UX DESIGN
Online short course
Understand what your customers need and make it a core part of your design process
6 weeks, excluding orientation.
8–10 hours of self-paced learning per week, entirely online.
Email: nusonline@getsmarter.com
Call: +65 3129 6611
ABOUT THIS COURSE
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the migration towards an 'at-home' digital culture. It's paved the way for many businesses that have expedited and adapted their digitalisation strategies to meet shifting consumer needs. However, creating innovative products and services that solve real problems goes beyond look and feel. Designing truly engaging user experiences is key for companies who are ready to advance their competitive edge.
The UX Design online short course from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Advanced Computing for Executives (ACE) unpacks the solutions to real-world problems using the fundamental principles of user-centred design. Over six weeks, you’ll explore common design constraints and how, by placing the consumer at the centre of design decisions, you can create engaging products and services. You’ll couple this theory with practical UX wireframing in Figma, and be empowered to design a minimum viable product with a focus on usability.
WHAT THIS COURSE COVERS
With three modules spanning six weeks, this course begins by investigating the fundamentals of human experience and how effective design can help solve everyday problems. You’ll be introduced to the foundational concepts of UX design and develop the ability to see experiences as goals which you can pursue. You’ll then go on to explore essential parts of the design process and learn to enhance your approach using an iteration loop. Finally, you’ll focus on empathetic design and discover why placing the customer first is critical to creating a successful user-centred experience. With its inclusion of practical tools to create UX wireframes in Figma, this course aims to provide participants with real-world applications to the theory that is covered.
A POWERFUL COLLABORATION
The National University of Singapore (NUS) Advanced Computing for Executives (ACE) has partnered with digital learning expert GetSmarter to take its transformative education and multidisciplinary research online. In keeping with its mission to educate, inspire and transform, NUS hopes to equip participants worldwide with the knowledge and skills to shape a better tomorrow.
About NUS
Founded in 1905, NUS started with just 23 students. Over 100 years later, it has established itself as Singapore’s flagship university, with a continued commitment to academic excellence and the betterment of society as a whole. As a future-focused university with innovation at the core of its values, NUS strives to prepare individuals for a future that demands resilience and adaptability.
About ACE
Aimed at equipping business leaders and information communication technology (ICT) professionals with the skills to thrive in the digital world, ACE focuses on emerging technology and how organisations can harness it to gain a competitive edge. As part of the NUS School of Computing, ACE gives participants an opportunity to learn about the technologies transforming business and society, with insights from leading researchers and practitioners.
About GetSmarter
GetSmarter, a 2U, Inc. brand, partners with the world's leading universities and institutions to select, design and deliver premium online short courses with a data-driven focus on learning gain.
Technology meets academic rigour in GetSmarter’s people-mediated model, which enables lifelong learners across the globe to obtain industry-relevant skills that are certified by the world’s most reputable academic institutions.
As a participant, you will also gain unlimited access to 2U’s Career Engagement Network at no extra cost. This platform will provide you with valuable career resources and events to support your professional journey. You can look forward to benefits including rich content, career templates, webinars, workshops, career fairs, networking events, panel discussions and exclusive recruitment opportunities to connect you with potential employers.*
*Some of these events may be virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
You’ll be welcomed to the course and begin connecting with fellow participants, while exploring the navigation and tools of your Online Campus. Be alerted to key milestones in the learning path, and review how your results will be calculated and distributed.
You’ll be required to complete your participant profile, confirm your email address for the delivery of your digital certificate and submit a digital copy of your passport/identity document.
Please note that module titles and their contents are subject to change during course development.
Investigate how understanding the fundamentals of human experience and design can help solve problems and achieve goals.
- Recognise that experiences are made up of perceptions, emotions and sensations
- Demonstrate an understanding of design as a means to achieving goals within constraints
- Describe how to shape experiences by intentionally influencing perceptions, emotions and sensations
- Determine the political, economic, social and technological constraints of creating a desired user experience
- Articulate an initial solution to a problem that defines the desired experiential goal, accounts for constraints and makes use of perceptions, emotions and sensations
Learn how to leverage usability goals and iteration as essential parts of the design process.
- Highlight the importance of shared definitions in attempting to determine the success of user experiences
- Identify what usability goals are and how they relate to a user’s experience
- Investigate how to apply usability goals to evaluate a product or service
- Use iteration to improve your proposed design
- Outline how usability goals fit into the product development and management life cycle
- Evaluate your design and identify further opportunities for improvement
- Recommend a second iteration of your design
Learn about the importance of empathetic design thinking and how to use distinct design principles to craft a better user experience.
- Recognise empathy as an essential component of design
- Identify different user personas and their needs
- Assess the potential impacts of a design in a scenario
- Investigate how design principles can improve a product or service
- Recommend an iterative design process that combines usability goals and design principles
- Produce a minimum viable product design
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE
This course is best suited to both budding and experienced designers, developers and individuals who are interested in strengthening their UX design theory and practical skills. Product owners, computer engineers and marketing executives who want to enhance their current job performance by applying UX principles will also benefit from this course. Additionally, it’s suitable for team leads and middle managers along with those wishing to make a lateral career move from adjacent fields such as graphic design, product management, sales or marketing.
This course is for you if you want to:
Verify your skills
Stand out as a unique and capable UX designer with a university-backed course that validates your abilities.
Expand your expertise
Boost your ability to meet design goals by applying the foundational concepts of UX design.
Deepen your knowledge
Explore the importance of iteration as a core part of the design process and create a minimum viable product with a customer-first mindset.
Solve real-world problems
Gain practical experience in solving a real-life business problem, guided by experts.
ABOUT THE CERTIFICATE
Earn a digital certificate of professional achievement from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Advanced Computing for Executives (ACE) as recognition of your newly developed skills.
Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with your digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the course handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the course.
Your digital certificate will be issued in your legal name and sent to you upon successful completion of the course, as per the stipulated requirements.
WHO YOU’LL LEARN FROM
This subject matter expert from NUS guides the course design and appears in a number of course videos, along with a variety of industry professionals.
Your Course Convenor
Dr Lu Weiquan
Senior Lecturer, Department of Information Systems and Analytics, National University of Singapore
Weiquan specialises in examining the user experience (UX) design of technologically empowered learning environments. He designs and utilises experiential learning technology (such as simulations, augmented and virtual reality) in the courses he teaches. His research interests include figuring out how all this technology tangibly and measurably affects human learning using machine learning and artificial intelligence. Besides his academic pursuits, Weiquan works closely with the aviation industry to develop next-generation pilot training systems. He has also successfully developed and deployed metaverse applications for clients across a diverse range of industries, and has advised the government on relevant fields. Weiquan holds a bachelor's degree in computing and a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the National University of Singapore.
HOW YOU’LL LEARN
Every course is broken down into manageable, weekly modules designed to accelerate your learning process through diverse activities:
- Work through your downloadable and online instructional material
- Interact with your peers and learning facilitators through weekly class-wide forums and reviewed small group discussions
- Enjoy a wide range of interactive content, including video lectures, infographics, live polls and more
- Investigate rich, real-world case studies
- Apply what you learn each week to quizzes and ongoing project submissions, culminating in the tools to design products and services that people love using
YOUR SUCCESS TEAM
GetSmarter, with whom NUS is collaborating to deliver this online course, provides a personalised approach to online education that ensures you’re supported throughout your learning journey.
Head Tutor
A subject expert who’ll guide you through content-related challenges.
Success Advisor
Your one-on-one support, available during university hours (8am–5pm SST), to resolve technical and administrative challenges.
Global Success Team
Available 24/7 to solve your tech-related and administrative queries and concerns.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Basic requirements
In order to complete this course, you’ll need a current email account and access to a computer and the internet, as well as a PDF Reader. You may need to view Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, and read and create documents in Microsoft Word or Excel.
Additional requirements
Some courses may require certain software and resources, which will be communicated to you upon registration and/or at the start of the course. Please note that Google, Vimeo and YouTube may be used in our course delivery.
