UXD 2100 — UX Research Methods

Course description

Interviews, surveys, contextual inquiry, and usability testing, and synthesizing findings into insight.

UX Research Methods is a lower-division undergraduate course in User Experience Design (UXD 2100), carrying 3 credits, and is typically offered spring.

Prerequisites

UXD 1500. Prerequisites are enforced at registration; a registration override from the department is required to enroll without them. It is one of the courses that later, more advanced courses build on, so a solid grasp here pays off downstream.

What you will be able to do

By the end of the course, a student who does the work should be able to:

• Explain the core concepts, terms, and methods of uX Research Methods.
• Work standard problems in user Experience Design accurately and show the reasoning behind each step.
• Select and apply appropriate tools, models, or frameworks, and evaluate how well they fit the situation.
• Communicate your work and conclusions clearly in writing and in class discussion.

Each section publishes its own specific, measurable outcomes on the syllabus; these are representative.

How it is taught

A mix of instruction and guided practice. Most weeks include a lab, studio, or problem session where an instructor is present to help you work through the material while it is fresh.

Workload and assessment

As a 3-credit course, expect roughly 6–9 hours of work outside scheduled class time each week. Grades are typically based on a mix of regular homework or problem sets, quizzes or exams, and in-class activities, in proportions each instructor sets. Late-work, attendance, and academic-integrity policies are on the section syllabus, which is the authority in any conflict with this page.

Where it fits

UX Research Methods counts toward the User Experience Design program and is available as an elective to students in related majors; it may also apply to a minor or a general-education category. See the User Experience Design course list for the full sequence, and your degree audit for exactly how it applies to your requirements. If you are not sure whether to take it, your academic adviser can tell you where it lands in your plan.

Topics you can expect

Sections vary, but a typical offering of UX Research Methods spends time on:

• The vocabulary of user Experience Design and the questions the field is trying to answer.
• Core methods, and how practitioners actually apply them.
• Reading, evaluating, and citing evidence, sources, or specifications.
• A recurring problem type worked from a blank page to a defended answer.
• The notation, tools, or software that is standard in the area.
• How the individual pieces fit into a larger system or argument.

The section syllabus sets the actual schedule and the order these are covered in; this list is representative, not a contract.

Materials and cost

Plan on a single text, often with a used or open-access edition that costs little or nothing. Where a no-cost open option covers the learning outcomes, the department uses it, so wait for the section syllabus before buying anything. Any figure here is illustrative — UW–Porter Falls is fictional and sets no real prices.

Common questions

Can I enroll without the prerequisite? Not through self-registration. If you have equivalent preparation from transfer work or experience, ask the User Experience Design department for a registration override before the term begins.

Will it count toward my major or a general-education requirement? It always counts toward User Experience Design. Whether it satisfies a category in another major, a minor, or general education depends on that program's rules — check your degree audit or ask your adviser.

How heavy is the workload? Budget about 6–9 hours per week beyond scheduled class time. Students who fall behind in the first three weeks tend to stay behind, so pace the early work.