Covering core topics for UX professionals, this project-based, workshop-style course will teach you how to prepare, conduct and analyze user experience research studies that result in an understanding of user needs and design recommendations. Students will employ research methods widely used in the technology industry and learn how to present findings to management and team members. Additional course topics include interviews, field studies, participatory design, market analysis, an introduction to concept sketching and a brief overview of surveys. 

• User Experience (UX): Design Fundamentals is recommended, but not required 

Session 1  

• Instructor introduction 
• Student introductions 
• UX Certificate overview 
• Course introduction 
• Introduction to UX research 
• Skill check 1: UX vs. UI 
• Interview overview 
• Unstructured interviews 
• Pick partner 

Session 2  

• Skill check 2 – Part A: unstructured interviews 
• Pick project area 
• Semi-structured interviews 
• Skill check 2 – Part B: semi-structured interviews 
• Introduction to open coding 

Session 2 Assignments 

• Read Understanding Your Users (UYU) Chapter 9 “Interviews” pages 220–252, “Interview Tips” pages 257–258 

Session 3  

• Open coding 
• Skill check 2 – Part C: calculating agreement 
• Skill check 2 – Part D: open coding 

Session 3 Assignments 

• Read UYU Chapter 9 “Interviews” pages 252–255, Chapter 13 page 418 “Grounded Theory” Transcribe and chunk half of the semi-structured interview 

Session 4  

• Field interviews 
• Skill check 2 – Part E: field interviews 
• Introduction to interview report (how to report research findings) 

Session 4 Assignments 

• Read UYU Chapter 13 “Field Studies” pages 381–415 

Session 5  

• Review skill check 2 – Part F: interview report 
• Participatory design 
• Skill check 3: participatory design 

Session 5 Assignments 

• Skill check 2 – Part F: interview report 
• Read “Engaging older people using participatory design” by Lindsay, Stephen, et al 
• Read “The joy of cheques” by Vines, John, et al 

Session 6  

• Surveys 
• Skill check 4: surveys 
• Introduction to market analysis 
• Market analysis report overview 
• Skill check 5: market analysis report 
• Sketching 
• Skill check 6: sketch concepts 
• User experience research report overview 

Session 6 Assignments 

• Read UYU Chapter 10 “Surveys” pages 266–279, 296–301 
• Read UYU “Competitive Analysis” pages 32–35 

Session 7  

• UX research report presentations (skill check 7 continued) 
• Research plan overview 
• Skill check 8: research plan 

Session 7 Assignments 

• Skill check 7: UX research report