User Experience Design

Overview

The user experience designer engages in a variety of design activities that help produce usable interfaces and help organizations meet business goals. User experience design addresses the structural, informational, psychological and emotional aspects of what makes a successful user interface, whether it is Web, mobile, tablet or any other device.

At Kent State University, user experience design is thought of as a process where students learn, understand, imagine, evaluate and inform. The design team begins by gathering data/information about users, clients, the organizational culture, common tasks and work environments. After sufficient data/information is gathered, the team seeks to understand the context in which the project will be undertaken. This phase is the bridge between data collection and design. Design in the imagine phase involves brainstorming, iterative prototyping and critiquing. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the User Experience Design program will be able to:

• Create a portfolio as a means to demonstrate competencies.

• Design and conduct research in a variety of ways necessary to understand users, stakeholders and competitors.

• Apply user experience research and design techniques to solve for user needs.

• Create and evaluate structures to support information and content organization.

• Test and critique existing designs and prototypes by employing usability-testing methods.

• Communicate design ideas in a variety of ways to design teams, stakeholders and developers.

• Demonstrate ability to manage user experience activities to align UX activities to organizational goals.