UX Summer

This summer I took a 10 week course on User Experience at General Assembly, taught by Domenik Propati. Here is a list of the things that I learn from him, as well as the two TAs. I plan to keep this compilation of quotes in mind as I enter the UX space, since I see their value and understand that they can help me be thrive.

  1. UX is like a good joke; if it needs too much explanation, it’s simply not good.
  2. Validating your assumptions through research is key.
  3. You are NEVER the user.
  4. Constraints, such as time and budget, help, rather hinder, the design process.
  5. UX is the combination of the business goals and the user needs.
  6. We humanize the users through Personas.
  7. Find the path of least resistance, and design a platform that can afford for that.
  8. Design to eliminate pain points; don’t accidentally add some.
  9. You can’t do it all.
  10. Good layout is both an art and a science.
  11. Wireframes always come in handy.
  12. Navigation is Information Architecture made tangible.
  13. We want the prototype to break, so that we can build it back up in a way that works.
  14. Test early, test often, and test everything.
  15. 80% of the usability issues are found with 3–5 participants.
  16. Know what you like, what you don’t like, and why.
  17. Designing for accessibility should be a given.

Disclaimer: none of these ideas are originally mine. They were all taught to me, but some of the quotes were slightly modified. I have written it here mostly so that I don’t forget.

I’m a senior at Barnard College studying Psychology. I want to enter the UX space after graduation, and in the meantime, I’m going to be writing about my learning experiences.

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