UX Design Fundamentals from Coursera

This hands-on course examines how content is organized and structured to create an experience for a user, and what role the designer plays in creating and shaping user experience. You will be led through a condensed process that acts as a roadmap for developing robust UI/UX design: from ideation and sitemapping, to the creation of paper and digital prototypes. Building on the design skills learned in Visual Elements of User Interface Design, you will apply this methodology to produce a digital prototype for a multi-screen app of your own invention.

By the end of this course, you will be able to describe and apply current best practices and conventions in UX design, and employ the fundamental principles of how UX design functions to shape an audience's experience of a given body of content.

This is the second 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.

Ideation, Articulation, Development

Your assignment at the end of this week is the first stage in a multi-step process towards developing a clickable prototype: coming up with a clearly articulated idea for an app with a specific goal in mind. So this week we will focus on how to articulate and structure your ideas and goals, how to use naming and language as a part of your app’s identity. We will also look at audience research and user centered design.

Planning, Testing, Researching, Mapping

This week we’re going to continue to develop, plan, and test your app idea. We’ll start by sketching out more extensive content and mapping it into a structure. To test what aspects of your app are working, we’ll look at how to create a non-visual paper prototype and work our way towards a sitemap. While you’re developing the logic of your app, you’ll also begin to develop the look and feel of it: the visual development process.

What Goes Where?

At this stage in our process we are going to take our site map, look and feel research, and user testing to the next level in order to get a more accurate static prototype. By building a wireframe of our interface, we’ll figure out what goes where, and on which pages, utilizing our user testing information to figure out the hierarchy and structure of our app. This week is about the logic and functionality of our interface, and how it’s actually going to work within the app.

Making it by Faking it

In this final week of the course, you will be taking your wireframes or app screens and make a simple functioning digital prototype to simulate the experience of interactivity. We’ll be using simple prototyping software to put your static screens into a realistic context, and simulating interaction in order to understand how your app feels, in order to troubleshoot and fix problems. This is the part of the course where all your talents come together! For me this is the most exciting part of UI/UX development, when it all starts to become real and you have a believable prototype in your hands.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores UI/UX design, which is vital for all web technologies

Led by Michael Worthington, who is a noteworthy figure in UX

Develops UI and UX design skills, which are core skills for front-end, back-end, and full-stack web development

Provides a deep study of UI and UX for web apps

Part of a UI/UX Design Specialization, which provides a comprehensive study of UI/UX design

Best suited for students with some background in graphic or visual design

Reviews summary

App-focused ux fundamentals

According to learners, this course focuses on teaching you the fundamental principles of UX design within the context of mobile app development. Students say the course is well-received and beginner-friendly. Through hands-on, engaging assignments such as creating wireframes, sitemaps, and prototypes you will walk through the complete UX design process from ideation to testing. Along the way, you will learn fundamental UX concepts like user testing, mapping, and interaction mapping. Because of its emphasis on creating practical projects, this course can help you build your portfolio and prepare for an entry-level UX or UI design position.

Michael Worthington is an excellent instructor who has extensive knowledge of UX design principles. He teaches efficiently and engagingly.

"Michael is a truly amazing and articulate instructor. Going through all of the steps involved in UX/UI design when it comes to designing an app was super insightful and a great way to gain crucial knowledge about the industry. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who wants to learn UX/UI design."

"Michael Worthington, I am much obliged for giving me a good 'student experience'."

The course has a well-structured and learner-friendly format that enables you to understand the logic in interface design.

"This course is so well rounded, easy to follow, and quite challening. The instructor made the course compelling so the topics weny by quickly, but I was still able to learn a lot."

"The lessons were easily to follow and the assignments were quite challenging for me as someone who struggles with communicating their thoughts and ideas."

This course offers comprehensive training that provides you with practical skills in UX design including content mapping, site mapping, paper prototyping, testing, and designing clickable prototypes.

