UX Design | Final Compilation & Reflection

21/4/25 - 25/7/25 | Week 1 - 14

Iman Mikudim | 0338004 | Section 1

UX Design | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media 

Final Compilation & Reflection

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SECTIONS

|  Lectures

• Lecture 1: Introduction to UI/UX
• Lecture 2: Bad vs. Good Design
• Lecture 3: Understanding Users
• Lecture 4: Mapping User/Customer Journey
• Lecture 5: Ideation for Design
• Lecture 6: Prioritizing Features
• Lecture 7: Testing with Users

|  Instructions

• Task 1: UX Audit
• Task 1(b): User Research (Interview)
• Task 2: User Personas and Empathy Map
• Task 3: User Journey Map & Ideation
• Final Presentation

|  Reflections

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LECTURES

Lecture 1 | Introduction to UI/UX

Introduction to UI-UX:

• Typical project flow: Functional Spec → Wireframes → Visual Design.
• However, just following steps is not enough — needs user-centred focus.
• UI (User Interface) = how things look.
• UX (User Experience) = how things work.
• UX is a process, UI is a deliverable.
• Quote: "A great product experience starts with UX followed by UI." – Rahul Varshney.
  
  

UI vs UX vs CX:

• UI (User Interface):
• Focus on appearance and interactivity.
• Visual elements like icons, buttons, layout.
• UX (User Experience):
• Focus on user emotions and satisfaction.
• Enhances usability, accessibility, and enjoyment.
• Involves interaction between user and product/service.
• CX (Customer Experience):
• Entire customer journey across all touchpoints (online & offline).
• Includes all brand interactions, not just product use.
• Goal: Build customer loyalty, brand value, and drive revenue.
  
  

User-Centered Design (UCD) Principles:

• UX starts with involving users from the beginning and throughout the design process.
• Focus on usability at the heart of UX.
• Poor usability can cause frustration and financial loss.
• 4 Phases of UCD (not detailed in file, implied structure: Understand → Design → Evaluate → Implement).
  
  

UI-UX Talent Skillset & Trends:

• UX and UI Relationship:
• UX makes products useful, UI makes them beautiful.
• UX happens throughout the product; UI is focused on the interface.
• UI Designer Skills:
• Branding, graphic development.
• Design research, user guides/storylines.
• Responsive design for multiple devices.
• UI prototyping and collaboration with developers.
• UX Designer Roles:
• UX Designer, UX Researcher, UX Strategist, UX Writer, Interaction Designer.
• Responsibilities include customer and competitor analysis, product strategy, prototyping, testing, tracking goals, and user analytics.
  
  

Key Takeaways:

• UX precedes UI: Functionality must be solved before appearance is polished.
• Good UX and UI design leads to better customer satisfaction and business success.
• Collaboration between UI and UX teams is crucial.

Lecture 2 | Bad vs. Good Design

Characteristics of good UX Design:

• Usable
• Equitable
• Enjoyable
• Useful
  
  

Key Concepts:

• Good design is hard to notice; bad design is obvious – Don Norman
• Poor UX often stems from ignoring user needs
• Good UX anticipates user roadblocks and design issues
  
  

Example of Bad UX: Norman Doors

• Norman Door = a door that gives incorrect usability cues (e.g., push when it should be pull)
• Common frustration: doors that need signs to indicate usage
• Poor design creates friction and confusion for user
  
  

Problem Analysis Framework:

• Who is affected?
• What is the problem?
• Where and when does it occur?
• Why does it matter?
  
