This course is part of the UI / UX Design Specialization
Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture
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About this Course
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This is the first course in a two-course workshop, in which you will deeply explore and practice every phase of the user experience process. While the concepts covered will translate to many kinds of interactive media (apps, digital kiosks, games), our primary focus will be on designing contemporary, responsive websites.
This course is focused on the early UX challenges of research, planning, setting goals, understanding the user, structuring content, and developing interactive sequences. In this course you will complete the first half of a large scale project—developing a comprehensive plan for a complex website—by defining the strategy and scope of the site, as well as developing its information architecture and overall structure. Along the way we will also discuss:
- Different job descriptions in the web design industry and where UX and UI skills fall within this spectrum
- The difference between native apps and websites
- The difference of agile vs. waterfall approaches
- User personas and site personas
- User testing
The work and knowledge in this course continues in the last course in the UI/UX Design Specialization, Web Design: Wireframes to Prototypes, where you will tackle—finally—wireframes, visual mockups, and clickable prototypes.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Course Overview
Welcome! In this first module I will summarize the assignments and expectations of this course.
1 video (Total 3 min), 5 readings
1 video
5 readings
About this course2m
About the assignments3m
Required tools2m
Extended free trial offer from Optimal Workshop3m
About CalArts and the Program in Graphic Design3m
The User Experience Process
This week I will give you a brief overview of the user experience process that I will teach in this course sequence. We will begin by defining the term "user experience", and then briefly look at the five phases of UX design: Strategy, Outline of Scope, Sitemap, Wireframes, and Visual Mockups. I will also talk about the differences between mobile apps and websites, and the differences between waterfall and agile approaches to UX design. Lastly, I will introduce you to the main project that you will be working on in this course and the one that follows it. You’ll be starting your first assignment at the end of the week. Last, here's something to keep in mind this week: “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”—Steve Jobs
9 videos (Total 39 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes
9 videos
Defining the term "user experience"4m
User-centric design3m
What could possibly go wrong?4m
The UX Phases (part 1)4m
The UX Phases (part 2)3m
Waterfall vs. Agile4m
Web vs. App7m
Project Ideas: Alyson and Bradley5m
5 readings
Job Titles in the Web Industry7m
About Web vs. App optional quiz1m
Project Brief5m
Try it yourself: Research existing restaurants15m
A Final Thought for the Week1m
1 practice exercise
Web vs. App20m
Week
2Asking Good Questions: Determining Strategy
This week is all about strategy. We will talk about how to conduct research in the beginning of a project. And I will tell you about the importance of defining a target audience for your website. We’ll also discuss how to determine user needs and client needs. The strategy that you develop in this first step in the UX process will influence all decisions you make further down the line. That’s why it’s so important to take the time and think about what you want to accomplish, what the goals are, and how they might be measured when the project launches.
8 videos (Total 90 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
8 videos
User Research2m
Inspiration4m
Analytics5m
User Needs and Client Needs7m
Target Audience7m
Strategy: Alyson and Bradley16m
Interview with Craig Cooke: Determining success45m
5 readings
Inspirational Websites20m
Try it yourself: User research methods15m
Example User and Client Needs: Pasadena Conservatory2m
User Personas10m
A Final Thought for the Week1m
Week
3What is in and What is Out: Outlining Scope
By now you should have a pretty clear idea what your projects will be about and who your target audience is. This week we will talk about how to take the user and client needs that you have established and create a set of content and functionality requirements from them. In other words, you’re transforming your overarching goals from last week into specific requirements for your site.
6 videos (Total 65 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
6 videos
Introduction to Outline of Scope3m
Content and Functionality8m
Outline of Scope Example4m
Scope: Alyson and Bradley16m
Interview with Melissa Kuo30m
2 readings
Try it yourself: Sorting content and functionality requirements10m
A Final Thought for the Week1m
Week
4Getting your Ducks in a Row: The Sitemap
Welcome to the last week of this course. With your outline of scope in hand, you will now learn how to transform the content and functionality requirements determined last week into a navigable structure. This structure will be visualized by something called a sitemap. I’ll tell you all about sitemaps and how to create them. Along the way we will also define the term "information architecture". And I will introduce a tool called TreeJack, which will enable you to test your site map on actual users.
10 videos (Total 43 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
10 videos
Introduction to Sitemaps2m
Information Architecture1m
Sitemap Concerns8m
Sitemapping: an annotated process5m
Sitemap Elements3m
Sitemap Example2m
Treejack Introduction3m
Treejack Analysis5m
Sitemap: Alyson and Bradley10m
5 readings
My Stuff or Your Stuff?5m
Try it Yourself: Test your sitemap using Treejack30m
Other UX tools from Optimal Workshop5m
Next Steps2m
A Final Thought for the Week1m
Instructor
Roman Jaster
Visiting Faculty, Program in Graphic DesignSchool of Art
About California Institute of the Arts
CalArts has earned an international reputation as the leading college of the visual and performing arts in the United States. Offering rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs through six schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—CalArts has championed creative excellence, critical reflection, and the development of new forms and expressions.
About the UI / UX Design Specialization
The UI/UX Design Specialization brings a design-centric approach to user interface and user experience design, and offers practical, skill-based instruction centered around a visual communications perspective, rather than on one focused on marketing or programming alone. In this sequence of four courses, you will summarize and demonstrate all stages of the UI/UX development process, from user research to defining a project’s strategy, scope, and information architecture, to developing sitemaps and wireframes. You’ll learn current best practices and conventions in UX design and apply them to create effective and compelling screen-based experiences for websites or apps.
User interface and user experience design is a high-demand field, but the skills and knowledge you will learn in this Specialization are applicable to a wide variety of careers, from marketing to web design to human-computer interaction.
Learners enrolled in the UI/UX Design Specialization are eligible for an extended free trial (1 month) of a full product suite of UX tools from Optimal Workshop. Details are available in Course 3 of the Specialization, Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
What tools or software will I need to complete this course?
Since this is a graphic design course, to complete the assignments you will need access to a desktop or laptop computer with the appropriate software installed. You can't really do graphic design work properly on a smartphone or tablet. Adobe CC software is recommended for these courses, but alternatives are available. Software will be reviewed in greater detail in the first week of the course.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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