Design for the 21st Century with Don Norman
How This Course Will Help Your Career
What You’ll Learn
How designers can improve the world and solve global problems
Why designers are so special and how we can democratize design
How to apply human-centered design principles to solve global problems
How to use systems thinking to investigate the entire system
How to tackle major problems by muddling through
How today's methods for designing and measuring success are wrong
How to move up in a company and address bigger design challenges
How to communicate clearly and gain interest
The critical skills for 21st century designers
In this course, taught by your instructor, Don Norman, you’ll learn how designers can improve the world, how you can apply human-centered design to solve complex global challenges, and what 21st century skills you’ll need to make a difference in the world. Each lesson will build upon another to expand your knowledge of human-centered design and provide you with practical skills to make a difference in the world.
“The challenge is to use the principles of human-centered design to produce positive results, products that enhance lives and add to our pleasure and enjoyment. The goal is to produce a great product, one that is successful, and that customers love. It can be done.”
— Don Norman
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In the first lesson, you’ll learn how designers can improve the world. You’ll also learn how designers can use the principles of human-centered design to solve complex global challenges. We’ll also explore why we evolved from user-centered design to people-centered design on our journey with instructor Don Norman. Don is the co-founder and Principal Emeritus of Nielsen Norman Group. He will explain why designers are so special and how to democratize design.
In the second lesson, you’ll learn how to apply human-centered design insights to the 21st century’s challenges. You’ll also learn how to focus on people when you solve complex global challenges. We’ll also learn how to solve real problems and not just symptoms from your instructor, Don Norman. Don will teach you how you can muddle through by starting out solving just a little part of the root problem.
In the final lesson, you’ll learn about the new skills that designers must develop and how to navigate the journey to mastering those skills. You’ll also learn how to increase your influence as a designer. We’ll also learn how today's methods for designing and measuring success are wrong. Don will teach you how to communicate clearly to gain people’s interest.
Throughout the course, we’ll supply you with templates and step-by-step guides so you can go right out and use what you learn in your everyday practice.
In the “Build Your Portfolio Project: Make A Difference,” you’ll be able to apply the principles of human-centered design to make your local community a better place. If you want to complete these optional exercises, you will get hands-on experience with the methods you learn and in the process you’ll create a case study for your portfolio which you can show your future employer or freelance customers.
You can also learn with your fellow course-takers and use the discussion forums to get feedback and inspire other people who are learning alongside you. You and your fellow course-takers have a huge knowledge and experience base between you, so we think you should take advantage of it whenever possible.
Lessons in This Course
- Each week, one lesson becomes available.
- There’s no time limit to finish a course. Lessons have no deadlines.
- Estimated learning time: 12 hours 40 mins spread over 5 weeks .
Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction
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0.1: Welcome and Introduction (23 mins)
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0.2: Build Your Portfolio: Make a Difference (9 mins)
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0.3: Let our community help you (1 min)
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0.4: How to Earn Your Course Certificate (16 mins)
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0.5: Expand Your Network and Grow Your Skills in Our Online Forums (5 mins)
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0.6: Meet and learn from design professionals in your area (1 min)
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0.7: Gain Timeless Knowledge Through Courses From the Interaction Design Foundation (21 mins)
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0.8: Mandatory vs. Optional Lesson Items (7 mins)
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0.9: A Mix Between Video-Based and Text-Based Lesson Content (6 mins)
Lesson 1: How Designers Can Improve the World
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1.1: Welcome and Introduction (7 mins)
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1.2: 21st Century Design: Let’s Use Human-Centered Design to Solve Major Global Challenges (29 mins)
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1.3: Why We Have Evolved From User-Centered Design to People-, Human- and Humanity-Centered Design (1 hour 3 mins)
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1.4: What’s So Special about Designers? (31 mins)
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1.5: Discussion Exercise (6 mins)
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1.6: Let’s Democratize Design (23 mins)
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1.7: What is the Difference Between Wicked Problems and Complex Socio-Technical Systems? (14 mins)
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1.8: Congratulations and Recap (6 mins)
Lesson 2: How You Can Apply Human-Centered Design Insights and Processes When You Aim to Solve Complex Global Problems
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2.1: Welcome and Introduction (7 mins)
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2.2: Human-Centered Design: How to Focus on People When You Solve Complex Global Challenges (23 mins)
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2.3: Discussion Exercise (7 mins)
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2.4: Everything is a System: What Is a Feedback Loop and Why is it so Important to Humans? (55 mins)
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2.5: Implement Systems Thinking and Solve the Root Causes of Problems (30 mins)
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2.6: The 5 Whys Method: How to Identify the Root Causes of a Problem by Investigating the Entire System (27 mins)
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2.7: How to Tackle Major Problems? Muddle Through by Taking Small Incremental Steps (20 mins)
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2.8: Congratulations and Recap (6 mins)
Lesson 3: What Are the Design Skills You Will Need to Make a Difference in the 21st Century?