"Excellent course, internalizes knowledge with dynamics integrating skills to create, design and develop a software application such as Adobe package. Congratulations."

"My favorite course in the specialization. The course laid out practical steps to help develop an app. I'm very pleased with the level of detail in the course materials."

This course provides practical experience through numerous hands-on assignments, such as creating wireframes, sitemaps, and prototypes. These engaging assignments help you develop and apply your UX skills.

"An excelent structure and content! Made me realize many more possibilities when designing an interface and the user experience around it."

"This course surely builds your UX skills and at the end of this course, you will call yourself a UX designer with pride."

Peer reviews can be frustrating and not beneficial. Students often give low-quality or unhelpful feedback, such as a single period or the word "good".

"Peer-to-peer corrections are really disastrous. In addition, the course was filled with fake users."

"The only problem is peer reviews. It takes so long to receive grades, else this course was very useful, and a lot better than the previous one in this section"

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 UX Design Fundamentals with these activities:

Volunteer at a local design agency or startup

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Volunteering will give you practical experience in UX design and app development.

Browse courses on UX Design

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Find a local design agency or startup that is looking for volunteers.
Apply for the volunteer position.
Complete the volunteer training.
Work on UX design and app development projects.

Participate in a UX design study group

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Participating in a UX design study group will give you the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with other students.

Browse courses on UX Design

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Find a UX design study group to join.
Attend the study group meetings.
Participate in the discussions.
Work on UX design projects together.

Watch tutorials on user experience design

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Watching tutorials on UX design will help you learn the best practices for creating user-friendly interfaces.

Browse courses on UX Design

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Find tutorials on UX design topics that you are interested in.
Watch the tutorials and take notes.
Apply what you have learned to your own UX design projects.

Five other activities

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Show all eight activities

Read Don Norman: The Design of Everyday Things

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Understanding the principles of user-centered design will help you create more effective and user-friendly interfaces.

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

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Read the first five chapters of the book.
Take notes on the key principles of user-centered design.
Identify examples of good and bad user-centered design in your everyday life.

Create a mood board for your app idea

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Creating a mood board will help you visualize the look and feel of your app and ensure that all design elements are consistent.

Browse courses on User Interface Design

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Collect images, colors, and textures that represent the mood and style of your app.
Arrange the elements on a digital or physical board.
Get feedback from others on your mood board.

Develop a wireframe for your app

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A wireframe will help you visualize the structure and flow of your app before you start coding.

Browse courses on UX Design

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Sketch out the basic layout of your app screens.
Identify the key user flows.
Create a digital wireframe using a prototyping tool.
Get feedback from users on your wireframe.

Attend a workshop on mobile app design

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Attending a workshop on mobile app design will give you the opportunity to learn from experts and get hands-on experience.

Browse courses on App Development

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Find a workshop that focuses on mobile app design.
Register for the workshop.
Attend the workshop and participate in the activities.
Apply what you have learned to your own mobile app projects.

Practice using a prototyping tool

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Becoming proficient in using a prototyping tool will help you create more realistic and interactive prototypes.

Browse courses on Prototyping

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Watch tutorials on how to use the prototyping tool.
Create a simple prototype of your app.
Get feedback from others on your prototype.

Career center

Learners who complete UX Design Fundamentals will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Product Designer

A Product Designer is responsible for the overall user experience of a product, from its conception to its launch and iteration. This role requires a holistic understanding of UX principles and a strong ability to translate user needs into tangible designs. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a comprehensive overview of UX design, covering topics such as ideation, research, prototyping, and user testing. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to create successful and user-centric products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

UI Designer

A UI Designer is responsible for designing the visual interface of digital products. This role requires a strong understanding of UX principles and visual design techniques. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a solid foundation in UX design, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and visual development. By learning how to design for different user needs and platforms, you'll gain the skills necessary to create user interfaces that are both visually appealing and functional.

