DCI Workshop

Introduction to UI/UX

When asked to be an instructor for the UX at the New Apprenticeship (formerly Digital Creative Institute), I was thrilled. Not only would I be helping the next generation of creators get familiar with what UX is, I would be exposing them to tools and techniques they hadn’t been that familiar with in their current roles. New Apprenticeship bills themselves as “bridging the gap between what schools teach and only experience can bring.” They partner with employers to provide real-world experience to students and young professionals who are looking to transform their careers and become more marketable in a competitive workplace environment.

Discipline + Rigor Around Processes

For each 4 week course, I outlined my concepts I would be teaching to the students. These included Journey Mapping, User Interviews, and Empathy Mapping. For each I provided hands-on exercises where we would work together followed by real-world examples I had plucked from various projects I had worked on. Because my UX process often includes all three, it was easy for me to find examples that resonated with the students. I’d often align what I was teaching with the supplemental courseware assigned by the group lead, however having worked in the industry for a while it was easy to pivot. I’d often call up examples of story boards, personas, A/B testing , and psychological biases that both users and designers can be swayed by during the purchasing the creation process.

  • Intro to UI/UX course
  • Empathy Mapping Summary Slide
  • Journey Mapping Summary Slide
  • User Interviews Summary Slide
In-person whiteboard exercise

Grading & Next Steps

The main thing for each student was to be able to incorporate the teachings into their own work. Throughout the course, each participant was responsible for finding a project that they could pitch to their employer or – in the case of folks fresh out of school – a potential employer. I’d check in with them after every session and we’d evaluate progress on their work. The final fourth week was devoted to them ironing out their projects before they were pitched to me for grading. Grading was done electronically through the Canvas Instructor Platform. Each participant was to record their presentation and I was to use a grading rubric to determine if they met all course requirements.
The UX portion was just one section of the entire course. Once completed, it was combined with the Marketing and Developer sections to provide a pass/fail grade.

Takeaway

This opportunity exposed me to a variety of students not just within the Austin area but from around the State. When the pandemic hit in early march of last year it provided a great opportunity to facilitate remote learning on the Zoom platform. Post course completion, it also led to personalized, 1-on-1 software training sessions in addition to private career counseling discussions.

Working with New Apprenticeship was an absolute pleasure and something that will benefit my company insofar-as having access to folks eager to make their name in user experience design. The next time I need someone for an entry-level role at the company, I’ll know where to turn.

Potential Hiring Candidate