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3.1: Welcome and Introduction (3 mins)
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3.2: Don Norman: The Way We Measure Success Today is Wrong! (16 mins)
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3.3: Don Norman: The Way We Design Today is Wrong! (23 mins)
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3.4: How You Can Gain More Power as a UX Designer (27 mins)
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3.5: Don Norman on How to Move Up in a Company: Think Big! (10 mins)
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3.6: If You Don’t Fail, You’re Not Trying Hard Enough (23 mins)
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3.7: How to Communicate Clearly and Gain People’s Interest (16 mins)
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3.8: Discussion Forum (8 mins)
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3.9: What’s the Secret of Don Norman’s Success? (43 mins)
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3.10: Designer: Leverage the Power of Being a Generalist (55 mins)
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3.11: Which Skills Does a 21st Century Designer Need to Possess? (50 mins)
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3.12: How Can You as a Lone Designer Start Improving the World? (22 mins)
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3.13: How Design Educators Can Help Designers in the 21st Century (30 mins)
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3.14: Build Your Portfolio: Make a Difference (9 mins)
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3.15: Congratulations and Recap (2 mins)
Lesson 4: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up
Learning Paths
This course is part of 7 learning paths:
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UX Designer Learning PathBecome a UX Designer through 21 courses in 4 parts -
Interaction Designer Learning PathBecome a Interaction Designer through 18 courses in 4 parts
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Visual Designer Learning PathBecome a Visual Designer through 16 courses in 4 parts
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Product Manager Learning PathBecome a Product Manager through 16 courses in 4 parts
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Marketer Learning PathBecome a Marketer through 11 courses in 3 parts
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User Researcher Learning PathBecome a User Researcher through 12 courses in 3 parts
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Executive Learning PathBecome a Executive through 10 courses in 3 parts
How Others Have Benefited
Daniel Fornica, United States
“I appreciate Don Norman's approach in addressing global challenges with a soft yet inclusive tone that makes it accessible for all types of learners.”
Susan Winer, United States
“Mr. Norman draws on great breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, and although he's describing Big Ideas, he breaks them down in a straightforward, common-sense approach. The material is organized progressively, each lesson building on the previous. His video presentation feels very human and accessible as if we were conversing over dinner.”
Milena Valcheva, Bulgaria
“Don Norman speaks extremely convincingly and with emotion, with which he manages to captivate the listener. This course changed my way of thinking, not just from a design perspective, but completely.”
How It Works
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Control your learning.
Lessons are self-paced so you’ll never be late for class or miss a deadline. Learning and life, hand in hand.
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Earn Course Certificates.
Your answers are graded by experts, not machines. Get an industry-recognized Course Certificate to show you’ve put in the work.
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Advance your career.
Grow your professional knowledge by watching Master Classes, networking within our UX community, and more.
Start Advancing Your Career Now
Join us to take “Design for the 21st Century with Don Norman”. Take other courses at no additional cost. Make a concrete step forward in your career path today.
Advance my career nowFrequently Asked Questions
When I finish a course, do I have to pay extra to get my certificate?
Can I take more than one course at a time?
With a Student membership, you can take a maximum of two courses at the same time. You can still take as many courses as you would like – free of extra charges – just as long as you finish or drop them so that you don’t have more than two ongoing courses.
I missed the enrollment, and now the course is closed. What can I do?
Don't worry if you missed the course. We will re-run it shortly. One of the reasons we continually open and close courses is in order to control the classroom size.
Networking is a large part of our value proposition, so we want just the right number of people inside the courses. That is also why we display the "XX % percent booked" on our course icons.
Do I have to be online at an exact time to study?
No. You can set your own study schedule. There are no "live sessions" since we have members from all timezones around the world. We are a truly global community.
Thus, once you are enrolled, you can take all the time to complete a given course. Every "classroom" in each course will never close, so you’ll have permanent access to your classmates and your course material (as well as your own answers).
Will I receive a Course Certificate?
Yes. You will get a digital industry-recognized course certificate every time you complete a course. Certificates never expire and can be saved as a .jpg file, so it's easy to be shared. Also, there is no limit to how many certificates you can earn during your membership.
You can see an example of a Course Certificate at the bottom of the Course Catalogue.
I have answered questions in a lesson; when will they be marked/graded?
I have updated my name, but my course certificate is not updated — how can I change it?
