Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture from Coursera

This course is focused on the early user experience (UX) challenges of research, planning, setting goals, understanding the user, structuring content, and developing interactive sequences. While the concepts covered will translate to many kinds of interactive media (apps, digital kiosks, games), our primary focus will be on designing contemporary, responsive websites. In this course you will complete the first half of a large scale project—developing a comprehensive plan for a complex website—by defining the strategy and scope of the site, as well as developing its information architecture and overall structure. Along the way we will also discuss:

- Different job descriptions in the web design industry and where UX and UI skills fall within this spectrum

- The difference between native apps and websites

- The difference of agile vs. waterfall approaches

- User personas and site personas

- User testing

The work and knowledge in this course continues in the last course in the UI/UX Design Specialization, Web Design: Wireframes to Prototypes, where you will tackle—finally—wireframes, visual mockups, and clickable prototypes.

This is the third course in the UI/UX Design Specialization, which brings a design-centric approach to user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, and offers practical, skill-based instruction centered around a visual communications perspective, rather than on one focused on marketing or programming alone.

These courses are ideal for anyone with some experience in graphic or visual design and who would like to build their skill set in UI or UX for app and web design. It would also be ideal for anyone with experience in front- or back-end web development or human-computer interaction and want to sharpen their visual design and analysis skills for UI or UX.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview

Welcome! In this first module I will summarize the assignments and expectations of this course.

The User Experience Process

This week I will give you a brief overview of the user experience process that I will teach in this course sequence. We will begin by defining the term "user experience", and then briefly look at the five phases of UX design: Strategy, Outline of Scope, Sitemap, Wireframes, and Visual Mockups. I will also talk about the differences between mobile apps and websites, and the differences between waterfall and agile approaches to UX design. Lastly, I will introduce you to the main project that you will be working on in this course and the one that follows it. You’ll be starting your first assignment at the end of the week. Last, here's something to keep in mind this week: “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”—Steve Jobs

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Develops experience that is essential for UI and UX web and app designers

Covers essential UX design processes, including Research, Planning, Setting Goals, Understanding User, Structuring Content, and Developing Interactive Sequences

Provides solid foundational UX/UI design principles and practices

Ideal for learners with some experience in graphic or visual design, or those with experience in front- or back-end web development or human-computer interaction

Taught by Roman Jaster, a seasoned professional in the UX design industry

Prepares learners for the UI/UX Design Specialization's final course

Reviews summary

Foundation in web strategy and ia

According to learners, this course provides a positive and solid foundation in the crucial early stages of web design, specifically focusing on strategy and information architecture. Students particularly appreciate the course's emphasis on understanding user needs and structuring content effectively, noting that the concepts taught are highly relevant and provide a practical framework. The assignments are often highlighted as being valuable for reinforcing the learning, allowing students to apply theory to a hands-on project. While the course is part of a specialization and is best suited for those with some existing design or related background, students find the instructor's explanations clear and the overall structure logical, making complex topics accessible. Some note that it doesn't cover visual design, but this aligns with its stated scope as the first half of a larger project.

Focuses on strategy/IA, not visual design.

"Be aware this course is only about strategy and IA. Visual design comes in the next course of the specialization."

"This course covers the planning stages. If you're looking for wireframing or visual design, that's not here."

"It covers exactly what it says: strategy and information architecture. No actual visual design work in this one."

"Understand that this course sets up the plan; the execution is in the subsequent course."

Instructor explains complex topics well.

"The instructor was clear and concise, making potentially dry topics like information architecture engaging."

"I really liked the instructor's teaching style. Concepts were broken down well and easy to follow."

"Excellent explanations from the instructor. Made the material accessible and interesting."

"The lectures were well-structured and delivered clearly by the instructor."

Assignments reinforce learning effectively.

"The assignments were challenging but very practical. Applying the concepts to a real project really helped solidify my understanding."

"I found the project work to be the most valuable part. It allowed me to actually use the strategy and IA methods taught."

