ixD — Final Reflection

I was very excited to begin taking Interaction Design as I have always been interested in UI/UX, even before I knew the name for those fields. I knew that I would be designing apps and websites in the class, but I was still curious of the theories, laws, etc. of UI/UX that I would learn here.

The first lectures and exercises really helped me understand the thinking that should go into creating effective products. Minimizing the user’s frustration and maximizing their satisfaction was one of the main goals, along with maximizing return from the product if applicable.

Learning Figma and actually designing apps and websites was a bit tricky at first, but I found my footing when I began wire framing. If it weren’t for the lectures, I would have jumped straight into designing. I would’ve gotten caught in non-essential details. The importance of wire framing is one of my strongest takeaways from this class.

The AR scavenger hunt project was such a unique opportunity and it was one of the most valuable projects in my education. Having real-world client work and working with a large team gave me a good feel of what real design work is like. I feel immensely prepared for future work because of that project and I know it will be a landmark project for many other designers.

Out of all of the classes I’ve taken, I feel like I have grown the most during the duration of Interaction Design. Not only is my visual design more refined, my user experience design skills have had a good start in development. I now can see myself in this field and enjoying myself. In fact, it’s the first thing I think about when I’m asked what I’ll use my degree for.