Don't worry; once you change your name, your certificate will be updated automatically in the next 48 hours.
I have started my course later than the specified date, are my answers still going to be marked?
Sure! We will be marking all your answers for as long as you are an active member.
How are courses graded?
For how long will I have access to the course materials?
You will have access to the course materials for the entire duration of your membership. So, if you pay for a one-year membership, you will have access for one year. Renewing your membership for a second year means you will have access to one more year, and so on.
New lessons are starting before I have completed the previous lesson(s). Am I going to be locked out of these unfinished lessons?
No, you will not be locked out of any lesson or course. You will have access to all course materials throughout your membership, so there is no pressure to keep at the same pace as the specified lesson release dates.
All we recommend is that you try to stick to the same schedule as other participants. The reason is they may have moved on to other lessons, thereby meaning you could miss out on the social aspects of the course(s).
Do I have a specific date to award my certificates?
No, you can generate your certificate as soon as you score at least 70% of the total course points.
When will I receive my Course Certificate?
Course certificates will be given to participants when they have scored more than 70% or more of the total course points. For example, if a course contains ten lessons each with ten questions, you will receive a course certificate when the instructor has awarded you at least 70 points (70% of the total course points).
There is no specified time that certificates will be awarded — instead, they are given to participants as and when they have answered all questions, even if this is long after the official end date.
How do I add my Certificate to my LinkedIn profile?
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to add your Interaction Design Foundation course(s) to your LinkedIn profile:
Log in to your LinkedIn account, then go to your profile.
Below your profile description, click on the button Add profile section, choose Recommended and then select Add license or certification.
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3. In the following fields add:
Name – Course name
Issuing organization – The Interaction Design Foundation
Check the field “This credential does not expire”
Issue date - Input the date written on your certificate (e.g., May 2021)
Credential ID – Your membership ID number – it's written on your certificate. (For non-members, you can leave this field blank or, if you prefer, insert the certificate ID, which can be extracted from the certificate link. This ID will begin with "mcc_" and be followed by a string of numbers and letters.")
Credential URL: Input the certificate URL provided on your course page
4. Click the Save button.
Congratulate yourself! Earning the certificate is a great accomplishment and now you can share it with the world!
How do I add the Interaction Design Foundation Membership Certificate to my LinkedIn Profile?
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to add your Interaction Design Foundation course(s) to your LinkedIn profile:
Log in to your LinkedIn account, then go to your profile.
Below your profile description, click on the button Add profile section, choose Recommended and then select Add license or certification.
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3. In the following fields add:
Name – Membership Certificate
Issuing organization – The Interaction Design Foundation
Check the field “This credential does not expire”
Issue date - Input the date when you joined our community (e.g., May 2019)
Credential ID – Your membership ID number (it's written on your certificate)
Credential URL: Input the certificate URL provided on your profile page
4. Click the Save button.
It is as simple as that. Now, anyone who visits your profile can see your certificate!
How much will I have to pay for the courses?
After you pay for your membership, you can take as many courses as you want with no additional costs. There are no further charges on top of the membership fee.
Do you provide mostly beginners' or more advanced courses?
How long does it take to complete a course?
You will need approximately 5-8 hours to complete one lesson. Each course has between 3 and 16 lessons.
Once enrolled in a course, you will gain access to a new lesson each week, which you are free to complete without any deadlines and no end date, either.
I scored less than 70% in a course, so I didn't qualify for a certificate. Can I try again?
Yes! Everyone's learning journey looks different, and we'd never stop our members from trying again. To retake a course, just follow these steps:
1. Go to your profile and click on the relevant course you'd like to retake.
2. Underneath your progress bar, you'll see a phrase "UX Courses" with an arrow (>) pointing to a clickable landing page of that course. Click on that link.
3. Once on the landing page, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. You'll see a red button, which you can simply click to drop the course.
4. Head back to our main list of UX Courses, and re-enroll yourself in the course. You'll all set to try again!
Please note that when you drop a course, you will lose any answers and progress you submitted. We advise that you screenshot or save any answers you'd like to reuse.
In some cases, we can open up lessons for members who are retaking a course, so that they don't have to wait for familiar lessons to unlock each week. If you'd like us to do this for you, please get in touch with our support team at hello@interaction-design.org, and we can help you out.
How do I drop a course?
To drop a course, the following should be done:
1. Visit your profile page and click the 'continue lesson...' button for the course you want to drop.
2. Click the course name link breadcrumb near the top of the page that opens (this only appears in unlocked lessons, not upcoming lessons)
3. Click the red 'drop my course now' button at the bottom of the page that opens
