Learning UX Design with the Interaction Design Foundation - a review
Leonardo da Vinci had his finger on the problem long before it became a problem: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
How often do we find ourselves faced with frustrating challenges in the physical and digital world due to design flaws? We expect everything to work effectively but rather than following logic and reason, the process is confusing and complex. It happens most often than not to every one of us, in our professional and personal lives with equal measure.
As a Real Estate professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry, I seek opportunities for growth and improvement that will greatly increase my chances of overcoming some of those challenges. In my search for courses that would greatly increase my understanding of customer behavior, I came across Interaction Design Foundation (IDF). It is a highly regarded institution among professionals around the globe and offers good value for the money. My decision to take the UX Design courses was based not only on the fact that they are taught by industry experts specialized in UI/UX, but also affordable, self-paced and completely online which is very convenient.
My goal was to take one or two courses and implement the acquired knowledge in my Real Estate business. I found UX to be a fascinating subject, in many cases still in infancy, one which is actually central to the success of many big name companies. It revolves around marketing, user research and user experience design, in simple terms how we reach and interact with customers, transform and adapt over time for a new and more sophisticated client base.I got hooked and wanted to learn more.
As of today, I completed all the courses in the program for UX Researcher & UX Designer with a high average score and have more than a dozen industry-recognized certificates.
The courses are packed with incredible amount of valuable information but not at all overwhelming. The material is easy to follow due to the excellent writing with generous and vivid descriptions and at times slightly humorous. In addition, the written material is enriched with an adequate amount of video instruction.
My daily learning structure is very simple: one lesson during am & one during pm hours. It is an attainable goal but very often I “forced myself” to take 1-2 or more additional lessons. After a few days, it becomes a daily habit and starts fluidly to mold around my daily schedule. I personally like and highly recommend having 3-5 courses open simultaneously. This way there are always enough available lessons to learn from while one waits for assignments to be graded by the instructor and course “release dates” – not all courses and lessons are released at once.
Over the years, I have lived and traveled extensively in the USA and all over Europe and worked with clients who are very diverse. I became well attuned to cultural differences and social norms among my large global clientele. The course added an additional layer of understanding some of the subtle nuances in customer behavior. As a result of taking this course, my understanding of customer behavior improved tremendously and as a consequence the way I interact on various platforms with clients as well. In addition, I see opportunities to apply the acquired knowledge as a consultant in the real-estate industry and in my work with a non-profit cultural organization.
Whether one is a professional like me, who is a lifelong learner and continues to seek opportunities to fine tune his/her skills thru books, TED talks, online courses in order to improve and expand their business or an individual at a crossroads in their life as far as career choice, I believe everyone has so much to gain from taking the IDF courses and nothing to lose.
Goran Jovanovic
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