What I learned from Google UX Design 4-week course
Published: 2022-08-23 21:50:00


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ehib3lmon5odegz0stva.jpeg)

I have just finished the first course in Google UX certificate: Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design. It took me 4 days instead of 4 weeks and here is my overall opinion and key-take aways:

## Key-take aways and things I have learned:
Here are 5 key things that I’ve learned in this course:

**1. Design starts and ends with the user in mind and the importance of user research.**
Every step of a design process is always used-centered and I need to learn how to identify users'’ pain points to help them solve their problems with my designs and solutions.
Different research methods like surveys or interviews help to do that.

**2. Characteristics of a good user experience.**
The product should be:

- 
Usable - it means the design, structure, and purpose of the product are clear and easy to use.

- 
Equitable - it means a design is helpful to people with diverse abilities and backgrounds.

- 
Enjoyable - it means the design delights the user. The design reflects what the user may be thinking or feeling and creates a positive connection with them

- 
Useful - that means it solves user problems.

**3. The product development life cycle.**
It has five stages:

- Brainstorm
- Define
- Design
- Test
- Launch

I understood that depending on where you work, the exact names of each stage might be a little different, but the overall process is generally the same.

**4. Design Thinking framework**
Frameworks provide structure for the design process.

In this course, I have learned the Design Thinking framework that involves the following phases:

- Empathize
- Define
- Ideate
- Prototype
- Test.

**5. I should try to avoid bias in UX research.**
I know having biases is normal, it’s essential to try to eliminate bias from your research process to get the most accurate understanding of your users’ needs.

## 👍 What I really liked in the course :

- 
The course has great structure, it is easy to navigate and you can go at your own pace.

- 
The course offers a great sneak peek of what a job of a UX designer might be like without getting too much in detail and being overwhelming.

- 
The course is led by people who actually work in the industry and they are ready to share their experiences.

- 
Every video is transcribed and you can save it to your notes.

- 
You get different types of assignments: tests with multiple choice questions, open-ended questions, discussions and you even get a chance to communicate with other people completing the course.

## 👎 What I didn’t really like:

- 
I wish there were more practical knowledge and tasks instead of theoretical ones.

- 
There is a lot of repetition. It might be a good thing for someone but sometimes I felt like a kindergartener who needs to hear the same thing 3 times before we could move on.

- 
Some assignments were too easy and questions and answers were too obvious.

- 
I didn't like how they marked written assignments. You automatically get 100% for writing anything in the assignment, they don’t actually check the content. I understand that it is much easier and cheaper and you can check your answers later. However, it would be nice to get more feedback on your answers.

## 🎬 The bottom line
This is an excellent course to get a glimpse of what a UX designer job might be like and decide whether you want to continue learning. It is not going to get you ready for the job but it is a great starting point.

This was my first tiny step on the road to becoming a UX designer. I am proud of making it and I still have a lot of things to learn, so I'd better get going.

See ya!✌️
__________________________________________________________

Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/supernova_julia)