Build UX skills, experience and boost your UX portfolio with a real project and learn the foundations of human centered design.

  • Learn the UX foundations including methods and principles widely used

  • 10 courses totalling 10 hours of video lessons to learn the UX fundamentals including methods, principles and tools widely used within the industry. Access our library of 30+ UX document templates.
  • Gain experience through a real-world project for your UX portfolio
  • We’ll give you access to the tools you need to work on a real client project to apply what you learn. Obtain online feedback on your work. Gain experience and build your portfolio to get a job.
  • Guidance to create your UX portfolio
  • Access video lessons focusing specifically on portfolio building and resume tips to make sure you stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs.
  • UX Portfolio Booster $3,920 USD or $5,470 AUD

Enrol now

Course outline

After learning the theory in our online video tutorials, apply this to a real client project and build on it through the feedback when your work is reviewed.
Request a Course Guide
  • Video lessons:
    1. What UX & user centred design is and is not
    2. Benefits of human centred design & introduction to ISO 9241
    3. ISO 9241 and Usability vs User Experience (UX)
    4. Kicking off a project - Get in early!
    5. Understanding business needs - It's not all about the user
    6. Discovery - Defining your users and the problem space
  • Activity 1 - Project kickoff
    • Part A - Kick-off the real client project
    • Part B - Evaluate the current state of the site and identify suspected problem areas
    • Part C - Identify likely target user groups
  • Video lessons:
    1. Discount (low cost) user research methods
    2. Behavioural research methods (contextual interviews, contextual enquiries and task analysis)
    3. Opinion-based research methods (focus groups and surveys)
    4. Comparing research methods (opinion vs behavioural / quantitative vs qualitative)
    5. How to be a better researcher - Tips and traps to ensure you get accurate insights
  • Activity 2 - Research plan & user interviews
    • Part A - Craft a research plan with research objectives and methods for each user group.
    • Part B - Conduct a user interview and collate your findings
  • Video lessons:
    1. Interpreting research data and sharing insights
    2. Creating personas to build empathy
    3. Writing user stories to effectively communicate user needs
    4. Customer journey mapping to understand the whole customer experience
  • Activity 3 - Create user research artifacts
    • Part A - Create a persona for your client project
    • Part B - Write 5 user stories
    • Part C - Create a Customer Journey Map
  • Video lessons:
    1. Running a co-design workshop to engage stakeholders
    2. Home page design principles
    3. Dashboard design principles
    4. Sketching, prototyping and validated learning
    5. Engaging and convincing stakeholders
  • Activity 4 - Sketching & low fidelity wireframing
    • Part A - Sketch a new version of a high-profile page on your clients website. Make sure you consider both the business objectives, and the insights from the user interviews
    • Part B - Create a digital low fidelity wireframe
  • Video lessons:
    1. Menu navigation design for different interfaces
    2. Classifying and organising information and schemas
    3. The psychology of navigation
    4. Conducting card sorting to understand users’ mental models
    5. Analysing card sort results and facilitating an IA design workshop
    6. Testing your IA
  • Activity 5 - Card sorting & IA design
    • Part A - Write some cards for a card sorting activity
    • Part B - Analyse the card sort results
    • Part C - Design a new site information architecture considering user-centered design
  • Video lessons:
    1. Interaction design patterns
    2. Forms design and choosing controls
    3. Simplifying data and reducing choice overload
    4. Models in design - Implementation models, mental models and conceptual models
    5. User flows and wireflows
  • Activity 6 - Form review and redesign
    • Part A - Review a form and identify usability issues based on interaction design principles
    • Part B - Redesign the form - sketching first, then create a digital wireframe
  • Video lessons:
    1. Gestalt theory – Principles of human perception
    2. Design principles – hierarchy, alignment, repetition, balance & contrast
    3. Visual elements – colour, typography & iconography
    4. Human cognition & UI design
    5. Information design
    6. Visual design process: From wireframe to visual design
    7. Bonus: Tour of Figma for UX Designers
  • Activity 7 - High fidelity wireframes
    • Create a higher fidelity version of your sketch or wireframe
  • Video lessons:
    1. Standards and guidelines that UX practitioners follow
    2. 10 usability heuristics
    3. Accessibility testing and audits
    4. Different kinds of usability evaluation
  • Activity 8 - Expert review
    • Conduct an expert review based on the usability heuristics and identify at least 10 issues and write recommendations
  • Video lessons:
    1. Key steps for usability testing
    2. Writing a usability test plan
    3. Writing tasks for testing, recruiting participants and running a pilot
    4. Moderating test sessions
    5. Analysing and communicating results
    6. The what, when and how of usability testing
    7. Usability testing technologies
  • Activity 9 - Usability testing
    • Part A - Write a test plan
    • Part B - Recruit a participant via the Askable Platform (negotiated for free as part of the course)
    • Part C - Moderate usability and IA testing
    • Part D - Identify issues with your designs and consider solutions
  • Video lessons:
    1. Going live & managing change
    2. Continuous improvement & evolution
    3. Integrating UX into your organisation
    4. Agile UX
    5. Lean UX
    6. Design Sprints
  • Activity 10 - Iterate, Present & UX Portfolio
    • Part A - Update your wireframe after testing
    • Part B - Collate your findings for your client and present
    • Part C - Create your UX portfolio

