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Prototyping and Design

Joseph A Konstan, Loren Terveen, Haiyi Zhu, Lana Yarosh, and Dr. Brent Hecht

Joseph A Konstan, Loren Terveen, Haiyi Zhu, Lana Yarosh, and Dr. Brent Hecht

In this course you will learn how to design and prototype user interfaces to address the users and tasks identified in user research. Through a series of lectures and exercises, you will learn and practice paper- and other low-fidelity prototyping techniques; you will learn and apply principles from graphic design, including design patterns; you will learn to write a design rationale; and you will learn how to design for specific populations and situations, including principles and practices of accessible design.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Preface

A brief introduction to the topic and course structure.

Interface Prototyping Techniques

An introduction to prototyping, including paper and tool-based prototyping.

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Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Taught by recognized experts in user design: Joseph Konstan, Loren Terveen, Haiyi Zhu, Lana Yarosh, and Dr. Brent Hecht

Covers essential user interface prototyping techniques and principles, including paper-based, digital, and design patterns

Focuses on user-centric design, emphasizing the importance of user research and feedback in shaping interface design

Provides a practical approach through exercises and hands-on prototyping activities

Covers design principles for different platforms and contexts, addressing the challenges of designing for various devices and usage scenarios

Emphasizes accessibility and inclusivity in design, exploring principles and practices for designing interfaces that meet the needs of diverse users

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Reviews summary

Foundational ui prototyping and design

According to learners, this course provides a strong foundation in UI prototyping and design principles, widely considered largely positive by students. Students particularly praise the practical assignments and exercises, finding them crucial for hands-on application and skill development. The coverage of core design principles and the dedicated module on accessible design are frequently highlighted as valuable. Some reviewers note the course might be too introductory for those with existing experience, while others mention that the depth of coverage on specific design tools is limited, focusing more on concepts than detailed software tutorials. It is seen as a solid starting point for beginners.

May be basic for experienced learners.

"As someone with some design background, parts felt too introductory and slow."

"Great for absolute beginners, covers everything from scratch at a good pace."

"Found some topics moved a bit fast, felt challenging for a complete beginner."

Highlights importance of accessible design.

"The section on accessibility was a key takeaway for me, very insightful."

"Appreciated the dedicated focus on designing for diverse users and abilities."

"Accessibility coverage felt thorough and necessary for modern design work."

Offers a solid base in design principles.

"The lectures on fundamental design principles were incredibly helpful and clear."

"Learned core concepts applicable to various UI design tasks effectively."

"Provides a comprehensive introduction to UI design basics for newcomers."

Provides valuable hands-on practice.

"The exercises and projects are great for applying concepts and solidify understanding."

"Really appreciate the hands-on approach, helped solidify understanding through practice."

"The assignments gave me real-world practice in prototyping and design techniques."

Doesn't deep dive into specific modern tools.

"While principles are good, I wished they showed more examples using Figma or Sketch."

"The tool-based examples felt a bit outdated compared to current industry standards."

"Mostly conceptual; don't expect detailed software tutorials here."

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 Prototyping and Design with these activities:

Practice sketching and wireframing

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Enhance your skills in sketching and wireframing, which are essential for rapidly generating and communicating design ideas during the prototyping process.

Browse courses on Sketching

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Find resources (e.g., online courses, books) on sketching and wireframing techniques.
Practice sketching and wireframing user interfaces for different tasks and user groups.
Share your sketches and wireframes with others for feedback and improvement.

Follow online tutorials on prototyping

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Acquire practical skills and learn new techniques for prototyping user interfaces by following online tutorials and experimenting with different prototyping tools.

Browse courses on Prototyping

Show steps

Identify online tutorials or courses that teach prototyping techniques.
Follow the tutorials step-by-step and practice creating prototypes.
Experiment with different prototyping tools and techniques to find what works best for you.

Read a book on design principles

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Gain a deeper understanding of design principles and best practices by reading a book recommended by the instructors or researching other relevant publications.

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

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Identify a book on design principles that aligns with the course content.
Read the book thoroughly and take notes on key concepts.
Summarize the main ideas of the book and apply them to your own interface design projects.

