned designer. I've also created it with the beginner in mind so if you have never designed anything you will be just at home (and everyone has designed something before, you just don't know it. ).

As well as designers I also had in mind all the people who project manage, own or develop digital products. I believe there is a lot of interesting materials that will help the whole business think differently about creating digital products.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Critical thinking
User interface design
User experience research
Some relevant design history
History of digital product design

Design processes
How human perception works
Increased creativity
Usability testing
Applied psychology in design

Critical thinking
User interface design
User experience research
Some relevant design history
History of digital product design
Design processes
How human perception works
Increased creativity
Usability testing
Applied psychology in design

Syllabus

Introduction

How To Use This Course

Designer Shortage

Life Coaches in Design

Make it Pretty

Copy Inspiration

Summary

What is Design?

The First Design

Thonets chair

Division of Labour

When To Use Design

Job Titles

Arrogant Design

Wrong Rules!

One Billion Experiences

The Production Line

Getting Started (Exercises)

Good Designers

Input

Research Values

Job Title

Support Group

Brief

Design Process

No Process

First UI Designer

Process Problems

Process Problems 2

Divergence & Convergence

Create Your Process (Exercises)

Crit / Feedback

Other Processes

Document Design Process

Critical Thinking

Birth of Rationalism

Post Rational

Data Driven Design

Everybody Lies

Focus Groups

Eating Dogfood

Scandinavian Design

Innovation Theatre

Design Thinking

Research (Exercises)

Test Assumptions

Logical Fallacies

User Interview

Another User Interview

Surveys

Competitive Analysis

Paper Prototyping

Experience Economy

Case Study: Tinder

Designers Remorse

What's Easy?

Perception

Case Study: Uber

Don Norman

Creativity

Analyse (Exercises)

Empathy Map

Persona

Journey Map

Storyboarding

What is Creativity

Creative Brain

Powerpoint Kills

Be Unique

Having Ideas

Brainstorming

Post It

Play

Test

Ideate (Exercises)

Frame The Problem

Creativity Exercises

Feature Matrix

Red Routes

Information Architecture

Wireframe

Change Your Perspective

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Introduces critical thinking skills essential for effective design

Examines the history of digital product design, providing valuable context

Offers exercises and assessments throughout the course to reinforce learning

Provides comprehensive coverage of a wide range of design-related topics

Instructor is recognized for their expertise in design

Reviews summary

Ux research and mastering digital product design

Students say this course is largely positive. Learners say the course is highly informative and is more about critical thinking than design. Students say the course will change how they view UX and will improve their design process. Learners say the course is good for beginners and will help prepare them for the field.

“This course grabbed me that much. I was watching and making notes almost all the time and I finished it in a few days. I am so surprised about my engagement, but the topics, one after another were so much interesting.”

"It grabbed me that much."

"I was watching and making notes almost all the time and I finished it in a few days."

"I am so surprised about my engagement, but the topics, one after another were so much interesting."

“It is a good course for me especially now that I have a current digital project in the pipeline. This course has been amazing! It resonates with my background and personality. I love coming up with multiple solutions to solving a problem. The instructor's strategies for delivery are amazing and creative.”

"This course has been amazing!"

"It resonates with my background and personality."

"The instructor's strategies for delivery are amazing and creative."

“I came from a graphic design background this course has given me a deeper level of understanding of Design. I learned how to become a critical thinker and gave me a lot of history and background information. This was information completely new to me and I loved these design history lessons.”

"I came from a graphic design background this course has given me a deeper level of understanding of Design."

"I learned how to become a critical thinker and gave me a lot of history and background information."

"This was information completely new to me and I loved these design history lessons."

“This course is a wonderful course that teach me how to think while doing product design, not just simply following frameworks. A lot of useful information and history of art and design which I really appreciate.”

"This course is a wonderful course that teach me how to think while doing product design, not just simply following frameworks."

"A lot of useful information and history of art and design which I really appreciate."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Master Digital Product Design: UX Research & UI Design with these activities:

Review Design of Everyday Things

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This book is a classic in the field of design and provides valuable insights into the principles of good design. Reviewing it will help you understand the core concepts of design and how they can be applied to digital products.

View Things That Make Us Smart: Defending Human... on Amazon

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Read the book
Take notes on the key concepts
Identify examples of good and bad design in the world around you

Practice using Figma

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Figma is a valuable tool for creating mockups and prototypes, and this activity will help you become proficient in using its features and tools.

Browse courses on Figma

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Follow a Figma tutorial
Create a simple mock up of a digital product
Use Figma to collaborate with other designers

Follow a tutorial on user experience design

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User experience design is a critical aspect of digital product design and following a tutorial will help you understand the basics of UX.

Browse courses on User Experience Design

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Find a tutorial on user experience design
Follow the tutorial and complete the exercises
Apply what you've learned to a real-world project

Three other activities

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Show all six activities

Start a personal design project

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Working on a personal design project will allow you to apply your skills to a real-world project and will also help you develop your creativity.

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Come up with an idea for a design project
Develop a plan for your project
Execute your plan and create your design

Join a design critique group

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Giving and receiving feedback is an essential part of the design process, and doing so regularly in a group setting will help you improve your design skills.

Browse courses on Design Critique

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Find a design critique group to join
Attend regular critique sessions
Give feedback on other designers' work
Receive feedback on your own work

Create a blog post about a design trend

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Writing about design trends will help you understand the latest developments in the field and also refine your knowledge of specific design concepts.

Browse courses on Design Trends

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Research a design trend
Write a blog post about your research
Publish your blog post

Career center

Learners who complete Master Digital Product Design: UX Research & UI Design will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Product Designer

Product Designers are responsible for the overall user experience of a product, from its look and feel to its functionality. They work closely with engineers and other designers to ensure that the product meets the needs of users. This course will help you develop the skills you need to become a successful Product Designer, including user research, UI design, and prototyping.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

UI Designer

UI Designers are responsible for the visual design of a product. They work closely with UX Researchers and Product Designers to create products that are both visually appealing and easy to use. This course will help you develop the skills you need to become a successful UI Designer, including visual design principles, typography, and color theory.

See salaries and explore the career path for UI Designer

UX Researcher

UX Researchers are responsible for understanding the needs of users and designing products that meet those needs. They conduct user research, analyze data, and create prototypes to help designers create better products. This course will help you develop the skills you need to become a successful UX Researcher, including user research methods, data analysis, and prototyping.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Researcher

Front-End Developer

Front-End Developers are responsible for the implementation of the visual design of a product. They work closely with UI Designers and UX Researchers to bring products to life. This course will help you develop the skills you need to become a successful Front-End Developer, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

See salaries and explore the career path for Front-End Developer

Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the overall success of a product. They work closely with Product Designers, UX Researchers, UI Designers, and Front-End Developers to ensure that products meet the needs of users and are successful in the market. This course may be helpful for Product Managers who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns for products. They work closely with Product Designers, UX Researchers, and UI Designers to ensure that products are marketed effectively. This course may be helpful for Marketing Managers who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

User Experience Strategist

User Experience Strategists are responsible for developing and implementing strategies for improving the user experience of products. They work closely with Product Designers, UX Researchers, UI Designers, and Front-End Developers to create products that are both user-centered and successful in the market. This course may be helpful for User Experience Strategists who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Strategist

Technical Writer

Technical Writers are responsible for creating documentation for products. They work closely with Product Designers, UX Researchers, UI Designers, and Front-End Developers to create documentation that is clear and easy to understand. This course may be helpful for Technical Writers who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Interaction Designer

Interaction Designers are responsible for designing the way that users interact with a product. They work closely with UX Researchers and UI Designers to create products that are both easy to use and enjoyable to use. This course may be helpful for Interaction Designers who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Information Architect

Information Architects are responsible for organizing and structuring the content of a product. They work closely with UX Researchers and UI Designers to create products that are easy to navigate and use. This course may be helpful for Information Architects who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

Design Researcher

Design Researchers are responsible for conducting research to understand the needs of users. They work closely with Product Designers, UX Researchers, UI Designers, and Front-End Developers to create products that are both user-centered and successful in the market. This course may be helpful for Design Researchers who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Design Researcher

Visual Designer

Visual Designers are responsible for the visual appearance of a product. They work closely with UI Designers and UX Researchers to create products that are both visually appealing and easy to use. This course may be helpful for Visual Designers who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Designer

Industrial Designer

Industrial Designers are responsible for designing the physical appearance of products. They work closely with Product Designers, UX Researchers, and UI Designers to create products that are both visually appealing and easy to use. This course may be helpful for Industrial Designers who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Industrial Designer

Graphic designer

Graphic Designers are responsible for creating visual content for products. They work closely with UI Designers and UX Researchers to create products that are both visually appealing and easy to use. This course may be helpful for Graphic Designers who want to learn more about the design process and how to create products that meet the needs of users.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer