Introduction to User Experience

In a world where customer interactions take place across multiple platforms and devices, User Experience (UX) takes center stage. UX encompasses a person’s emotions and attitudes about using a particular product, system, or service. In today’s marketplace, the products and services that win consumer loyalty are easy-to-use and designed explicitly to meet users’ needs. It’s no surprise that experience designers are in high demand. Companies today large and small understand that UX matters, and they’re hiring trained UXers to make their products and the world a better place.

UX 101 is the right place to start if you:

• Want to bring a UX mindset into your current company
• Are considering a career shift
• Have a product idea
• Are looking to start your own company

Formal programs and boot camps can be a big investment, but Introduction to UX offers an affordable entry point to those considering a career in UX Design.

This class will help you understand what UX is and why it is important. We’ll expose you to the latest UX processes and the principles behind User-Centered Design. Intro to UX combines knowledge sharing and in-class exercises to expose you to UX fundamentals, as well as will provide activity sheets, work samples, and resources to use in your own projects. Have fun as you collaborate on an actual client project and gain essential on-the-job experience you can carry forward into your own endeavors.

This course meets for two full-day sessions on Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29. Both sessions are included for the $120 price.

Class 1 – Saturday, January 28, 9:30-4:30pm

UX and Why It Matters

• History and evolution of user experience
• Designing experiences across multiple channels and platforms
• UX roles and specialties
• Characteristics of great UXers and entry points into the field

User-Centered Design and Research

• Principles of user-centered design
• UX and product development UX Researcher’s toolkit
• Developing data–driven customer profiles and customer journeys
• Explore the skills and deliverables that form the basis of the UX toolkit including ideation, sketching, sitemaps and wireframes

Class 2 – Sunday, January 29, 9:30-4:30pm

Introduction to Interaction Design and Rapid Prototyping

• Interaction design fundamentals
• Anatomy of a Design Sprint
• Rapid prototyping using tools such as Sketch 3 and Adobe XD

Prerequisites

This is a great class for beginners! There are no prerequisites.

What to bring

Please bring a Mac laptop* and charger to class. Power outlets and wifi will be provided. You may also wish to bring a notepad and pen/pencil for taking notes.

Note: Some of the software we're using in class is not available for Windows computers, so Mac laptop is required. Netbooks and tablets won't work for class.

• No Mac laptop? We have a limited number of Mac laptops we can loan to students during class. Please fill out our Laptop Request form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-HHF9IB2VlYVRivz5Zn7LwkjQAYkJLZsuW0YM4hh60U/viewform) to let us know you need to borrow one!

Scholarships

If you are unable to pay for this class please fill out our Scholarship Form (https://goo.gl/forms/ChgjqHSfvP2ILQJX2).

Also, you can earn free classes by participating as a Teaching Assistant. Every hour you spend volunteering as a TA earns you a free hour of class time! Get more details and sign up to be a TA at our Get Involved page (http://gdila.org/get-involved/).

Questions?

We're here to help! If you have additional questions or would like to talk further before signing up for a class, please contact us at losangeles [at] girldevelopit dot com.

No Refunds

If you can no longer attend the class you signed up and paid for, your payment will be donated to the local chapter scholarship fund. You can help another woman in need!

Sponsors

This workshop is sponsored and hosted by Velvet Hammer.

About Bernadette Irizarry

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A creative leader with her roots in graphic design and sculpture, Bern has built and led cross-disciplinary teams for over 20 years. She has researched and developed award-winning products and experiences for Fortune 500 companies, including Ace Hardware, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Viking Cruises.

Bern delights in combining the aesthetic with the usable and holds two patents in color selection methods. She heads the Los Angeles Ladies that UX Chapter, has presented her empathy research at industry conferences including UCDUK in London and UXPA Seattle. You can see her recent empathy talk from Evenings at the Loft at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMQYJy8hvZ0 .

Bern’s drive for integration has led her to explore cognitive psychology, allowing her to combine her new passion for brain science with her greatest passion, parenting her 6 year-old son.

Everyone is welcome to attend our events and classes. We are women-inclusive, not women-exclusive. All attendees agree to abide by the Girl Develop It Code of Conduct (https://www.girldevelopit.com/code-of-conduct).