I took a 4 class crash course that wasn't Google and survived. Here is how.
Here is the low down on the Cal Arts program.
The Cal Arts UX/UI Deign Specialization offers students two portfolio projects that can prepare you for product design. Each project spans 2 classes. The final projects are a food delivery website of the track is a check-out flow and a mobile prototype app. The final projects are a food delivery website of the track is a check-out flow and a mobile prototype app. The crash course track brags that it can be finished in 2-4 months. Of course I was interested as I love taking extra classes out of curiosity and pandemic boredom!
Course Structure
You’ll complete a 4 class specialization with 2 projects. Each project spans 2 classes. Here is the set-up:
Class 1. Brainstorming session.
Class 2. You breathe life into your plans.
Class Review
For course 1 and 2: App Creation
Students create mood boards to communicate moods and styles through color, typography and words. At the end of the course 2, students will create a clickable mobile prototype.
For course 3 and 4: Website Design
Students learn to map user flows and app design logic after market research and create a clickable prototype of a food delivery website or app. Course 4 will allow students to build their clickable prototypes and peer review them. The website design courses 3 and 4 are the strongest courses of the track.
The question after taking all these classes is, do I recommend?
For freelancers, app creators and developers and people starting UX, yes, this course will cover the user flows and design logic. The specialization covers, apps and website information architecture but, it has its gaps. One of those gaps is user testing.
How to make it work
The course is about project building but, you can easily walk away without any case studies or testing. TIP: Shockingly, the instructor never mentioned this one hack. Peer reviews are feedback which are valid data to put into your for portfolio case study.
Who is this specialization for?
Entrepreneurs, researchers, or newbies who crave guided projects. If you want to learn about UX research, I’d enroll in Google or University of Michigan.
What you can’t learn from Cal Arts
Here is what you should be studying to make this crash course work for you (Trust me. From someone whose been there).
Research
I did live research during my internship. Cal Arts did not prepare me for how to collect and sort research data, but the University of Michigan Specialization did a spectacular job at keeping my head above water. The courses do not mention that you can actually use your peer grading feedback to make mock case studies for your portfolio! The peer reviews will make you grade each user while walking through their flows. Don’t be like me. Use the commentary and feedback to post in your portfolio case studies and save yourself the time. Shockingly, the instructor never mentioned that peer review grading flows can be seen as user test feedback.
Technical design skills
No, this specialization won’t teach you how to be a graphic designer but, it will give you the process to recognize great design. Cal Arts recommends their Graphic Design Specialization. Do it. It will save you from butt ugly portfolio projects or disappointing your team when they ask you “to do graphic design” just because you can.
Presenting your projects without boring people
Don’t be me. At first, I uploaded massive projects and bored people. This track will not teach you how to present your massive projects, so, learn how to summarize from the best portfolios.
Annotation and accessibility design
Creating variants, content audits (covered by University of Michigan) or wireframe annotation are not covered. Nor is accessible visual design for emerging markets (covered by Google) which popped a lot at my internship
Final Verdict?
For a crash course, it is a viable track, for design logic. If you aren't in the mood for Google and want to create an app or freelance without a million resources at once, I would suggest you take this course. Yes, I did put this on my resume for a job once. Yes, it worked.
For a more in-depth review, check out my medium post here: https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/coursera-i-just-finished-the-cal-arts-ux-design-specialization-and-this-is-my-100-unsponsored-c4e7ec75ad53
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