UX Training News

The importance of UX (user experience) extends beyond application and website development, and impacts the success entire organizations. The return on investment (ROI) of UX includes improved customer retention, more customer recommendations, additional repeat customers, and enhanced credibility....

Human-Computer Interactions, or HCI, are part of daily life, and the field of  UX, or user experience, is focused on how users interact with technology to achieve their goals. Whether responding to a text message, visiting a website, using an app, or interacting with a touch-screen at an...

A signal of the far reaching expansion of user experience comes from the role UX is playing in restaurant menu design. Many traditional graphic designers have found work helping restaurants update and revise menus. With more than 500,000 restaurants in the U.S. alone, even designers in the smallest...

While avoiding website accessibility lawsuits is a worthwhile endeavor, businesses, agencies, and organizations should also focus on the benefits of website accessibility and the reasons behind web accessibility laws. Just as all people are able to visit a business or store in-person that is open...

Creating an accessible user experience (UX) is important consideration for all types of businesses, governments, and non-profts. Any type of organization that has an online presence should be concerned about incorporating UX accessibility into their web presence. Accessibility is more than a series...

The Adobe UX design app released earlier this year in a beta (pre-release) form has received a number of new capabilities in an update rolled-out this week. The UX app is called Adobe Experience Design, or Adobe XD, and this user experience app is available as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud...

Many user experience professionals use the Creative Cloud for UX Design tasks, yet it’s important to not jump into the Adobe CC applications too early in the process. Adobe Creative Cloud fits into the UX process well after the dust from the post-its has settled, the whiteboard is scribbled...

The first UX test for any website is one that tests speed. While most UX tests want to focus on the speed in which the user can perform a task, find an item, or use a service, the UX testing that is needed is the speed in which a page loads and when a user can first interact with a site. Website...

A technology firm that was founded in Boston and creates tools that help mobile application developers has been acquired by Microsoft. Xamarian makes software tools that are used by the creators of mobile applications that run on smart phones. Their software enables independent application...

The process to improve creativity is something that can be applied across every profession and role. Improving creativity provides important benefits for people at all ages and levels or work. Creative thinking is often associated with designers, artists, architects, and other creative...

Microsoft announced this week that older versions of Internet Explorer (IE) have been discontinued. In Microsoft’s official terms, the old IE browsers have reached the “end of life” and must be upgraded to receive support from the company. Support has officially ended for Internet...

Creating a prototype for an app or website is an important step in the UX design process. To create prototypes that show the user experience process and user flow, designers currently work with a variety of tools such as Sketch, Balsamiq Mock-ups, and OmniGraffle. Adobe appears to view the UX...

Microsoft launched Visual Studio 2015 last week supporting more languages and platforms than ever, and reinforced the diminished emphasis being placed by Microsoft on UX. Developers who create desktop and mobile apps on the Microsoft stack, whether for Windows, Windows Phone, or Azure, will already...

UX Designers and IT pros now have access to a preview iOS 9, the next release of the operating system that powers iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. iOS app developers have had access to iOS 9 for many months, but this is the first public preview of this future update to this operating system....

Over the past several years Microsoft has made a big investment in trying to become a major player in the smartphone industry. They created a new user experience with Windows Phone that was well received by technology professionals, yet they weren’t able to crack Apple’s dominance in...

Yesterday we had a chance to present a UX design principles workshop to the 2015 fellows with Venture for America, or VFA. The fellows learned the principles behind creating great websites and apps, and also gained an appreciation for the entire user experience design process that is put into any...

For the past few years, Microsoft has been working to convince UX designers to adopt their modern app design for Windows 8 and they are extending this to W. Modern apps can be created that work well with touch interfaces, and also support keyboard and mouse controls when they are available. Yet...

 Commonly used UX icons can cause confusion among users or apps and visitors to websites. An example of this is the nearly ubiquitous hamburger icon found in the upper corner of many responsive websites and mobile apps. The three horizontal lines are stacked like a hamburger, and UX designers...

Adobe wants designers to give-up paper and pencil in the early stages of the design process and instead create early versions of design projects using Adobe Comp CC, a new iPad app. This new app was announced today by Adobe, and they are expecting designers to use it for a variety of projects,...

User experience (UX) planning is different from project planning or even project management. UX planning begins at the start of a project, and determines the type of UX resources that are required for any given project. The planning considers what type of research is needed, how use case scenarios...

It might seem that the responsibilities of UX Designers and vacationers at Walt Disney World might be worlds apart. After all, what could designing an application or website have in common with visiting an amusement park? As it turns out, there’s a great deal.Walt Disney World recently...

