UI/UX Design Certificate Program
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
All students who finish this program will receive a signed certificate of completion verifying their participation in the program.
In this five-day intensive certificate program (held weekly on Saturdays or Sundays, 9am-5pm for 5 weeks), you will gain real-world skills and knowledge in all the key areas of UI/UX design. This class will focus on the user-centered design process with emphasis on user research, information architecture, interaction design, and usability testing. Students will work on a web or mobile project of their choice and will create artifacts including personas, user/task flows, sketches, and wireframes that can be added to a UX portfolio.
Program Description
Our UI/UX Design certificate program will assist you on your path to becoming a skilled and marketable user experience designer. UX is critical to the success of any website or mobile app and, in today's environment, often the key competitive advantage. As such, people with these skills are in high demand in a rapidly growing industry.
During this five-day course, you'll build your user experience skills through a combination of lectures, hands-on learning, and guided practice time, and apply those skills to the planning, design, and testing of your own in-class project.
Whether you're an aspiring UXer, a graphic designer looking to add UX skills, or a product manager, developer, or entrepreneur who would like to build better products, this course is the perfect introduction to practical, tactical UX.
Prerequisites
A love of design (not just making things pretty - although aesthetics are important - but making them functional). An interest in how people think, understand, and see. An appreciation for collaboration and a willingness to share peer design feedback.
This class will be based on using Sketch and Invision to create design artifacts. The instructor can assist and support students also using UX prototyping tools such as such as Adobe XD, Axure, or Balsamiq. You don't have to be an expert, but practicing with a prototyping tool ahead of time will allow you to more effectively create and present your design solutions during the course.
Though there will be ample practice time to begin designing and developing your own project during the course, coming prepared with a concept already in mind and any graphic and content material will really help you make the most of your time with us.
Program Goals
During this course, you will:
- Learn how to think and solve problems like a UX designer.
- Gain practical experience and skills in each phase of the UX design process.
- Apply the UX design process to your own personal project and create project artifacts that can be added to your portfolio.
- Collaborate with other students on projects like a real-world UX team.
- Learn how to design a compelling resume and UX portfolio.
- Learn about the UX profession and receive UX career coaching.
What this course WILL NOT cover:
- Coding for the web or generating an actual website or mobile app.
- Intermediate or advanced techniques in UX prototyping tools or Adobe products.
Equipment and Software Needed
For this class, it is strongly recommended that you bring your own computer with design software already installed. Suggestions for this include Sketch (best case), Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop, Balsamic, and Axure.
Computer Requirement
This is a hands-on class where you'll "learn by doing". Therefore you'll need a computer. If you need any particular software installed, that will be detailed below. Not all programs require special software so if there isn't any detailed listed below you will only need a computer with a up-to-date web browser. We always recommend that if you have one, that you bring your own computer if at all possible. However, if you need one, we have several Apple iMac workstations with all the necessary software that are available by reservation for only $20 per day. You can reserve a computer rental using this form but you must complete your registration first. In most cases, the class will be taught with the Macintosh version of the software but generally the only difference between the Mac and Windows version is the keyboard shortcuts, using the Command key on Mac and the Control key on Windows.
If you would like to take your class work and sample projects home, please be sure to bring a Mac compatible portable drive with 4GB of free space.
Note: BDA students qualify for a 50% discount on the purchase of a Sketch license. To receive this discount, visit their educational store and complete the form for "student/teacher/staff". They request a "valid receipt (must contain the student name, date/duration of the course and the name of the academic institution)". This can be the registration confirmation email that you receive from us when you complete your registration.
After You Register
BDA is committed to making this process as smooth and enjoyable as possible so that you can focus on your learning. After you register you will be contacted by our staff who can answer questions and assist you with any logistical and travel concerns you might have.
Agenda
5 consecutive Saturdays or Sundays from 9am to 5pm
(Please note: During winter, we strongly suggest reserving a SIXTH day on your calendar which would be used as a make-up day in case of inclement weather.)
Week 1: Guiding Principles
- Introductions and class project discussion
- Defining "user experience" and the user-centered design process
- UX design principles and best practices
- Activity: Design studio workshop
- Homework: Pick a project to work on and complete your Project Brief
Week 2: Getting to Know the UX Toolkit and Your Users
- Review Project Briefs
- Demystifying UX roles and deliverables
- User Research fundamentals
- Activity: Create 2-3 personas for your project
- Review personas and exchange feedback
Week 3: Ready, Set, Design
- Information Architecture fundamentals
- Activity: Card sort
- Interaction Design fundamentals
- Activity: Collaboratively map user/task flows for each project
- Activity: Sketch design ideas for your project
Week 4: Don't Forget to Test
- Review sketches and exchange feedback
- Wireframing and Prototyping - tools and techniques
- Usability testing 101
- Activity: Wireframe 2-3 key screens for your project*
- Homework: Finish wireframe*
- *Option to work privately at home or offsite for this afternoon - to be determined that afternoon, by class participants.
Week 5: Practice & Prep for the Real World
- Activity: Present final projects
- UX in the workplace
- Collaborating with peers and communicating with stakeholders
- Growing yourself and your UX career
- Activity: Review students' resumes/portfolios and exchange feedback
- Certificate presentation
Instructor, Nathan Valderrama
Nathan started his career in UX over 12 years ago. Working within quick-moving startups, technology agencies, fortune 500 IT departments, government, medical, e-commerce as well as classic design agencies, he has learned a valuable and diverse UX skill set. As an instructor at BDA, his goal is to arm students with the tools they need to go into the live market and feel confident and capable of handling UX workspaces and projects.
Location
This certificate program will be held in the Boulder Digital Arts Boulder location classroom.
BDA Members
Non-Members
Registration:
BDA Members: $1,299.00
Non-Members: $1,399.00
