Ready to take the next step toward your career in UX? First, we covered the fundamentals of the field in our Introduction to UI and UX Design. Now, we’ve partnered with Miro to take your skills to the next level with two new courses: Learn User Research: Generative and Learn Design Thinking: Ideation.
Miro is a well-known name in the UX industry. Last year, thousands of designers around the world ranked Miro as their favorite digital whiteboard software, and it also ranked highly in G2’s list of leading collaborative whiteboard software. Miro’s used by millions of people worldwide, including companies like Dell and Dropbox — and we’ll show you how to use it in our new courses.
What is generative user research?
The most successful software aren’t the ones with the most features or the most stunning interfaces. They’re the ones that best fit the users’ needs — which is why product design and development usually starts with research.
Generative research (also known as exploratory or discovery research) involves connecting with users and learning about where their problems lie, what they want to achieve, and what they’re looking for in tools and services. These insights help designers and developers better understand their target audience and create a product that conforms to their needs.
“Understanding people is the first step in creating effective designs,” says Jiwon Shin, Codecademy Senior Curriculum Developer. “It helps stakeholders understand the user they’re designing and developing for and ensures their product is impactful.”
What is ideation?
According to the design thinking process, after connecting with your users and identifying their needs and motivations, it’s time to settle on the specific problem you want to help them solve and find a solution. Enter: the ideation stage.
As its name suggests, ideation involves exploring innovative new ideas and approaching the problem from various perspectives to find the best possible solution. “It’s a fundamental part of any creative pursuit,” says Codecademy Curriculum Developer Lucas White. “Painting, composing, or in our case, designing digital interfaces — they’re all powered by ideas.”
And when you’re coming up with ideas, don’t be afraid to learn from what other people are doing. “No idea comes from thin air — every idea is inspired by something,” Lucas says. “Designers are inspired by research and their intended audience. They look at other products that address similar needs and what their target users expect to formulate new ideas for products and services.”
Who are the new courses right for?
The two new courses are designed for people who want to break into UX, but the skills you’ll learn apply to virtually any career. “There are a lot of soft skills that you can learn,” Jiwon says. “For example, conducting user interviews will help you improve your professional communication skills.”
And according to Lucas, Learn Design Thinking: Ideation will help you hone your creativity and problem-solving skills. “The creative process can be utilized in any career to find ways to make your work more efficient, enjoyable, or impactful,” he says. “A good workplace encourages and thrives on the creativity of its employees.”
What will you learn from the new course?
Learn User Research: Generative covers the basics behind UX research. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Explain different types of user research and how it informs the overall design process
- Conduct user interviews, surveys, and card sorting
- Analyze qualitative data via affinity mapping
- Analyze quantitative data from user surveys
- Create personas based on user research
- Create research reports to summarize and communicate your findings
And Learn Design Thinking: Ideation covers the fundamentals of UX design. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Define a problem statement based on research
- Brainstorm possible solutions to a defined problem
- Sketch examples of brainstormed ideas
- Iterate on ideas and explain the benefits of doing so
- Receive qualitative user feedback on early design concepts
Both courses include fun and interactive activities that will deepen your understanding of research and ideation concepts and practices. You’ll also learn how to use Miro — one of the most popular visual collaboration platforms in the industry. Get started today with hundreds of user-generated UX templates from the Miroverse.
“We strive to make our courses as engaging and interactive as possible, and our partnership with Miro and the amazing work from our team enabled us to execute that mission,” Lucas says.
Ready to build your research and design skills? Check out Learn User Research: Generative and Learn Design Thinking: Ideation.
And once you finish the courses, don’t forget to share your feedback. “Please know that we read every response and use them to make each course better than the last,” Jiwon says.