With the increase in demand for creating well designed user experiences, many professionals in other design fields are considering adapting their skills to make a move from graphic design to user experience (UX) design. While graphic design and UX design do have some commonalities, it’s...

When adapting the user experience (UX) of apps that started on the desktop, or updating websites originally created for desktops and notebook computers, to enable them to perform well on mobile devices, many developers tend to think only about the reduced screen size. While the reduced screen real...

American Graphics Institute offers both individual UX courses as well as a UX certificate program. Both of them are ways to learn about user experience design, yet they are different programs, and serve the unique needs of individuals at different stages of their careers. To address questions about...

Completing a user experience certificate program shows that you have made a commitment to mastering many of the skills necessary for a successful UX career. Most UX certificate program generally include foundational courses, such as an Introduction to UX principles class, along with other courses...

Product managers understand and promote customer needs and develop product initiatives. They also may have responsibilities that overlap with a business analyst. As such, product managers must choose the best solutions from those proposed by the development team by using their business, domain and...

The Windows 10 user experience guidelines include changes from Windows 8 as Microsoft consolidates the Windows UX that has had some inconsistencies across Windows Phone, Windows RT, and Windows for desktop until this time.Windows 10 user experience with legacy applicationsThe new Windows 10 UX will...

The Windows 10 user experience will have some changes from Windows 8 as Microsoft consolidates the Windows experience that has been fragmented across Windows Phone, Windows RT, and Windows for desktop.Windows 10 user experience with legacy applicationsThe new Windows 10 UX will still allow older...

When thinking of UX many assume that user experience professionals are focused exclusively on website design and app design. Yet many of the same principles in user experience design for websites and apps can also be used to create better products and services. One process for improving website and...

If you are considering studying user experience design, there are several approaches you can take, ranging from UX workshops and short-term courses, through longer term certificate programs and diplomas.UX courses If you are already working as a UX professional, or in a related field, you may...

An important part of the UX design process involves understanding your users and what motivates them. One way to achieve this is by creating personas to represent the users you are serving with your app or website. Creating personas as part of your UX design process ensures you are designing for...

When thinking of user experience, we tend to think of apps or websites. As someone who teaches UX design courses, and practices UX as a profession, I tend to think about user experience throughout the day, but generally it is related to technology and websites. Yet recently a loaf of bread, and...

When developing an app or designing a website, how do you determine what the user wants or needs? How do you understand the way in which they will interact with your app or navigate through your website? Rather than making assumptions, the best way to get clear feedback on user needs, along with...

When you think of professionals that need to learn UX design, web designers and app developers are typically at the top of the list, and not hardware developers. Yet some UX training could have saved Google from their ill-fated attempts to sell Google Glass to the masses, and in the process also...

A user flow describes the path that a user takes when visiting a website or using an app. With websites, user flows involve the sequence of pages users visit, including the order in which they are visited. When discussing an app, the user flow describes the screens that a user goes through while...

Transforming thoughts and ideas into working websites and applications isn’t easy. In our digital age we often forget that you don’t always need to use digital tools for evaluating and expressing your ideas, or even for building an app or website. When working in user experience,...

Rapid prototyping for UX is an iterative approach to the development of the UX or UI of websites or software applications. Rapid prototyping involves quickly creating mock-ups of a system before it is built in production. This allows for the UX or UI to be validated by prospective users and other...

A user flow is the sequence of steps that a user takes on a website to complete a particular task, such as purchasing a product, making a reservation, and subscribing to a mailing list. Creating the right user flow is essential for optimizing the user experience (UX) and maximizing the conversion...

Both the business analyst, or BA, and the user experience professional are responsible for finding ways to use technology in meeting the needs of users, as well as those of the business or organization. Both BA and UX professionals have skills and functions that overlap, and both use design...

Getting your first user experience job  Job postings for User Experience (UX) positions often ask for previous experience in the UX field. Aspiring UX designers shouldn't allow a relative lack of specific user experience work to make them feel as though they can’t break into the...

Being able to consistently create clean, useful, and efficient user experiences helps you, your work, and your organization or business to stand-out. Participating in UX courses and workshops helps you to develop a process for creating high-quality experiences in all of your work.Benefits of UX...

Whether you are a designer or developer looking to improve your understanding of user experience, you will find both online and in-person UX courses available. Here we address questions about the differences between online and in-person UX classes, and provide some guidance regarding which options...

Finding fellow UX professionals in Philly is as easy as finding a cheesesteak. With user experience professional groups, UX courses and workshops, and even a book club, there are many networking and training opportunities where you can interact with others in UX fields in the Philadelphia area....

