Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs from Coursera

Design a User Experience for Social Good and Prepare for Jobs is the seventh and final course in a program that will equip you with the skills you need to become an entry-level UX designer. In this course, you will design a dedicated mobile app and a responsive website focused on social good. You will showcase all that you’ve learned during the certificate program to complete the design process from beginning to end: empathizing with users, defining their pain points, coming up with ideas for design solutions, creating wireframes and prototypes, and testing designs to get feedback. By the end of this course, you will have a new cross-platform design project to include in your professional UX portfolio.

This course will also prepare you to land your first job as a UX designer. You’ll learn how to interview for entry-level UX design positions. You’ll get tips from Googlers based on their own interview experiences and their unique perspectives as hiring managers. And, you’ll polish the professional UX portfolio you’ve been building throughout the program so that it’s ready for job applications.

Current UX designers and researchers at Google will serve as your instructors, and you will complete hands-on activities that simulate real-world UX design scenarios. Learners who complete the seven courses in this certificate program should be equipped to apply for entry-level jobs as UX designers.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

- Apply each step of the UX design process (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test) to create designs focused on social good.

- Identify the differences between dedicated mobile apps and responsive web apps.

- Understand progressive enhancement and graceful degradation approaches for designing across devices.

- Build wireframes, mockups, and low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes.

- Add a new design project to your professional UX portfolio.

- Create your portfolio of design work for job applications.

- Join and participate in online UX communities.

- Interview for an entry-level UX design job.

- Determine if freelance design work is a good career fit for you.

This course is suitable for beginner-level UX designers who have completed the previous six courses of the Google UX Design Certificate.

What's inside

Syllabus

Design for social good and strengthen your portfolio

You've reached the final course of the Google UX Design Certificate — congratulations! You will design a dedicated mobile app and a responsive website focused on social good that showcases everything you've learned in the program. To get started, you'll learn about designing across devices by exploring progressive enhancement and graceful degradation approaches and the 4Cs. With all of this new knowledge, you’ll begin your portfolio project. You’ll start with the empathize phase, where you’ll create personas, user stories, and user journey maps. Then, you’ll move on to the define phase, where you’ll identify the user need your project will focus on and build a problem statement. Finally, you’ll make your way into the ideate phase, where you’ll conduct a competitive audit and come up with ideas for your dedicated mobile app design through sketching.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Builds a solid foundation for those with limited knowledge and experience in user experience design

Prepares learners to enter the field by offering support and resources for job searching specifically within UX

Facilitates career growth and skills refinement for individuals aiming to advance in the UX industry

Taught by current UX designers and researchers at Google, ensuring access to up-to-date knowledge and industry insights

Covers key aspects of UX design, from user research and prototyping to understanding different devices and their impact on UX

Provides practical, hands-on activities that simulate real-world UX design scenarios, fostering practical skills development

Reviews summary

Ux portfolio & job search catalyst

According to learners, this course is a highly effective capstone to the Google UX Design Certificate, particularly strong in preparing students for entry-level UX design jobs. Students found the guidance on professional portfolio building to be incredibly helpful, allowing them to create a robust online presence. The course also delivers valuable job search strategies and actionable interview tips, often directly from Googlers. The social good design project is a practical and rewarding culmination, integrating all learned skills. However, some learners noted the peer review system could be inconsistent, impacting feedback quality, and parts of the job prep might feel less in-depth for those with prior professional experience.

Integrates learned skills into a real-world project.

"The social good project was a fantastic way to apply all the concepts learned."

"Loved the practical approach to designing for social good."

"The portfolio project for social good was challenging but extremely rewarding."

"The social good project helped solidify the design process."

Provides valuable tips for UX job interviews.

"The job search strategies and interview tips from Googlers were invaluable."

"The insights into the interview process were very clear and actionable."

"The most impactful part was the detailed breakdown of the UX interview process."

"The job search modules are exactly what's needed to transition into the field."

Guides in creating a strong professional portfolio.

"building out the portfolio was incredibly helpful."

"The portfolio-building exercises are strong. I appreciated the guidance on crafting a professional online presence."

"The project integration into the portfolio was seamless."

"I completed my portfolio and feel confident sharing it."

Job prep content better suited for absolute beginners.

"Some parts of the job search module felt a bit generic, and I wished for more specific examples for different types of UX roles."

"The job search advice felt a bit basic for someone who already has some professional experience..."

"I found some of the interview advice to be repetitive if you've already researched job searching extensively."

"The job interview advice felt like what you could find on a quick Google search. Not bad, but not exceptional..."

Peer review system lacks consistent quality.

"The peer grading system sometimes made it hard to get quality feedback."

"The peer review system was inconsistent, and I didn't always get constructive feedback, which is crucial for portfolio improvement."

"The peer review process is a major drawback. My portfolio would have been better if I got more professional feedback."

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 Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs with these activities:

Join a UX design community

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Joining a UX design community can help you connect with other UX designers, learn from their experiences, and get involved in the UX community.

Browse courses on User Experience Design

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Research different UX design communities.
Join a few communities that interest you.
Participate in community discussions and events.

