This 2-part workshop will introduce you to the concept of user-centered design and give you a basic, working vocabulary in UX and Content Design.
> Differences between UX Design and Content Design
> Overview of user research, information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, and usability testing
> Careers paths in user-centered design

In this five-week evening class you’ll learn the necessity of user research for UX and Content Design, and how to conduct user interviews.
> Research plans, documentation and presenting findings
> Qualitative vs. quantitative research
> Building and using user journey maps

Over the five weeks of this evening class we’ll cover the organization and nomenclature of content for a website or app.
> Understanding structured data and content
> Designing search and taxonomies to guide findabiility
> Documenting architecture via diagrams, site maps, and inventories

This five-week course is where we’ll cover the nuts and bolts of interactivity, as you learn about the array of user controls available to designers and when to use each one.
> Idioms, affordances, and elements of universal design
> Creating effective flows, navigation, and labeling systems
> Wireframing for responsive design

In this evening class you’ll take the skills you picked up in your Figma workshop and put them to work building an interactive prototype of a website or app.
> The virtues of plain old paper prototyping
> When to use high vs. low fidelity prototypes
> Optimizing prototypes for usability testing

Over the five weeks of this class, you’ll put your prototype in front of users to see if your UX and content design work cuts it in the real world. The things you’ll learn will then allow you to iterate your design on the way to perfection.
> Unmoderated vs. moderated user testing
> A/B testing, setting testing goals, and reporting results
> Online platforms for testing usability

This is a 10-week class where you’ll break into small teams to interview a real-world client, come up with design solutions, and present your ideas back to the client.
> Interviewing and communicating with clients
> Project management and following through on a work plan
> Preparing, rehearsing, and delivering client presentations

You’ll wrap up your program in this 10-week class, culminating in a live presentation of your portfolio and website to a panel of experienced professionals.
> Developing your personal brand and “about” story
> Creating a web-based showcase for your portfolio
> Rehearsing and presenting your projects in an interview setting

Along with technical skills, you also need to know how to be a great contributor and collaborator — exactly the point of this five-week class.
> Understanding all the roles on your team and how you can support each other
> Giving actionable critiques and receiving them with grace
> Managing your time and setting boundaries

This two-part Saturday workshop will show you how to use sketching skills to aid your thinking and design process, while you learn these specifics about sketching:
> Sketching static and dynamic UI elements
> Visualizing storyboards, user flows, and wireframes
> How to approach sketching as an aid to thinking

Whether the end product of your work is a high-fidelity prototype or a Google Slides presentation of your portfolio, strong visual design skills will make a better impression.
> Overview of layout principles for responsive design
> Foundational principles of typography and color
> Working with images, icons, and illustrations

In the initial User Research course, we did a deep dive on user interviews. In this five-week class we’ll turn to larger-scale surveys for acquiring quantitative data to guide your design decisions.
> Behavioral vs. attitudinal research methods
> Defining respondent criteria
> Analyzing and communicating your findings

This two-part Saturday workshop is designed to give you an overview of the role of Content Strategy in product design as we’ll cover these topics:
> Audits, governance, and processes to keep track of a site or app’s content
> Setting messaging strategy and assuring consistency across all content types
> Style guides, design systems, and other commonly used strategy tools

This five-week course will cover the nuts-and-bolts of writing UI control instructions, error messages, empty states, CTAs and other elements of UX writing. You’ll do multiple writing assignments that cover:
> Principles of conversational design
> Audience analysis, golden paths, and best practices
> Writing for clarity, brevity, and voice

In this five-week evening class we’ll cover two areas in depth: How to understand and adhere to a company’s brand and voice guidelines, and how to choose and test word strings to optimize conversion rates.
> The difference between voice and tone
> Working with style guides, glossaries, and word lists
> Best practices for improving conversion through word choice

This 2-part workshop will introduce you to the new standard in wireframing, prototyping, and whiteboarding software: Figma. We’ll cover:
> Basic prototype building in Figma
> Using auto layout, libraries, and design systems
> Collaboration, annotation, and reviewing tools

In two Saturday workshop sessions we’ll learn how to use a Design System for your prototyping projects as we cover these topics:
> Principles of atomic design, pattern libraries, and style guides
> Design systems in the public domain you’re welcome to use
> How to contribute components to a design system

In the first session of this two-part Saturday workshop, you’ll learn the best approaches to giving presentations, and in the second session, you’ll practice them.
> Thinking through your audience and objectives before you present
> The role of storytelling in your presentation
> Voice, posture, and exuding confidence

There is a preferred way in the design industry to write about your projects, and teaching you this format is the aim of this two-part Saturday workshop. We’ll cover:
> Writing for presentations vs. your portfolio website
> Integrating visual artifacts and screenshots
> Aiming for brevity, clarity, logic, and emotion

Each quarter we’ll host a 90-minute presentation where you’ll hear from an expert on ideas to improve your success at job-hunting. Topics will vary from quarter to quarter, but will cover these important subjects:
> Developing a strategy for your job search
> Optimizing your LinkedIn profile and resume
> Getting comfortable with hiring manager interviews