"Good hands-on assignments that make you apply what you learn immediately. They are key to understanding."

"The practical exercises and the main project helped bridge the gap between theory and application."

Excellent coverage of strategy & IA basics.

"The course did a great job of laying out the basics of strategy and information architecture. It really makes you think about the foundation of a website."

"I appreciated the focus on the initial planning stages. It's a side of web design that often gets overlooked but is absolutely critical for success."

"This course gave me a solid grounding in the principles of IA and how to develop a clear strategy before even thinking about visuals."

"Learned how to approach the strategic planning and information architecture aspects of web design effectively."

Best for those with some design/UX basis.

"While it covers fundamentals, having some prior design or UX knowledge helps you grasp the concepts faster."

"Might be a bit challenging if you are starting completely from scratch in design or UX."

"Builds well on previous courses in the specialization, feels like the right progression."

"Recommended if you have a bit of a background; it's not an absolute beginner course."

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 Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture with these activities:

Read Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug

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Learn the principles of intuitive web design.

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Read the book
Take notes on the key takeaways

Take an Online Course on Information Architecture

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Gain a deeper understanding of the principles and best practices of information architecture.

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Research different online courses
Choose a course that fits your learning style and schedule
Complete the course

Volunteer at a UX Research Lab

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Gain hands-on experience in conducting user research.

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Find a UX research lab to volunteer at
Attend training sessions
Assist with user research studies
Write up research reports

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Diagram User Flows

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Identify and articulate the critical paths users can take to complete their goals.

Browse courses on User Flows

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Identify key user goals
Map out the steps involved in each goal
Create a visual representation of the user flows

Conduct User Interviews

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Gather qualitative feedback from users to inform your design decisions.

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Develop a list of interview questions
Recruit participants for your interviews
Conduct the interviews
Analyze the results of your interviews

Create a Style Guide

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Establish consistency across all aspects of your website's design.

Browse courses on Style Guides

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Define your brand's visual identity
Create a set of guidelines for typography, colors, and imagery
Share your style guide with your team and stakeholders

Mentor a Junior UX Designer

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Share your knowledge and experience with an aspiring UX designer.

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Find a junior UX designer to mentor
Set up a regular meeting schedule
Provide guidance and feedback on their work
Help them develop their skills and knowledge

Career center

Learners who complete Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Information Architect

Information Architects are responsible for the organization, labeling, and navigation of information on the Internet. The course will help you develop foundational skills such as research, planning, setting goals, understanding the user, structuring content, and developing interactive sequences. These skills that you will develop in this course will help build a foundation that helps you have success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

UX Designer

User Experience (UX) Designers conduct research about a site's users to determine their behavior and needs.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Designer

Web Designer

Web Designers are responsible for designing and developing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) for a website.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Frontend Developer

Front-end Developers are responsible for the development and maintenance of the graphical user interface (GUI) of a website or web application.

See salaries and explore the career path for Frontend Developer

UI Developer

UI Developers are responsible for the design and development of the user interface (UI) for a website or web application.

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Product Designer

Product Designers are responsible for the design and development of physical or digital products.

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Interaction Designer

Interaction Designers are responsible for the design of the interaction between a user and a product or service.

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Content Strategist

Content Strategists are responsible for developing and managing the content for a website or web application.

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Information Manager

Information Managers are responsible for the organization, storage, and retrieval of information.

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Usability Analyst

Usability Analysts are responsible for evaluating the usability of a website or web application.

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Webmaster

Webmasters are responsible for the maintenance and administration of a website.

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Technical Writer

Technical Writers are responsible for writing and editing technical documentation.

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Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers are responsible for the design and development of educational materials.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers are responsible for the development and implementation of marketing campaigns.

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Business Analyst

Business Analysts are responsible for the analysis of business processes and the development of recommendations for improvement.

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Web Design

Strategy and Information Architecture

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Reviews summary

Foundation in web strategy and ia

Activities

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