    • Portfolio client projects

    You will work on a project for a real client and complete the program with a real life case study for your UX portfolio.

    Current project We have teamed up with Oxfam Australia so you can apply what you learn on a real project. Oxfam are a global movement of people working together to eliminate poverty by tackling inequality. See examples of student work featured (right). As part of this project you will:

    • Plan, conduct, analyse & synthesise robust user research.
    • Create personas, user stories and customer journey maps based on research data.
    • Design a new information architecture (IA).
    • Design high-fidelity wireframes for high profile pages
    • Interaction design - redesign an existing form
    • Conduct usability testing & iterate your designs

    Completed: 16 March 2022 36 students completed two projects for Médecins Sans Frontières and have a unique portfolio demonstrating their artifacts and the process they went through. See some of the outstanding student work delivered by the UX Accelerator project team. "Really appreciated all the great work the students put into their presentations, it was great to see the different approaches and gave us a lot to think about! It’s been really helpful to see all the insight the PeakXD students have given us" (Médecins Sans Frontières)

    Completed: 28 September 2020 24 students completed the RSL Art Union Project. “Peak XD's UX Accelerator Program has been a great experience. Coming into the UX field as a novice, I now feel far more knowledgeable, skilled and confident. Working on a real life project, from the start to end has been an invaluable and fun experience, helping to cement the theory and practical skills required." Leonie W (student) See some of the outstanding student work delivered by the UX Accelerator project team.

    figma
    7
    KathrinK - Co-Design Workshop
    persona-example-a1
    persona-example-d2
    cjm-example-d2
    card-sorting-example-d2
    homepage
    1. figma
    2. 7
    3. KathrinK - Co-Design Workshop
    4. persona-example-a1
    5. persona-example-d2
    6. cjm-example-d2
    7. card-sorting-example-d2
    8. homepage
    logo-horizontal
    MSF_International_logo_colour_RGB
    RSL_ArtUnion_Logo-transparent
    SLSF_LeftLockUp_RGB.transparent

    Your Training Team

    UX Designers with 15+ years experience

    TaniaFeb23

    Tania Lang

    TRAINER & PRINCIPAL

    Tania is Principal and founder of PeakXD and has been doing UX since 1999. She is a self-confessed UX geek and is one of the leaders in her field, having spoken at several conferences and trained over 2000 people in UX. She has worked for many high profile clients and decided to stop studying after completing 4 degrees including a Masters (Research) and Human Factors.

    MirandaFeb23

    Miranda Wee

    COACH & SENIOR CONSULTANT

    Miranda started at PeakXD in 2010 and works across all areas of PeakXD from consulting to business development and mentoring. Miranda enjoys delivering to a high quality standard, has an eye for detail, is curious, personable, and a champion for the user. She holds a belief that the world can be made just a bit better (one user experience at a time). Miranda enjoys empowering others to learn user centred design.