Five other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all eight activities

Analyze real-world interface designs

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Develop a critical eye for interface design by analyzing real-world examples and identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

Browse courses on Interface Design

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Collect examples of well-designed and poorly designed user interfaces.
Analyze each interface and identify its strengths and weaknesses.
Document your findings and share them with your classmates or peers.

Practice interface design principles

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Complete repetitive exercises to solidify an understanding of interface design principles taught in the course, such as visual hierarchy, typography, and layout.

Show steps

Obtain a list of interface design principles from the course materials.
Identify a simple user interface to redesign.
Apply the design principles to redesign the user interface.
Evaluate your redesign and identify areas for improvement.

Design an interface prototype

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Create a paper or tool-based prototype of a user interface for a specific task or user group, applying the principles and patterns learned in the course.

Show steps

Identify a specific task or user group for your prototype.
Sketch out several paper or digital wireframes for your prototype.
Create a final prototype using a prototyping tool or software.
Write a design rationale that explains your design decisions.

Write a blog post on a specific design pattern

Show steps

Enhance your understanding and communication skills by writing a blog post that explains a specific design pattern and its applications in user interface design.

Browse courses on Design Patterns

Show steps

Choose a specific design pattern that you find particularly interesting or challenging.
Research the design pattern and its applications in user interface design.
Write a blog post that explains the design pattern, its benefits, and when to use it.
Share your blog post with your classmates or peers for feedback and discussion.

Attend a workshop on interface design

Show steps

Gain hands-on experience and learn from experts by attending a workshop focused on interface design, prototyping, or user experience.

Browse courses on Interface Design

Show steps

Research and identify workshops on interface design that align with your interests.
Register for the workshop and prepare any necessary materials.
Actively participate in the workshop, ask questions, and take notes.
Apply what you learned in the workshop to your own design projects.

Career center

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

User Experience Designer

A User Experience Designer focuses on the overall user experience of a product, including the usability, accessibility, and enjoyability of the interface. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to create user-centered designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

UX Researcher

A UX Researcher conducts research to understand the needs and wants of users, and then uses this information to design and evaluate user interfaces. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to conduct user research and to use this information to create user-centered designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Researcher

Interaction Designer

An Interaction Designer designs the interactions between users and products, including the way that users navigate through a website or app and the way that they interact with its features. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to create engaging and intuitive interactions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Product Designer

A Product Designer is responsible for the design and development of a product, including the user interface, the user experience, and the overall look and feel of the product. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to create user-centered and innovative products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Information Architect

An Information Architect designs the site structure of a website or mobile app, as well as the navigation and search functionality. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to create user-friendly and intuitive interfaces.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

Usability Engineer

A Usability Engineer evaluates the usability of websites and mobile apps, and then makes recommendations for improvements. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to conduct usability evaluations and to use this information to improve the user experience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Usability Engineer

UI Designer

A UI Designer is responsible for the design of the user interface of a website or mobile app, including the layout, the typography, and the colors. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to create visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces

See salaries and explore the career path for UI Designer

Web Designer

A Web Designer is responsible for the design and development of websites, including the user interface, the user experience, and the overall look and feel of the website. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Front-End Developer

A Front-End Developer is responsible for the design and development of the front-end of a website or mobile app, including the user interface and the user experience. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to create visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces.

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

Graphic designer

A Graphic Designer creates visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. This course can help you to develop the skills you need to create visually appealing and effective designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer

Mobile App Developer

A Mobile App Developer designs and develops mobile apps, including the user interface, the user experience, and the overall look and feel of the app. This course may be useful if you are interested in developing the skills you need to design and develop user-friendly and engaging mobile apps.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile App Developer

Visual Designer

A Visual Designer creates visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. This course may be useful if you are interested in developing the skills you need to create visually appealing and effective designs, including icons and logos.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Designer

Human Factors Engineer

A Human Factors Engineer designs and evaluates products and systems to ensure that they are safe, efficient, and user-friendly. This course may be useful if you are interested in developing the skills you need to design and evaluate interfaces for a variety of products and systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Factors Engineer

Game Designer

A Game Designer designs and develops video games, including the game mechanics, the levels, and the characters. This course may be useful if you are interested in developing the skills you need to design and develop engaging and user-friendly games.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

Technical Writer

A Technical Writer creates documentation for technical products and services, including user manuals, help files, and training materials. This course may be useful if you are interested in developing the skills you need to write clear and concise documentation for a variety of technical products and services.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Reading list

We've selected 12 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Prototyping and Design.

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Designing the User Interface: Strategies for...

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Commonly used textbook for HCI courses and foundational resource for anyone interested in the field.

Designing the User Interface: Strategies for...

Designing the User Interface: Strategies for...

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Interaction Design

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Comprehensively covers user interface design and can be used as a reference for the course.

Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer...

Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer...

(Italiano) Interaction Design: Oltre l'interazione uomo...

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Don't Make Me Think, Revisited

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Is written by a usability expert and provides practical advice on designing user interfaces that are easy to use.

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense...

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited : A Common Sense...

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense...

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Fluid Web Typography

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Provides a deep dive into universal design, which is one topic that the course only briefly covers.

Fluid Web Typography

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The 2022 Web Almanac

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Technical guide to web accessibility, which topic covered in the course.

The 2022 Web Almanac

The 2022 Web Almanac

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Design for a Better World

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Classic in the field of design, and can provide additional context on the design principles covered in the course.

Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable,...

Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable,...

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Cover image

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Is about prototyping in general, but can be used as supplementary reading, particularly for the sections on low-fidelity prototyping.

Prototyping: A Practitioner's Guide

Prototyping: A Practitioner's Guide

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The Humane Interface

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Explores the relationship between humans and computers, and can provide context for the course's focus on user-centered design.

The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing...

Humane Interface by Raskin, Jef [Paperback]

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Graphic Design: The New Basics (Second Edition,...

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Provides a broad overview of graphic design and is accessible to beginners.

Graphic Design: The New Basics

Graphic Design: The New Basics (Second Edition,...

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Information Architecture

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Provides a broad overview of information architecture, which is not covered in the course, but can provide valuable additional knowledge.

Information Architecture: For the Web and Beyond

Information Architecture: For the Web and Beyond

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Adaptive Web Design

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Technical guide to adaptive web design, which is not covered in the course, but can provide valuable additional knowledge.

Adaptive Web Design: Crafting Rich Experiences With...

Adaptive Web Design: Crafting Rich Experiences with...

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Design Patterns

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Is commonly used as a textbook for introductory software design courses. It can provide a background in design patterns for students who may not have programming experience.

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object...

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object...

(Deutsch) Design Patterns (mitp Professional): Entwurfsmuster...

Design Patterns: Elements of reusable object...

Padrões de Projeto – Soluções Reutilizáveis de...

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Effort

4 weeks of study, 3-7 hours per week

Via

Coursera

Institution

University of Minnesota

Instructors

Joseph A Konstan

Loren Terveen

Haiyi Zhu

Lana Yarosh

Dr. Brent Hecht

Language

English

Transcripts

Español Français Português Deutsch Italiano 中文 العربية 한국어 日本語 हिंदी Nederlands Svenska Pусский Türkçe Polski Ελληνικά українська мова magyar nyelv Bahasa Indonesia ไทย қазақша اُردُو, فارسی বাংলা tiếng Việt پښتو آذربایجان دیلی

Prototyping and Design belongs to the following collections:

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Taught by recognized experts in user design: Joseph Konstan, Loren Terveen, Haiyi Zhu, Lana Yarosh, and Dr. Brent Hecht

Covers essential user interface prototyping techniques and principles, including paper-based, digital, and design patterns

Focuses on user-centric design, emphasizing the importance of user research and feedback in shaping interface design

Provides a practical approach through exercises and hands-on prototyping activities

Covers design principles for different platforms and contexts, addressing the challenges of designing for various devices and usage scenarios

Emphasizes accessibility and inclusivity in design, exploring principles and practices for designing interfaces that meet the needs of diverse users

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