UX Design: Creating a Great User Experience

Program Overview

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UX Design: Creating a Great User Experience

Course Overview

This online short course in user experience (UX) design has been created specifically for people looking to gain a thorough understanding of the UX design process, and how it can be used to solve real and complex business problems.

Key Details

• Location: Online
• Course Duration: 6 weeks

Course Details

Combining theoretical and practical approaches, this six-week short course will improve your understanding of UX design and equip you with the tools and principles to implement UX solutions to a range of different real-world problems in the context of your business or brand.

In the first session, you will get a thorough introduction to the foundations of UX design. You will then explore a different element of the UX process each week, from user research and discovery, through to ideas generation, design and testing your designs.

You will finish the course with a greater confidence in your theoretical knowledge and practical skills and will feel empowered to devise and implement UX design solutions within your chosen context.

Weekly Topics

• Introduction to UX Design: You will be introduced to the foundations and key processes involved in UX design.
• User Research: You will explore user research and the methods used to gather insights to understand and learn as much as possible about users and the context of use.
• Building Empathy with Users: You will learn how to find and assess problems and turn research into deliverables through mapping out user flows, journey mapping and creating personas.
• UI and Visual Design: You will be introduced to UI design and explore the importance of Visual Design. You will learn about design patterns, design principles and how to apply color and typography to a design.
• Wireframes to Prototypes: You will explore the different steps of the design process and how to turn ideas into reality; from sketches and wireframes to prototypes, and why they are valuable to the design process.
• Usability: You will learn the importance of testing design solutions and how to evaluate for usability issues using heuristics and structured observations.

How You'll Learn

Studying online is the ideal option for those looking for flexibility while elevating their career prospects. Our online short courses have been designed from the outset to be delivered online, meaning they're crafted specifically for you to study remotely.

You'll spend approximately four hours a week completing your studies. This may include:

• Reviewing all core lecture content and sharing your reflections on the topics discussed
• Reading and responding to discussions and challenge activities
• Completing required reading
• Attending weekly webinars with your tutor and peers (or watching the recording if you can't attend)
• Asking questions and sharing your thoughts with your tutors and peers
• Completing quizzes to test your knowledge

Through a combination of these teaching methods, you will be encouraged to push yourself, explore professional skills and develop expertise to take back into industry.

You will access all materials via our dedicated virtual learning environment – known as Learn. This is also where you will find all key documentation and any course announcements.

You'll be supported by your tutor, who will deliver weekly webinars and facilitate the online forums.

How You'll Be Assessed

This course will culminate in a multiple-choice quiz to test your learning and understanding. The quiz is taken and submitted online at the end of the course and certification will be presented upon successful completion of the quiz (70% pass mark).

The quiz can be attempted as many times as required within a 30-day access period following completion of week 6 of the course. You will still be able to access your learning materials during this time to support completion of the quiz.

Please note, this course does not offer university credits but successful participants will be awarded a certificate of completion alongside building key skills for the workplace.

Staff

Our subject matter experts, who have developed and will deliver the course, have real-life experience of working within industry as well as experience of teaching. They are supportive and committed to helping you to develop digital competencies, and bring understanding of a range of modes of practice that specifically relate to SMEs.

Resources and Support

The following resources are available to participants enrolled on our online short courses:

• Dedicated easy-to-use virtual learning environment (VLE) – known as Learn
• 24/7 support available through the VLE
• An online learning community
• Accessible online audio/visual content
• Optional weekly webinars
• Support via your online tutor for all course-related and academic queries.

You can also contact our email if you require any support with any other aspects of your studies.

Eligibility Criteria

Participants must be 18 years’ old or over to book onto this course.

This course is taught in English. Participants will need a conversational proficiency in written and verbal English to get the most from this course.

Fees, Costs & Funding

Total Course Fee

• £100 per learner per course
• There is a subsidised rate available for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly residents - contact for more information.

You will be required to pay the course fee in full upon receiving confirmation of your place to study on the course. You will be sent a link to make the payment online. Full instructions will be available on how to make the payment.

Typical Course Costs

• Computer specification: You will need access to a laptop/desktop computer. It is an essential piece of equipment that you will need right from the start of the course.
• Our Virtual Learning Environment, Learn, only requires an operating system that can run the latest compatible web browsers. Your computer operating system should be kept up to date with the latest recommended security updates and upgrades.
• We recommend one with as fast a processor as you can afford (8GB of RAM minimum) and a reasonably sized screen (13" minimum, 15" is optimum), plus the following minimum computer specifications:
  • Windows:
    • Windows 10
    • At least an i7 processor
    • No less than 8-16 GB Ram
    • Graphics Card (nVidia 1080 minimum, not Intel Iris integrated graphics) with at least 2GB
    • 256GB hard drive space minimum
    • 1920 x 1080 display resolution or higher (most displays offer a higher resolution than this)
  • Apple MacBook:
    • Mac OS 10.15 or newer
    • At least an i7 processor
    • No less than 8-16GB Ram
    • Graphics Card
    • 256GB hard drive space minimum
    • 1920 x 1080 display resolution or higher (most displays offer a higher resolution than this)
    • A dongle to plug additional resources into the laptop is also required for all modern MacBooks
• Other digital equipment/software: 16 -32 GB memory stick so you can back up your work regularly (approx. £10-20)
• Internet speed: Along with compatibility and web standards, Canvas has been carefully crafted to accommodate low bandwidth environments. It is recommended to have a minimum Internet speed of 512kbps.

Our Collaborative Partnership

This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by the UK Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides funding for local investment. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit the website.