Free UX course

Create a free Figma account (if you don't already have one) and download the Figma workbook we created for this course. In our opinion, this is the better option.

Download the workbook PDFs below 👇 and use them to complete your coursework. Starting from lesson 3 onward, there's a PDF per lesson.

Nothing to complete. Just sit back and absorb the information.

Nothing to complete. Just sit back and absorb the information.

Here are the phases of the UX process with all of the actions/methods you might use:

Your task is to find 1 participant to interview: a friend, parent, spouse, significant other, stranger, whoever. The important thing here is to interview someone and learn about a problem they face on a daily or weekly basis.

Ask questions, listen, and learn about their problem. Remember, it's not about you. You aren't your user. This interview will determine which problem you solve and how you solve it.

1. Using the Interview script in your workbook, write a list of 5-10 questions to help you learn more about your participant's typical day and the most challenging part of it.

2. Use the interview script to interview your participant. This step should take 15-20 minutes. If you can't take notes, record the audio from the interview. Just make sure to ask their permission before you record.

3. After the interview is over, use your workbook to record your Top 3 insights from the interview. Then condense those insights into a "How might I..." question to help guide your design.

If you decided to go the PDF route and haven't downloaded them yet, here's this lesson's PDF.

Now it's time to figure out where the user goals and business objectives meet. A common misconception is to believe that UX design is all about the user. As a UX designer, it's your job to understand the business needs and user needs, and how those fit together.

That's why you'll be conducting a competitive analysis.

1. Determine the industry your product is targeting.
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2. Search for apps in this industry using the App Store or Google Play that attempt to solve the problem you identified in your "How might I..." question. (e.g., "feel refreshed in the morning").
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3. Write the names of the first 3 populated apps across the top axis of the competitive analysis in your workbook. Make sure that these apps have sufficient user reviews, otherwise pick apps that do.
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4. List their main features across the left axis. You'll often find features listen in the app description or on a pricing page. Alternatively, you can download each app and demo them for yourself.
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5. Fill in the middle cells using "yes" or "no" answers to mark which app has which feature. this will give you an idea of what your competitors have.
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6. For each app, pick a handful of 1-2 star reviews from the App Store/Google Play and write them down in the Bad user review page of your workbook.

If you decided to go the PDF route and haven't downloaded them yet, here's this lesson's PDF.

Based on what you've learned so far, it's time to sketch several app ideas that solve your user's goals while also addressing business objectives.

Since this is a brand new idea/concept, you have more freedom when it comes to business objectives because there isn't an existing business model in place (i.e., subscriptions, products, etc.). So, while you're sketching, just think through how this app could be turned into a business. How would it make a profit?

1. Use the research you've done so far to fuel your exploration.
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2. Start sketching out the main app functionality/concepts using the Sketch pads in the workbook. Use the apps you researched during your competitive analysis (or apps you love using on a regular basis) to help get you inspired.
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3. Don't stop sketching until you have between 3-8 different ideas for the main functionality of the app.
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4. Out of all the ideas that you just came up with, choose one solution that makes the most sense.
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5. Once you've sketched the reset of the screens (e.g., login, home, etc.), use the user flow sheets in your workbook to place them in the logical order a user would see them. This will help you with the next lesson, Paper prototyping.

If you decided to go the PDF route and haven't downloaded them yet, here's this lesson's PDF.

Use the sketches and user flow you just created to build an interactive prototype that you'll test with your user. Use Figma or Pop by Marvel to create your paper prototype.

If you decided to go the PDF route and haven't downloaded them yet, here's this lesson's PDF.

Using the paper prototype you just built, you’ll gather feedback from your user by conducting a simple usability test. To do this, you’ll add tasks to the usability test script template we provided. Then, you’ll schedule the study with your user and run the test.

If you decided to go the PDF route and haven't downloaded them yet, here's this lesson's PDF.

That's really up to you. There are many different paths you can take to transition into UX.

If you're serious about transitioning to UX/Product design, consider applying to our 7-month part-time program, UX/UI Expert. It's specifically designed for Graphic, Visual, and UI Designers to transition to UX.

We only run 2-3 cohorts a year. There are limited seats available and we accept students on a first-come, first-served basis.

Here's what some of our students from our first cohort in 2021 had to say about their experience: