This course is focused on the application of the early UX research to actual user interfaces: the creation of wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and clickable prototypes. This course is the continuation of the course Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture, in which students completed the first half of a large scale project—developing a comprehensive plan for a complex website.
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Along the way we will also discuss:
- Responsive web design and mobile web challenges
- Mobile-first approach
- Web typography
- The relationship between design and programming and whether it is important to know how to code
- The different web technologies that make the web work, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, server-side coding, and databases.
If you are intending to complete the assignments in this course to earn a certificate you must complete the Strategy and Information Architecture course first so you have the materials and data needed to begin creating wireframes and mockups in this course.
This is the fourth and last course in the UI/UX Design Specialization, which brings a design-centric approach to user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, and offers practical, skill-based instruction centered around a visual communications perspective, rather than on one focused on marketing or programming alone.
These courses are ideal for anyone with some experience in graphic or visual design and who would like to build their skill set in UI or UX for app and web design. It would also be ideal for anyone with experience in front- or back-end web development or human-computer interaction and want to sharpen their visual design and analysis skills for UI or UX.
Course 4 of 4 in the UI / UX Design Specialization.
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Course Overview
Not Getting Caught up in the Details: Wireframes
This week is all about wireframes. After mapping out our strategy and scope in the previous course, Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture, this is the first time in the process that we will address the screen. Now things are going to get much more concrete as we’re starting to actually lay out elements for the user interface. This week you will learn why working on wireframes first—before designing high-fidelity mockups—is a helpful intermediate step. I’ll also talk about responsive design, navigation systems, wayfinding, common design patterns, and strategies for homepage design. And, we’ll discuss which tools are most appropriate for creating wireframes. Because creating those will be your assignment at the end of the week.
WEEK 2
Finally, Make it Beautiful: The Mockup Phase
We finally reached the point that many of you—especially if you consider yourself a visual designer—have probably been waiting for. We’ll now talk about designing the look and feel for your website. Meaning, we’re ready to design visual mockups. Finally, you’ll get to decide on colors, typefaces, and images. Maybe you’ll create a few illustrations. And your site will need a logo, too. This week, we’ll focus on designing the visual mockups of just the homepage. To find some inspiration, I’ll also have you create a mood board.
WEEK 3
An Excursion to Codelandia
This week, you’ll continue the visual design of your websites, refining the look and feel based on peer feedback. Having worked on the homepage mockup last week, it’s time to design the remaining screens. As an important aside, I will take you on a short expedition to the land of code. Although this specialization isn’t about learning how to code, I want to at least introduce you to the technologies that make the web work. And we’ll look at a few coding examples. After all, the web is built upon certain languages—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. in order to be an effective UX designer, it is helpful to have a rudimentary understanding of these technologies.
WEEK 4
Putting it all Together: Final Presentation
Welcome to the final week of this course and the final week of the entire UI/UX Design Specialization. I hope that you learned a lot of new concepts, techniques, and skills that will allow you to design some amazing interactive experiences in the real world. This week, you will have time to revise any of your project components. And then I’d like you to assemble them into a presentation that will represent the culmination of all of the UX phases we covered. This should be a great project to include in your portfolio. I’ll also show you how to take your static mockups and assemble them into clickable prototypes.
