Lecture 1: Introduction to UI/UX and User Research

• Description: Get clarity on what separates UI (visual design) from UX (user experience) and how they work together. Discover why putting users first leads to better products, and learn simple but powerful research techniques to uncover what your audience truly needs.

• Project: Put theory into practice by interviewing someone about their daily tech struggles. Pick any app or website they use, ask smart questions, and pinpoint one specific pain point to address.

Lecture 2: User Personas and Journey Mapping

• Description: You'll learn to organize your research into user personas, fictional characters that represent your target users. We'll then map their journey to find opportunities for design.

• Project: Create a user persona and map their journey through a common daily task (e.g., Coffee ordering app user interface). Map their end-to-end journey from app launch to order pickup.

Lecture 3: Information Architecture & Wireframing

• Description: Learn how to organize content logically. We'll introduce wireframing—the "blueprint" of a design—and create low-fidelity mockups of our project.
• Project: Sketch a set of simple wireframes for a mobile app.

Lecture 4: Design Principles & The Grid

• Description: This class focuses on the fundamental principles of great visual design, including balance, hierarchy, and alignment. We'll introduce the concept of using a grid for a clean, organized layout.
• Project: Re-design a simple app screen to improve its visual hierarchy.

Lecture 5: Color Theory & Typography

• Description: Learn how to choose a color palette that sets the right tone and select fonts that are both readable and stylish. We'll discuss color psychology and font pairing.
• Project: Create a mood board for a fictional brand, including a color palette and font pairings.

Lecture 6: Introduction to Figma

• Description: We'll dive into Figma, a powerful and free design tool. You'll learn the interface, key shortcuts, and start building your first digital mockups.
• Project: Recreate one of your low-fidelity wireframes from Class 3 in Figma.

Lecture 7: High-Fidelity Mockups

• Description: Transform your black-and-white wireframes into a beautiful, high-fidelity design. We'll add colors, images, and refined typography to create a polished look.
• Project: Design 3-5 high-fidelity screens for your app idea.

Lecture 8: Prototyping and User Testing

• Description: Bring your design to life! Learn how to create an interactive prototype in Figma that mimics a real app. We'll also cover how to conduct simple user tests to get feedback.
• Project: Create a clickable prototype of your app and share it with someone for feedback.

Lecture 9: Final Project: Part 1

• Description: This is the capstone project. You will choose a problem to solve and follow the entire design process from start to finish, from ideation to initial wireframes.
• Project: Ideate, research, and create wireframes for your final project (a new app or website).

Lecture 10: Final Project: Part 2

• Description: You will complete your final project by building the high-fidelity mockups, creating a functional prototype, and preparing a presentation to showcase your work.
• Project: Design a complete app interface and create a professional portfolio piece.