  

Good UX in Technology:

• Use of icons instead of text in mobile apps:
• Saves space
• More visually appealing
• Avoids language barriers

Characteristics of Good UX Design:

• Usable:
• Easily understood and discoverable
• Users can perform desired actions with ease
• Example: Ride-sharing app with easy-to-access destination input
• Equitable:
• Inclusive of diverse backgrounds and abilities
• Caters to historically underrepresented groups
• Example: Emojis representing different races, genders, and abilities
• Enjoyable:
• Enhances user satisfaction and emotional connection
• Keeps users engaged and delighted
• Example: Music apps with personalized song recommendations
• Useful:
• Solves a real problem
• Helps users achieve specific goals
• Example: Map apps suggesting alternate routes during delays
  
  

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INSTRUCTIONS

Task 1 | UX Audit

21/4/2025 - 5/5/2025 (Week 1 - Week 3)

Students are required to conduct a UX audit by selecting a scenario case study where UX design significantly impacted the success or failure of a product or service. They must research and analyze the case, identifying both good and bad UX practices in areas such as usability, accessibility, visual design, information architecture, and user feedback. Visual evidence like screenshots should be included to support the analysis. The findings will be presented in a Google Slides presentation with a minimum of six slides.

Click HERE for the link to the presentation slides

Fig 1.1 Task 1 Presentation Slides | Week 3 (5/5/25)

Task 1(b) | User Research (Interview)

5/5/2025 - 16/5/2025 (Week 3 - Week 4)

Students are required to conduct at least two user interviews to gather primary research data related to their chosen topic. This user research serves as the foundation for developing user personas in the next phase. The process involves defining a target group, preparing relevant interview questions based on identified issues, and collecting data through structured interviews. Students must compile a comprehensive User Research document that includes the project topic and goals, interviewee background details, the interview questions, full transcripts with summaries, and synthesized findings. This process follows the User-Centered Design (UCD) approach and will be guided through in-class discussions.

Click HERE for the link to the presentation slides

Fig 2.1 Task 1(b) Presentation Slides | Week 4 (16/5/25)

Task 2 | User Personas & Empathy Map

16/5/2025 - 30/5/2025 (Week 4 - Week 6)

Students are required to synthesize insights from group user interviews to create user personas, which will be visualized through a User Empathy Map. This process helps define the target group and sets the foundation for developing a User Journey Map in the next phase. Using User-Centered Design (UCD) principles, students will document user needs, behaviors, and emotions across key touchpoints related to the chosen topic or problem statement. The final output must include a comprehensive presentation of both the User Personas and the User Empathy Map.

Click HERE for the link to the presentation slides

Fig 3.1 Task 2 Presentation Slides | Week 6 (30/5/25)

Task 3 | User Journey Map & Ideation

2/6/2025 - 25/7/2025 (Week 7 - Week 14)

Students are required to develop a comprehensive User Journey Map based on the previously created user personas and empathy map, outlining the targeted users’ experiences across various touchpoints. This process involves applying User-Centered Design (UCD) principles to define each phase of the user journey, identify pain points, and uncover opportunities for improvement. The journey map will serve as a foundation for ideation, helping generate design solutions aligned with the chosen topic or problem statement. The final output must include both the User Journey Map and related ideation work.

Click HERE for the link to the presentation slides

Fig 4.1 Task 3 Presentation Slides | Week 7 (2/6/25)

FINAL PRESENTATION SLIDES

Click HERE for the link to the presentation slides

Fig 5.1 Task 4 Final Presentation Slides | Week 14 (25/7/25)

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REFLECTIONS

This module gave me a clearer picture of how important each stage of the UX process is. Starting with the UX audit, I learned how to identify what makes a product work—or fail—from a design perspective. It really opened my eyes to how much good UX impacts user experience. Then, going into user interviews, I started to see the value of talking directly to users and understanding their real needs and frustrations. Creating user personas and empathy maps based on those interviews helped me organize the data in a way that made sense and guided our design direction. Mapping out the user journey allowed us to break down each step users go through and figure out where the problems really are. From there, ideating solutions felt more focused and meaningful. The prototyping and user testing phase was probably the most eye-opening—seeing how users actually interacted with our design made it clear what needed to be changed.

Overall, this module taught me how to approach design with empathy and structure, and I feel more confident in applying the UX process to real projects. I’d also like to thank Ms. Wong for her guidance and support throughout the module—her feedback and insights really helped me improve and stay grounded in the user perspective.