Introduction to UX Research and Design

Course Description

Your website is your main window to the world, and its user experience (UX) could be the key difference between users finding the information and services they need or moving on to the next option. Optimizing your site’s UX starts with user research and integration into user-centric designs. 

This course will give you a hands-on introduction to UX and usability principles to assess and improve your site’s usability. We'll guide you through the basics of UX theory, help you understand how to listen to your users’ needs, translate a concept into a prototype, and conduct user testing to validate your findings.

Learning Objectives

You'll come away from the course with knowledge of:

• UX principles like user-centered design and design cycle phases
• User’s needs and how to integrate research into the design process
• Persona creation and how to identify your primary audiences 
• UX design principles for non-designers, including usability heuristics and accessibility best practices
• UX ideation and how to translate a concept into a prototype 
• Best practices for validating design prototypes during usability testing 

Outline

You'll have exercises to complete between live sessions, access to a Slack channel and a one-on-one session to help you out.

• Setup and introductions
• Introduction to User Experience principles and processes
• Understanding user needs: integrating research into the design process
• UX Design: from concept to prototype
• Evaluation: testing designs with users
• Wrap-up and recommendations for further learning 

Background and Prerequisites

Is it UX design or UX research? 

People often think “design” when they see UX, but you do not need to be a UX designer or a user research expert to train with us! Think of this as an introduction to UX research with hands-on exercises and useful tips to help you collaborate with design teams and push your projects further. 

• This course is for you if you know your website’s layout and UX needs improvement but you’re not sure how or where to begin
• This course is for you if you’ve always been interested in UX, and are looking for a quick foundation to user experience principles and research practices
• This course is not for you if you’re already very familiar with UX design and research practices like questionnaires and user persona creation
• There are no technical requirements for the course but having access to your site’s Google Analytics could be an asset
• Trainees should set aside about 2 hours between live sessions to review materials and prepare exercises

“I learned some very good techniques that improved on some of our existing practices. The hands-on approach was great to keep impatient learners engaged.”

– Lola Slade, Web Developer

Who Will Gain the Most From This Training?

This course is ideal for web managers, administrators, communications professionals, and even developers interested in UX and looking to improve their website usability.

Meet Your Instructor

Annika Oeser is an experienced UX designer and researcher who has designed countless websites and apps. She helps organizations build intuitive web experiences with her strong creative and problem-solving skills, and has experience in a variety of UX design and research techniques. Annika enjoys sharing her knowledge on UX improvements, and you will certainly learn some helpful tips no matter the size of your team or budget.