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.

Build a professional presence

As the digital world continues to expand, companies recognize that designing good user experiences is a necessity, which is why UX design is a high-growth and in-demand job field. The key to landing one of those UX design jobs is a strong portfolio and online presence. In this part of the course, you'll start to create a portfolio to showcase your upcoming work. You'll also learn about the importance of having a personal brand and building an online presence.

Finding a UX job

In the final part of the Google UX Design Certificate, you’ll prepare to find a job as a new UX designer. You’ll start by making final adjustments to your portfolio to ensure it’s ready to share in job applications. Next, you’ll examine the UX design interview process and develop strategies to succeed in various types of interview: pre-interview research, an elevator pitch, a phone screen, a portfolio presentation, a whiteboard exercise, a take home design exercise, and more. Finally, you’ll explore the world of freelancing by creating a business plan and learning how to land your first client.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, 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 for social good

learners say the Google UX Design Certificate in "Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs" covers essential UX design principles and methodologies, with a focus on social impact and career preparation. This last course in the 7-course certificate lets learners apply their UX skills by designing a UX solution for a social good project. Students also receive guidance on preparing for UX job interviews and building their portfolios, with a particular emphasis on highlighting their social impact work. Reviews praise the comprehensive curriculum, hands-on projects, and industry insights provided by Google UX experts. Graduates report feeling confident and prepared for UX design careers.

Google UX experts provide insights and guidance throughout the course.

"The instructors did an excellent job of breaking down complex concepts into digestible chunks and providing practical examples to illustrate key points."

The course emphasizes designing UX solutions with a social impact.

"Throughout the Google UX Design Certificate, I found the curriculum to be comprehensive and well-structured, providing a solid foundation in UX design principles, methodologies, and tools."

"To design a UX for social good, it's essential to start by understanding the target audience and their needs."

"Conducting thorough user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, helps gain insights into the challenges faced by the community or group you aim to serve."

"Empathy is key in this process, as it enables designers to truly understand the perspectives and experiences of the users they are designing for."

Learners complete multiple hands-on projects that reinforce UX principles and methodologies.

"Each project challenged me to apply what I had learned in a practical setting, reinforcing my understanding of UX design principles and methodologies."

The course includes modules on job preparation, portfolio building, and networking.

"Additionally, the feedback provided by peers and mentors was invaluable in helping me improve my designs and refine my problem-solving skills."

"Overall, the Google UX Design Certificate has equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue a career in UX design."

"I feel well-prepared to tackle the challenges of the field and make meaningful contributions to the design community."

"I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to break into the field of UX design or enhance their existing skills in this area."

Some reviewers mention that there is some repetitive content in the course.

"For a UX design course you'd think it would be designed better than this."

"Unnecessary course in the certificate program."

"Too many quizzes and activities that don't serve any real purpose since there isn't an usual grading system."

"Repeating the same things over and over again."

A few reviewers mention that some of the deadlines in the course are unrealistic.

"Very well done course, you learn alot and I 100% had seen my progress along the way."

"However, I would say that some of the deadlines can at times be unrealstic."

"For example, it will be something like design a hi fi prototype for a project for week 6 on top of the material to go through that week."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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.

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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

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