Attend UX design events

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Attending UX design events can help you network with other UX designers, learn about the latest trends in UX design, and find job opportunities.

Browse courses on User Experience Design

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Research upcoming UX design events in your area.
Attend a few events that interest you.
Connect with other UX designers at the events.

Take a UX design workshop

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Taking a UX design workshop can help you learn new skills and improve your UX design knowledge.

Browse courses on User Experience Design

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Research different UX design workshops.
Choose a workshop that fits your interests and needs.
Attend the workshop and participate actively.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Follow UX design tutorials

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Following UX design tutorials can help you learn new skills and improve your UX design knowledge.

Browse courses on User Experience Design

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Search for UX design tutorials on YouTube or other online platforms.
Choose a few tutorials that interest you.
Follow the tutorials and complete the exercises.

Practice building wireframes and prototypes

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Practice building wireframes and prototypes to reinforce your understanding of the UX design process and to solidify your skills.

Browse courses on Wireframes

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Choose a simple app or website idea.
Sketch out a wireframe for your idea.
Create a prototype of your wireframe using a prototyping tool.
Test your prototype with users and gather feedback.
Iterate on your design based on the feedback you receive.

Design a mock UX project

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Designing a mock UX project can help you practice your skills and build your portfolio.

Browse courses on User Experience Design

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Choose a problem that you want to solve.
Research the problem and your target audience.
Generate ideas for a UX solution.
Design a prototype of your solution.

Create a UX portfolio

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Creating a UX portfolio will help you showcase your skills and land your first UX design job.

Browse courses on UX Portfolio

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Gather your best UX work.
Create a website or online portfolio to showcase your work.
Write a strong portfolio statement that highlights your skills and experience.
Get feedback on your portfolio from other UX designers.

Career center

Learners who complete Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

UX Designer

UX designers are responsible for the overall user experience of a product or service. They work to create products that are easy to use, efficient, and enjoyable. This course can help UX designers by providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to conduct user research, create prototypes, and evaluate user feedback. This knowledge can help them create more user-friendly and effective products and services.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Designer

UI Designer

UI designers design and develop the user interface for websites, applications, and other digital products. They are responsible for the visual elements of the product, including the layout, typography, color scheme, and visual hierarchy. This course can help UI designers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research, prototyping, and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more user-friendly and effective products.

See salaries and explore the career path for UI Designer

Product Manager

Product managers are responsible for the overall success of a product or service. They work with stakeholders to define the product vision, set the roadmap, and track progress. This course can help product managers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research, prototyping, and user testing. This knowledge can help them create products that are more user-friendly and successful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Interaction Designer

Interaction designers design and develop the interactions between users and products or services. They work to create interactions that are intuitive, engaging, and enjoyable. This course can help interaction designers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research, prototyping, and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more user-friendly and effective interactions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Web Designer

Web designers create the visual and functional elements of websites and web applications. They work with clients to understand their business goals and create websites that are both visually appealing and effective. This course can help web designers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research, prototyping, and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more user-friendly and effective websites.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Usability Analyst

Usability analysts evaluate the usability of products and services. They work to identify and fix usability issues, and make recommendations for improvements. This course can help usability analysts by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research, prototyping, and user testing. This knowledge can help them conduct more effective usability evaluations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Usability Analyst

Information Architect

Information architects design and organize the content on websites and web applications. They work to make sure that content is easy to find and understand. This course can help information architects by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research, prototyping, and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more effective information architectures.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

Front-End Developer

Front-end web developers design and develop the code that creates user interfaces and visual elements of websites and web applications. They bring the visual design concepts to life through HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other web development tools. This course can help Front-end Developers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research, prototyping, and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more user-friendly and effective websites and applications.

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

Graphic Designer

Graphic designers create visual content for a variety of purposes, including websites, brochures, and advertisements. This course can help graphic designers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research, prototyping, and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more effective and user-friendly visual content.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Designer

Marketing Manager

Marketing managers develop and execute marketing campaigns to promote products and services. This course may be helpful for marketing managers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more effective marketing campaigns that are more likely to reach and engage their target audience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Content Strategist

Content strategists develop and manage content for websites, blogs, and other digital channels. This course may be helpful for content strategists by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more effective content that is more likely to reach and engage their target audience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Strategist

Technical Writer

Technical writers create documentation for software, hardware, and other technical products. This course may be helpful for technical writers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more effective documentation that is easier to understand and use.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Instructional Designer

Instructional designers design and develop educational programs and materials. This course may be helpful for instructional designers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more effective educational programs that are more engaging and effective.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Human Factors Engineer

Human factors engineers design products and systems that are safe, efficient, and easy to use. This course may be helpful for human factors engineers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more effective products and systems that are more likely to be accepted and used by people.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Factors Engineer

Software Engineer

Software engineers design, develop, and maintain software applications. This course may be helpful for software engineers by teaching them the principles of UX design, such as user research and user testing. This knowledge can help them create more effective software applications that are more likely to be accepted and used by people.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer