Review of the Interaction Design Foundation

As a graduated Industrial Designer and with more than 10 years of experience in Graphic and Digital Design, Animation, and UX Design under my belt I can easily say that I had my share of everyday learning and studying new things in the design sphere.

I’ve put a tremendous amount of time and energy to find the proper classes to enhance my knowledge and hone my skills in order to deliver excellence in the workplace, as well as to empower teams and businesses through my work and knowledge.

Before I started the Interaction Design Foundation courses, my understanding of UX design was little to none. I was attending many online courses, reading materials, trying to learn more about what UX design is in order to find out if being a UX designer is the right profession for me and if I will fit in that role.

I have found out about the Interaction Design Foundation several years ago. What convinced me to be a part of their community was a picture of Don Norman on their Home page. A quote next to it said: “A goldmine of information on interaction design.”

I knew who Don Norman was, I have read a lot of things about him previously and was aware of the extent of his contributions to design society. Immediately, I heard a voice in me saying: “This is it! It must be, this is the answer I was looking for!”

Fast forward into the future and 10+ courses on UX Design and more than 5 of their Master Class Webinars, I can say that I am really happy and grateful that I am part of their community.

I was literally impressed with how they have structured their classes (The Learning Path) and how easy it was to find everything you need to know about UX design. The process of learning is so well created and organized, and they lead you through it with such easiness. Interaction Design Foundation gives you a clear path on where to start based on what your interests and knowledge are at the moment, with great approachability to access the courses.

Back when I was starting out, the most logical step for me to take was to sign up for the “Become a UX Designer from Scratch” course. As a beginner, this course helped me a lot to understand UX Design and what to learn next. By the time I was done with it, the clouds parted and I just took off!

Another course that I liked a lot and helped me both in my private and professional life is “Design Thinking: The Ultimate Guide”. In my opinion, this should be the first or the second course that one should sign up for. It builds your mindset not just for UX Design but for every design. As mentioned, the nuances behind it inspired solutions to everyday issues, as well. I use those skills on daily basis. I was very excited to realize that my professors at university were actually teaching me Design Thinking as well, while I was studying Industrial Design.

I became a designer because I wanted to help people through design solutions. “The Accessibility: How to Design for All” course, was very helpful in achieving that because it gave me great insights on that topic and valuable information on how to start working towards accessibility. From the moment I finished the course I started to implement accessibility in every design I’ve put my hands on.

That course made me tap into my imagination. I started to think about how to design for elderly people and children. I am now strongly considering developing my skill set to focus on designing for elderly people and children only, as well as people with impairments.

Overall, all courses were as resourceful and helpful as I hoped they would be. Each lecture ends by offering several links where you can keep exploring the topic at hand. The experts who are part of the Interaction Design Foundation taking the role of mentors are doing a really good job by giving us all the required information and helping us to be fully equipped for the challenges that come in our line of work.

The Master Class Webinars have brought me as much added value as well. I had the pleasure to attest to some great ideas from the likes of Don Norman, Steven Hoober, Zoltan Kollin, and many others. Furthermore, students have full-time access to all the lectures and recordings from the Master Class Webinars at their disposal whenever they might need them.

The opportunity to learn from the masters of the craft themselves was a great experience for me and none of this would be easily possible if not for the affordable memberships that Interaction Design Foundation are offering.

Moreover, the Interaction Design Foundation features a great community where people share their experiences and thoughts on many topics regarding UX Design. There are these Local Groups where people can meet online and offline so to share their ideas with fellow designers and exchange credentials. These groups also feature an opportunity for people searching for employment possibility to meet with employers and vice versa.

I am now in my 3rd year with the Interaction Design Foundation and looking back, it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made!

The knowledge I gained throughout the 2 years under their guidance is of great value to me and my work. It is because of this knowledge that I was offered several contracts (freelance and full time) by many companies and individuals. I have understood what UX is and learned how to design my portfolio and have gained a better understanding of what recruiters need to see when reviewing my portfolio.

But most importantly I’ve come to understand people and how to design for them. How to overcome common challenges connected with UX Design and learn from that. I’ve realized that mistakes are not a bad thing per se, but they can be used as a learning curve.

I just want to say I cherish my time spent with everyone in the Interaction Design Foundation. Keep up the good work!