The UX community in Boston supports a number of organizations and a wide range of opportunities for learning user experience or continuing your professional development if you already work in the field. In and around Boston you will find an active and educational community ranging from informal...

User experience plays an important role in the use and adoption of websites and apps, and there are a number of different ways in which you can learn user experience, including classes and workshops that you can take in-person or online.Before looking at learning options, it’s important to...

Those involved in user experience design, whether it is a formal UX team, or a group with varying responsibilities, can benefit from participating in a UX workshop for all members of the team. This involves taking all the designers, developers, business analysts, and product managers and having...

The integral role of user experience in websites and applications creates many opportunities for those who have received UX training. There are many benefits for professionals involved in all aspects of design, development, and product management roles working with websites and applications to...

Benefits of UX training Even if you have limited time and budget, there are still many benefits in enrolling in UX classes and learning UX design principles. Although you’ll be investing your time and budget in a UX course, there is a considerable return on investment to you and your...

Designing and building a website to conform to today’s demands takes research, a thorough understanding of your users and the know-how to deliver. As the success of websites hinge on a customer’s ability to successfully interact, receiving UX training can be beneficial in providing a...

Learning user experience and its foundational principles helps developers of websites and apps provide users with a better experience that meets their needs, along with the needs of their business or organization. The user experience (UX) refers to all the interactions a user has with an app or...

If you've been thinking of taking UX training, either by participating in classes or attending a user experience workshop, it's useful to understand how they can help with your work, your career, and benefit your overall business. User experience (UX) is a collective term that refers to a...

The Boston community is participating in world usability day today with a user experience fair taking place at Microsoft’s New England Research and Development (NERD) center located just across the river in Cambridge. Senior staff from American Graphics Institute are serving as mentors...

UX Prototyping Tools Offer Expanded Value to BusinessesUser Experience (UX) prototyping allows product managers, business analysts, and others creating apps to get feedback on their app ideas without needing to code the application before it can be reviewed. Prototypes are samples of what an...

The user experience design process in an agile development environment supports the agile philosophy of iterating your work. With an agile development process, testing and revisions are ongoing, and the UX process is able to follow this same course. There are typically four phases to the user...

When thinking of user experience design, most people direct their attention to websites and apps. Sometimes the field of industrial design also get some attention, but that is often limited to discussion of kitchen equipment or automobiles. Most user experience (UX) professionals don’t think...

Microsoft has announced layoffs of 18,000 employees from the 128,000 employees currently in their workforce. Many of the job cuts are a result of Microsoft’s acquisition of the Nokia phone business, with approximately 12,500 coming from employees that were formerly with Nokia. This is half...

On touch devices, the user experience behind the most recent version of Windows has gained accolade by many designers , but it’s likely to see some changes within the next year aimed at traditional desktop users. While the Windows user experience is perfect for a touch device, such as a...

An important part of user experience design is usability testing. There are a wide range of UX testing tools and services, regardless of the size of your user experience team or company. Whether you work for a large organization, or small, there’s a number of tools available to help you test...

Knowing how to articulate is essential for companies looking to bring their brands to life through digital designs. While functional tools and stunning visuals are necessary for drawing people to your website, the text is an equally important aspect of user experience. Tailor your text to the...

When studying the business benefits of UX design, we’re often looking at reports from major universities, academics, or large multinational corporations with entire design teams. The results typically show the varying ways in which investing in UX and design helps organizations reduce costs,...

UX Design processes can help many businesses. While we generally think of UX design as impacting the user experience of websites and applications, it also relates to everything from appliances in our home to the controls in an automobile. The process of creating successful UX design has benefits...

The ability to tell a good story is important in a broad range of careers. Educators, for instance, use their ability to communicate complex ideas to students every day, using everything in their arsenal to impart their wisdom intelligibly. Even people who work in the hard sciences, such as physics...

With 2014 well under way, designers are taking the innovations of the past and blending them with new, improved digital elements that are quickly becoming this year's top trends. While this does not necessarily mean that your burgeoning skills need to be completely revamped to keep pace, the...

Whether you've got a firm grasp on the fundamentals of user experience design after taking UX training at the American Graphics Institute or are just starting to explore this exciting creative discipline, there is little doubt that demand for UX professionals has never been higher. However, if...

By taking UX classes at the American Graphics Institute, you can learn what sets great products and services apart from the competition. In today's digital society, UX - a common abbreviation for user experience - has become of paramount importance. Media consumers are becoming ever-more...