    591

    Finished client projects

    3,093

    Students trained

    18

    Years of running UX courses

    196,924

    Post-it notes (and counting)

    Hear from our graduates

    “

    I absolutely loved this course! The way it is delivered is engaging - using real-life examples and working on a real project helps to cement your learning.

    Paula C

    “

    I have been so impressed that I am about to start project #2 with them to add to my experience.

    Judy

    “

    All students have an opportunity to complete a project with a real-world client where they can bring their learning to life… Highly recommend!

    Nadia Buzalski

    Read more PeakXD reviews on Google

    Requirements

    Entry requirements

    • The attributes of a good UX designer (take our UX Career quiz).
    • A willingness to collaboratively learn and accept feedback to improve.
    • To commit to the program and your success.
    • Desirable (not essential): experience or training in digital, IT, design, research, marketing, psychology or a related field.

    Once you start you need

    • Computer (Mac or Windows)
    • Decide on your pace (Fast: 3 months ~10 hours per week, or Standard: 6 months ~ 5 hours per week)
    • Reasonable internet bandwidth (to attend workshops and watch videos)
    • Access to Google Drive - to submit your work and read the feedback

    You do not need

    • The ability to code.
    • Visual design skills.
    • To buy any specialist software.
    • To give up your current job - you can maintain your current job and income.
    • To leave home. We will teach you remote UX tools and methods.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    You can pay by invoice or by credit card. If you want to pay by invoice or bank transfer please contact us. 
    You can start the UX Portfolio Booster anytime. As soon as you register and pay you will receive your login and then you can commence your training and project.   
    No. The UX Accelerator program is the only program that includes a job guarantee.
    While it is definitely advantageous to have experience or qualitifications in either IT, digital, market research, psychology, social research or marketing, it is not essential but you will need to spend a few more hours a week on the program. We will teach you all the foundations of UX to start your career. 
    All UX project activities and video lessons are done remotely. So you can participate and complete the project anywhere in the world.
    For Australian residents You can apply for a full tuition loan with a $200 AUD upfront payment and flexible repayment terms through our high-quality lender Study Loans.

    Must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident and over 18 years of age.

    Note: We are currently investigating finance options for our international students

    You can choose your pace, Fast - over 3 months (8-15 hours a week) or Standard - over 6 months (8-15 hours over two weeks). The most popular option is 3 months. There are 10 courses to complete, each with 6-8 lessons containing videos, with a total of 10 hours of video lessons. On top of this are the project activities and iterating your work after the feedback is received. The flexibile learning style of this program means you can complete the course in your own time. If you put extra effort in your project this will reflect in your portfolio.
    No. The only program that has a satisfaction guarantee is the UX Accelerator (which is our mentoring program).
    Stand out from other UX course graduates: We provide training to get you industry recognised certification offered by an external industry association. It's a stamp of excellence: Certification tells your employer and your colleagues that you've got a higher standard of knowledge and expertise. It'll help your career progression: Whether you want to 'side step into a UX Career from another profession', 'win the contract' or 'move up in your organisation', having a Foundation Certification in User Experience will boost your chances of success. Earn more money: Who doesn't want more money? Certification demonstrates that you're committed to your profession and you're willing to invest in your future. Employers will see your value, and you can use this to justify a promotion or pay increase. Future-proof yourself: One of the biggest benefits of certification is the study and time you put in to your own personal learning. The certificate at the end is also a bonus, but the time you put in will keep you current.
    You can sit the exam at any point in the 6 months after you complete the program. Your assessment fee is not included in the UX Portfolio Booster, but optional addition to this course. To sit the exam is an additional fee of $350 AUD. We are happy to organise this for you. There are currently 5,000 approved examination centres in 175 countries. You can search for your city to see where your nearest test centre is.  We can also arrange online remote proctoring (examination) if for some reason you cannot get to a test centre.

    Next steps

    Ready to join us?

    Complete your enrolment and get started today

    Enrol now

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