The experience of learning UX in-depth on Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) — Review
Founded in 2002, the Interaction Design Foundation is a nonprofit online design education based in Denmark.
It was in 2019 my colleague and I discussed one of the well-known online courses while we were waiting for the user research session. At that time I was interested to gain information about the Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF). I actually have heard of this online course since a long time ago. It was mentioned several times by my colleagues who work in the field of User Experience Design as well. Hence, the curiosity brought me to the discussion.
Based on the discussion, Interaction Design Foundation offers a comprehensive course backed by experts. If you are a fellow UX designer then you must have recognized Don Norman, a well-known design leader who writes The design of everyday things. It is a recommended book for people who are interested in learning about User Experience Design and a must-have read book for every designer. So, let’s see the people behind the executive board of Interaction Design Foundation.
Since 2002, they have been on a mission to:
- teach concrete design skills
- teach how to leverage the power of design in the same way companies such as Apple and Google do
- help us apply our new design skills to improve the quality of life for humankind
- democratize education by providing top-quality, online design courses at a fraction of the cost of traditional education
- provide the best expertise from both high-tech companies and academia
- facilitate learning and career advancement in 467 Local Groups in 95 countries.
Before I joined Interaction Design Foundation, I had run through their syllabus. I was impressed by the detail, structure, and comprehensiveness of every course. Therefore, I decided to join in November 2020. Once we join, we get 1-year membership and we can take as many courses. Frankly, due to the comprehensive course, I can’t even finish it in a month. I’ve just finished the course of User Research — Best Methods and Practice in March 2021. I was glad that I made it! Learning new things needs commitment and time. We can’t rush the learning process. It requires patience and a good amount of self-discipline. Since childhood, I was taught to be disciplined by my father, hence I have grown to be a dedicated person.
I pretty much enjoy the course as I am the typical person who loves learning multidisciplinary studies, Interaction Design Foundation offers a valuable course. You can also get industry-recognized certificates.
The quality of Interaction Design Foundation
- They cover all spectrum of UX Design and provide 33 courses
- The comprehensive content; mixed of text and video
- Open-ended questions based on cases
- Practical exercises
- The evaluation is done by expert instructors
- A huge content library of open-source UX Design resources
- A huge community of designers
Final Thoughts
Interaction Design Foundation is worth investment as they provide comprehensive courses which cover all spectrum of UX Design. The course has helped me a lot to improve my skills in designing a better user experience and understand the overall design concepts. The first time jumped into the course I felt a bit overwhelmed by the thorough content, perhaps the mindset of ‘get things done’ right away. But since then I have learned to spare my time at least 1 hour for learning the topics. By doing this, I get rid of the ‘get things done’ mindset and enjoy the process. No pressure needed because it’s all about the process of learning new things.
P.S. Please keep in mind that online courses don’t guarantee you will get a job right away. You also have to work on your portfolio and put everything you have learned by creating a case study as well. Don’t forget to practice and build a connection with the community is also a good start!
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