Learning UX Design with the Interaction Design Foundation — a review
Say “Open sesame” to knowledge!
Now when I look back and see how much I have achieved in past one year or so, I get amazed with the progress.
I am Satyen Aghor, a freelance UX designer from India working remotely with clients worldwide. I started off independently in the year 2000. This was the time when there were only a few good educational institutions teaching Design. And design meant Desktop Publishing for many as Print was the primary medium. Slowly things changed from Print to Multimedia (remember Flash?) and then Websites. Internet came as a wave and everyone had to learn to surf. So did I.
For most of the time in my career, I practised self-learning as there were no trusted (re)sources available or they were out of reach from money, time or distance perspective.
There came a time when I really needed to break the spell of practicing what I knew. I wanted to go beyond what is been asked and expected. Even if what I was doing was right, I needed a concrete theory and a basis to prove my design decisions.
To learn the basics and modern practices. To know what’s going on and what’s coming up. To embrace the future, to be ready for it.
I researched and found Interaction Design Foundation, IDF as a trusted source to learn UX Design courses and related fields like UI, HCI, IXD, AR &VR etc.
Very soon I realised that I have found a treasure of knowledge. Every word, every video, every question made so much sense. It started grooming me very fast but in stable manner.
Best of Industry standards, practices, assignments, community and webinars at a very very affordable price. It actually sounds impossible but these guys have made it possible.
I completed my “Become a UX Designer from Scratch” course with 98% marks and distinction of top 10% in class and started applying UX practices to my web design ventures which benefitted me and the clients equally.
The websites started looking and performing better. The result was more work, more money, more satisfaction and better life.
I also attended a UX jumpstart bootcamp where I could practice whatever I learned at IDF. I could come up with highest score in the batch.
Now was the time when I did user research and designed a mobile app prototype. I wanted to write a case study but how to go about it was a mystery. I started watching webinars and following mentors like Sarah Doody.
IDF again became my saviour with “How to Create a UX Portfolio” course and I could be a better storyteller and come up with an awesome case study.
Right now I am taking (more than) a couple of courses including Design Thinking, HCI, Mobile UX but my favourite is “How to design for Augmented and Virtual reality”.
There are Multiple Choice Questions and Open Ended questions to help improving ability to remember what we’ve just learnt and to get closer to the Course Certificate.
All courses are included in same annual fees. I just completed UMO’s UX design challenge where my team could come up with a Mixed reality based solution and got shortlisted in top 30 amongst 250+ teams and 1200+ designers across the globe.
I feel more confident about my career and have found my voice with upgraded skills and knowledge.
I strongly recommend Interaction Design Foundation as a trusted learning partner where one can get best of UX courses for a reasonable fees and self -paced online learning.
I am open for collaborations, knowledge sharing, any help and biz together.