See salaries and explore the career path for UI Designer

Interaction Designer

An Interaction Designer focuses on designing the behavior and functionality of digital products. This role requires a deep understanding of how users interact with technology and how to create intuitive and engaging experiences. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a solid foundation in UX design principles, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and information architecture. By learning how to design for different user needs and platforms, you'll gain the skills necessary to create user interfaces that are both visually appealing and functional.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Information Architect

An Information Architect is responsible for organizing and structuring the content of digital products. This role requires a deep understanding of UX principles and information architecture techniques. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a comprehensive overview of UX design, covering topics such as sitemapping, navigation, and search. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to create well-organized and easy-to-navigate digital products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

UX Researcher

A UX Researcher is responsible for conducting user research and providing insights to improve the user experience of digital products. This role requires a deep understanding of UX research methodologies and a strong ability to analyze and interpret data. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a comprehensive overview of UX research methods, covering topics such as user interviews, surveys, and usability testing. By learning how to conduct user research and analyze findings, you'll gain the skills necessary to create user-centric designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Researcher

Front-End Developer

A Front-End Developer is responsible for translating designs into functional user interfaces. A solid understanding of UX principles is essential for creating user-friendly and responsive web pages. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a comprehensive overview of UX best practices and conventions, equipping you with the knowledge to design and develop user interfaces that meet the needs of the target audience. By learning about sitemapping, prototyping, and visual development, you'll gain the skills necessary to bring digital designs to life.

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

Content Designer

A Content Designer is responsible for creating and managing the content of digital products. This role requires a strong understanding of UX principles and content strategy. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a comprehensive overview of UX design, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and content strategy. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to create engaging and effective content for digital products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Designer

UX Writer

A UX Writer is responsible for creating the text content of digital products. This role requires a strong understanding of UX principles and writing for the web. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a comprehensive overview of UX design, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and content strategy. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to create clear and concise content for digital products.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Writer

Design Researcher

A Design Researcher is responsible for conducting research to understand user needs and inform the design of digital products. This role requires a deep understanding of UX research methodologies and a strong ability to analyze and interpret data. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a comprehensive overview of UX research methods, covering topics such as user interviews, surveys, and usability testing. By learning how to conduct user research and analyze findings, you'll gain the skills necessary to create user-centric designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Design Researcher

Usability Analyst

A Usability Analyst is responsible for evaluating the usability of digital products. This role requires a deep understanding of UX principles and usability testing methods. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a comprehensive overview of UX design, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and evaluation. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to conduct usability tests and provide valuable feedback to improve the design of digital products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Usability Analyst

Art Director

An Art Director plays a major role in directing the visual style and aesthetics of creative projects. This role requires a strong understanding of design principles, including those related to User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX). The UX Design Fundamentals course can help build a foundation in these areas, providing valuable insights into how to create user-centric designs that are both visually appealing and functional. By learning about ideation, planning, testing, and research methods, you'll gain the skills necessary to develop effective and engaging digital products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director

UX Engineer

A UX Engineer is responsible for implementing UX designs into functional code. This role requires a strong understanding of both UX principles and web development techniques. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a solid foundation in UX design, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and visual development. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to collaborate effectively with engineers and bring UX designs to life.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Engineer

Human Factors Engineer

A Human Factors Engineer is responsible for designing products and systems that are safe, efficient, and easy to use. This role requires a deep understanding of human factors principles and a strong ability to apply them to the design process. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a solid foundation in UX design, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and evaluation. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to create products and systems that are user-centric and effective.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Factors Engineer

Web Designer

A Web Designer is responsible for designing the visual appearance of websites. This role requires a strong understanding of UX principles and visual design techniques. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a solid foundation in UX design, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and visual development. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Visual Designer

A Visual Designer is responsible for creating the visual elements of digital products. This role requires a strong understanding of UX principles and visual design techniques. The UX Design Fundamentals course provides a solid foundation in UX design, covering topics such as user research, prototyping, and visual development. By learning how to design and evaluate user experiences, you'll gain the skills necessary to create visually appealing and user-friendly digital products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Designer