Human-Computer Interaction: The Foundations of UX Design
How This Course Will Help Your Career
The entire discipline of UX Design is built on the foundations of the long-established field of HCI, Human-Computer Interaction. If you want to become a true, user-focused UX Designer and set yourself apart, you need to learn the very foundations of your discipline. That’s why we’ve built this course for you.
What You Will Learn
How to create intuitive user experiences that will delight your users
How to create customer experiences that will elevate customer loyalty, brand value, and ultimately business profitability
How to concretely carry out the design process involved in interaction design, navigation design, and screen design
Interactions between products/designs/services on one side and humans on the other should be as intuitive as conversations between two humans—and yet many products and services fail to achieve this. So, what do you need to know so as to create an intuitive user experience? Human psychology? Human-centered design? Specialized design processes? The answer is, of course, all of the above, and this course will cover them all.
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) will give you the skills to properly understand, and design, the relationship between the “humans”, on one side, and the “computers” (websites, apps, products, services, etc.), on the other side. With these skills, you will be able to build products that work more efficiently and therefore sell better. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the IT and Design-related occupations will grow by 12% from 2014–2024, faster than the average for all occupations. This goes to show the immense demand in the market for professionals equipped with the right design skills.
Whether you are a newcomer to the subject of HCI or a professional, by the end of the course you will have learned how to implement user-centered design for the best possible results.
In the “Build Your Portfolio: Interaction Design Project”, you’ll find a series of practical exercises that will give you first-hand experience of the methods we’ll cover. If you want to complete these optional exercises, you’ll create a series of case studies for your portfolio which you can show your future employer or freelance customers.
This in-depth, video-based course is created with the amazing Alan Dix, the co-author of the internationally best-selling textbook Human-Computer Interaction and a superstar in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Alan is currently professor and Director of the Computational Foundry at Swansea University.
Gain an Industry-Recognized UX Course Certificate
Use your industry-recognized Course Certificate on your resume, CV, LinkedIn profile or your website.
Our courses and Course Certificates are trusted by these industry leaders:
Is This Course Right for You?
This is a beginner-level course suitable for newcomers and experienced practitioners alike:
UX designers who want to gain in-depth theoretical knowledge to augment their experience
Project managers looking to understand how to build products that work intuitively
Software engineers who want a solid understanding of Human-Computer Interaction and UX design
Entrepreneurs looking to create well-designed products that stand out from the competition
Marketers who want to gain a deep understanding of customers
Newcomers to design who are considering making a switch to HCI or UX design
Courses by the Interaction Design Foundation are designed to contain comprehensive, evidence-based content, while ensuring that the learning curve is never too steep. All participants will have the opportunity to share ideas, seek help with tests, and enjoy the social aspects afforded by our open and friendly forum.
Learn and Work with a Global Team of Designers
You’ll join a global community and work together to improve your skills and career opportunities. Connect with helpful peers and make friends with like-minded individuals as you push deeper into the exciting and booming industry of design.
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: 17 hours 57 mins spread over 5 weeks .
Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction
-
0.1: Welcome and Introduction (18 mins)
-
0.2: Let our community help you (1 min)
-
0.3: How to Earn Your Course Certificate (16 mins)
-
0.4: Expand Your Network and Grow Your Skills in Our Online Forums (5 mins)
-
0.5: Meet and learn from design professionals in your area (1 min)
-
0.6: Gain Timeless Knowledge Through Courses From the Interaction Design Foundation (21 mins)
-
0.7: Mandatory vs. Optional Lesson Items (7 mins)
-
0.8: A Mix Between Video-Based and Text-Based Lesson Content (6 mins)
Lesson 1: Human-Computer Interaction: The Foundations of UX Design
-
1.1: Welcome and Introduction (2 mins)
-
1.2: What are the Fundamentals of Human-Computer Interaction? (31 mins)
-
1.3: How Has Technology Evolved to Affect Your Daily Life? (54 mins)
-
1.4: Technology Changes. So What? (1 hour 4 mins)
-
1.5: Who Uses Computers? (1 hour 8 mins)
-
1.6: Discussion Forum (6 mins)
-
1.7: Congratulations and Recap (2 mins)
Lesson 2: Learn How to Build Systems That People Can Use
-
2.1: Get Started with Interaction Design (7 mins)
-
2.2: What Are We Designing? (34 mins)
-
2.3: What is Design? (31 mins)
-
2.4: Put Users at the Heart of Design (33 mins)
-
2.5: Case Study: Technology Probes (20 mins)
-
2.6: How do I do it ALL? (31 mins)
-
2.7: User Focus Overview: Understanding Users (14 mins)
-
2.8: Make Users Real with Personas (30 mins)
-
2.9: Build your Portfolio Project (15 mins)
-
2.10: How to Use Cultural Probes to Understand Your Users (19 mins)
-
2.11: Build your Portfolio Project: Start to Use Cultural Probes (8 mins)
-
2.12: How to Use Technology Probes to Understand Your Users (18 mins)
-
2.13: Storytelling with Scenarios (32 mins)
-
2.14: Build your Portfolio Project: Start to Use Scenarios (7 mins)
-
2.15: Understand Context (29 mins)
-
2.16: Help Users Realize Their Goals: Navigation Design (20 mins)
-
2.17: Learn the Four Rules of Local Navigation (30 mins)
-
2.18: Use Modes and Modal Interfaces Carefully (32 mins)
-
2.19: The Big Picture: Global Navigation (26 mins)
-
2.20: Creating Predictable Dialogs (14 mins)
-
2.21: Understand the Broad Picture: Wider Still (48 mins)
-
2.22: Discussion Forum (6 mins)
-
2.23: Congratulations and Recap (2 mins)
Lesson 3: How to Design Screens that Meet Users’ Needs
-
3.1: Learn the Basics of Screen Design (12 mins)
-
3.2: Use Grouping to Organize Your Screen Design (22 mins)
-
3.3: Case Study: How does Gmail use Grouping? (12 mins)
-
3.4: Screen Alignment: Understand Your Users Before You Start (34 mins)
-
3.5: Learn How to Use White Space and Redundant Coding (32 mins)
-
3.6: How to Design Controls for Physical Devices (22 mins)
-
3.7: General Principles of Screen Design: Design for Interaction (36 mins)
-
3.8: Aesthetics are Vital in Building Trust when You Design Your Screens (16 mins)
-
3.9: How to Use Color and 3D (21 mins)
-
3.10: Design for Other Cultures (24 mins)
-
3.11: Iterative Prototyping Isn’t Always the Solution (44 mins)
-
3.12: Build your Portfolio Project: Interface/Interaction Design (14 mins)
-
3.13: Discussion Forum (6 mins)
-
3.14: Congratulations and Recap (2 mins)
Lesson 4: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up
Learning Paths
This course is part of 3 learning paths:
How Others Have Benefited
Miriam Glaser, Germany
“Alan is really passionate about these topics and his examples always help a lot to understand some things in the real world and also the difficulties. The course is a great size/length to start with HCI!”
Susana Perez, Czech Republic
“This course was beautifully produced. I really liked that what the instructor said was emphasized with text and animations, truly combining listening/reading. Also, I really enjoyed the very practical examples, such as Gmail and the microwave controls. It's a great introduction to HCI, and I wish I had taken this as my first IxDF course, but even as my 16th, it was enjoyable and helped cement my learning.”
Michael Stilwell, United States
“Very thorough explanation of concepts. I really like how he explains things as his communication style meshes well with me.”
How It Works
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 “Human-Computer Interaction: The Foundations of UX Design”. 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.
![]()
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.
![]()
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
