User Experience (UX) Design (Taught)

Gain the skills to lead and shape the future of UX design in our increasingly digital and interconnected world.

This interdisciplinary course integrates principles from design, theory, and technology to prepare graduates for roles in crafting seamless and impactful user experiences across digital products. Technical proficiency is a key focus, providing students with hands-on skills in design tools, prototyping, and emerging technologies to translate innovative ideas into user-friendly digital solutions.

The course will prepare you for pursuing a career in UX design. This is a dynamic conversion course open to students from any academic background and is designed to launch your career in the increasingly important field of user experience design.

In addition to gaining an in-depth understanding of the advanced concepts, theories and methodologies specific to UX design, you'll also develop your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, enhance your teamwork and communication skills, and also cultivate a research-oriented mindset to encourage innovation in UX design.

To aid study, you'll have full access to the University's usability lab. Designed to provide an environment for detailed UX research and testing, the lab ensures you can observe and understand user interactions in real time.

This course is for:
This conversion master's course is ideal for individuals from diverse academic background looking for a focused pathway to transition into the field of UX.

Core modules

• Computer Fundamentals and Problem Solving (30 credits)
  This module introduces foundational concepts of core principles and practices of computer fundamentals and problem solving. During the module, you'll cover the basics of computer architecture, knowledge of operating systems, introduction to networking and cyber security, and programming.

• Visual Design
  This module with equip you with the essential skills and knowledge to design visually appealing, functional, and accessible user interfaces (UI) for digital products. You'll explore key principles of visual design, including layout, typography, colour theory, and iconography, and apply them to create cohesive and intuitive UI designs. You'll also focus on the development and use of design systems to ensure consistency and scalability across interfaces with an emphasis on designing for accessibility.

• User Research
  During this module, you'll gain the knowledge, skills, and methodologies required to gather, analyse, and apply user insights effectively within the design process. You'll learn to employ a range of qualitative and quantitative research techniques, conduct usability testing, and synthesise findings to inform user-centred design decisions.

• Interactive Design
  In this module, you'll learn to design effective and engaging user interfaces for interactive digital systems. By exploring key principles of interaction design, usability, accessibility and human-computer interaction, you'll develop the ability to create intuitive, accessible, and visually appealing interaction designs. Through hands-on projects, you'll learn to apply design thinking, user-centered design methodologies, and prototyping techniques to create seamless user experiences across various platforms and devices.

• Dissertation (60 credits)
  The content of your dissertation should reflect your passions and interests within your field of study, and must be drawn from relevant theory, supported by the practical aspects of your degree. Projects may be practical or investigative in nature, but all projects must produce specific artefacts that demonstrate your intellectual and practical skills in the subject area.