iOS Design I: Getting Started with UX

Welcome to the first lesson in this three part series of iOS design classes. Throughout this series we’ll cover the basics of user experience design, interaction and visual design, prototyping, and user testing, all as they pertain to designing for mobile. We’ll pay particularly close attention to the user’s journey through the app you design to ensure a clear, focused experience and finish with delightful interactions and a beautiful, intuitive design. At the end of the series, you should feel confident in your iOS design skills with the tools and techniques you’ve learned.

This class is great for designers of any skill level. We start with the basics of UX and only a few tools are required. The second and third classes of the series do require some basic knowledge of Photoshop.

What You’ll Learn

In this first class, I’ll walk you through the basics of user experience design and a variety of UX techniques, including user journeys, sketching and wireframing. I’ll explain why each step of the UX process is important and how you can apply these techniques to your own project. Topics we will cover include:

An overview of user experience design. You’ll learn how to apply UX thinking to mobile design and why user-centered design is crucial. I’ll share examples of apps that do this well and others that aren’t as successful.
User personas. I’ll show you how to create personas, why they are important and how they should be applied throughout the design process.
User journeys. We’ll cover why these are so beneficial and how you can always keep the user in mind while designing.
Sketches. It’s not as simple as it may seem! You’ll learn when to start sketching, how much and how detailed sketches should be.
Wireframes. You'll finally dive onto the computer and hash out the nitty gritty details of your app. I’ll share my favorite tools and tips to make the wireframe process quick and effective.