Learning UX Design with the Interaction Design Foundation — a review
My thoughts after two years by Loic THIRION LOPEZ Chief Project Officer at Livdeo
My background
As far as I remember, since I have a computer (about 20 years), I have been interested in digital creation. Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and Flash have been my companions for many nights.
I was at that time Freelance motion design and web. My approach was to feed myself from what I saw around me, on the web, to test, make sketches, erase, start over, inspire me, modify, and so on. This experimental way helped me for about 15 years to work on interactions, rules of proportions, layout, color association, Etc. But without solid foundations.
Four years ago, my new position as Senior Project Manager at Livdeo (MuseWeb GLAMi Award-winning company that provides inclusive and hassle-free digital solutions for cultural institutions through a unique platform, GEED) opened me new opportunities to learn, discover new technologies, concepts, and tackle UX design issues, User experience…
To fully respond to my mission, I felt the need to validate these concepts learned throughout my career.
Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) an obviousness
After some research on GOOGLE, the IxDF platform quickly seemed to be a perfect choice. The courses’ content corresponds perfectly to my needs. For anyone who has ever been interested in Design, the speakers’ names obviously make sense and show the courses’ seriousness.
The price and learning flexibility are also perfect for self-paced learning and adapted to my professional and personal schedule.
After Flash, 3ds Max, and After Effect, IxDF has become my night companion.
How it works
Once registered for a course, there is no time limit to complete it in one day or a year. It doesn’t matter. Flexibility also means you can take several courses at the same time, without any limits.
For beginners who don’t know where to start, the site offers course themes. Different levels of difficulty are available (beginner to advanced). Thus, whatever your level, skills, or experience, there will be a course corresponding to your expectations.
- Interaction design courses
- User Experience courses
- UX Design courses
are some of the themes available https://www.interaction-design.org/courses
Course description
The Lessons provide two types of content: Text and video.
Chapters and subchapters compose a course.
The lessons contain two types of questions: multiple choice questions and open-ended questions. The progression is playful, and the mechanics of gamification modify our behaviors. We necessarily want to validate our diploma (at least 70% of success) or to have the distinction Top 10% in class (at least 90% of success), even more, to finish best in class (100%). A progress bar is displayed to see one’s progress.
Believe me, realize that you don’t have to make any mistakes to reach the top 10% in class or close to the best in class is a great motivation to achieve it.
A national, European, and world ranking also allows you to see your progression and makes you want to surpass yourself without creating competition and tension between students.
At the end of each chapter, a topic (not graded) allows each student to debate. Whatever the subject may be, this stimulates the mind and empowers to confront ideas and have new views on the topics discussed.
Each lesson has references to external links that may create certain serendipity but are always relevant.
My certificates
To date, I have completed seven courses and received seven certificates validated on Linkedin:
- Mobile User Experience (UX) Design (very interested in the marketing aspects)
- Gamification — Creating Addictive User Experiences (many keys to engage users and ensure retention)
- How to Design for Augmented and Virtual Reality (since several years AR/VR are in use, and even more so today with Covid crisis, very great insights about usability)
- Design Thinking: The Beginner’s Guide (no need to explain, very, very, very useful)
- UX Management: Strategy and Tactics (as a project manager, this course is essential, and provide necessary knowledge for using UX as a core in a company, manage the product roadmap, measuring performance)
- Accessibility: How to Design for All (a must-have for those who want to design for accessibility)
- Get Your Product Used: Adoption and Appropriation (my first course, with key concepts about user experience, useful, usability, product development)
The subjects that have been the most important for me are those on UX management, gamification, design thinking, and of course, the one on accessibility. New concepts and principles emerge, beliefs become certainties and are validated, others are swept away.
Allan Dix and Franck Spiller are two of the teachers I have taken through these courses. A simple google search allows you to understand whom you are dealing with. Experience, expertise, relevance…!
Additional contents
The site also offers the ability to download templates of all kinds:
Design thinking, personas, user research, brainstorm, journey map, empathy map Etc. It is beneficial when you don’t know where to start or save time preparing your user research or design thinking sessions.
Besides courses, the contents are rich and relevant. A glossary page provides access to a large number of articles. [https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics]
Universal inclusion and accessibility are at the core of Livdeo’s value proposition. The a11y topics are a significant reference: What is A11Y? | Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF)](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/a11y)
The articles on Design thinking [What is Design Thinking? | Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF)](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/design-thinking) are unavoidable to be read and reread.
Other contents are also available, such as webinars, books. [UX Design Articles and Books | Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) Literature](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature)
Wrap-up
In short, IxDF allowed me to consolidate my empirical knowledge, validate some of it, and learn many others, at my own pace, without pressure, without ruining myself.
This site has helped me and continues to help me: about fifteen more courses to finish, still a little more patience.
All I wish you to do is register and immerse yourself in these exciting courses and subjects.
Good luck to you, and thanks to IxDF.
