Web Design for Usability v1

Suited For: All Levels
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Usability and probability are two sides of the same coin. Simple improvements in usability can greatly increase the probability that your e-commerce site will be a success. Alas, the opposite is also true! It is therefore crucial that any designer consider usability early on in the design process, with such knowledge also applicable to wider contexts such as improving productivity and job satisfaction in the working environment.

As Forrester Research puts it:

“Usability goals are business goals. Web sites that are hard to use frustrate customers, forfeit revenue, and erode brands. Executives can apply a disciplined approach to improve all aspects of ease-of-use. Start with usability reviews to assess specific flaws and understand their causes. Then fix the right problems through action-driven design practices. Finally, maintain usability with changes in business processes.”1

As you may have deduced by now, the realm of usability extends far below what you see on the surface. And what we want to see on the surface has proved to be an ongoing temptation for all too many of us as designers. Constructing an awesome-looking site isn’t the same as creating an awesome site—at least, it’s not in the sense that you can end up with a beautifully sophisticated design that crashes moments after users sit down to interact with it. Happily, you can—and should—aim to have an awesome site that looks awesome, too.

Getting to the nub of usability issues as soon as you notice them—or, better still, as soon as you notice their potential to upset your work before the fact—means saving yourself many a headache further down the development line. The old expression “forewarned is forearmed” is more than relevant in this market. That’s why we have put everything you need in here to help you keep your work optimized for usability.

“Web Design for Usability” is a course built on evidence-based approaches, as well as solid evidence, distilled from over 40 years of experience in the development of interactive systems. The course is taught by the founder and principal consultant of Syntagm, William Hudson, who is also a distinguished writer and teacher in the fields of user-centered design, user experience, and usability.

What you will learn

  • The principles of user-centered design and how they improve usability
  • How to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of alternative designs
  • An appreciation for clear, conceptual models and early design
  • The importance of users in the design process
  • Basic usability and accessibility guidelines

Who should take this course

This is a beginner-level course suitable for newcomers and experienced practitioners alike:

  • UX designers who want to create outstanding websites that are free from usability flaws
  • Project managers keen on building user-centered products that stand out from the competition
  • Software engineers interested in augmenting their development skills with a firm grounding in usability
  • Entrepreneurs looking to ship products that are free from usability flaws and thus succeed
  • Newcomers to design who are considering making a switch to UX design

Courses in the Interaction Design Foundation are designed to contain comprehensive, evidence-based content, while ensuring that the learning curve is never too steep. All participants will have the opportunity to share ideas, seek help with tests, and enjoy the social aspects afforded by our open and friendly forum.

Learn and work with a global team of designers

When you take part in this course, you will join a global multidisciplinary team working on the course and the exercises at the same time as you. You will work together to improve your skills and understanding. Your course group will be made up of an incredibly diverse group of professionals, all of whom have the same objective—to become successful designers. It’s your chance to learn, grow, and network with your peers across the planet.

1 Why Most Web Sites Fail, Forrester Research, 1998

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Earn Industry-Recognized Certificates

Industry giants trust our courses to train their teams, and prestigious universities integrate our content into their curricula. Add your certificates to your LinkedIn profile, résumé, and job applications.

Our clients: IBM, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, NASA, Adobe, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, LinkedIn
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Is This Course Right for You?

  • You want an evidence-based curriculum taught by industry leaders.
  • You want real-world design skills that translate directly into professional practice.
  • You want to earn industry-recognized credentials.
  • Your time is too valuable for scattered free content with no structure.
  • You want learning that leads to better roles and stronger earning potential over time.
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Loved by People Around the World

View full testimonial from Salvatore Salvo
Salvatore Salvo
Salvatore Salvo
Banking Product Manager

This course is one of the best out there. The breadcrumb lines lesson is very useful, I have to admit I didn't realize the impact of this te...

IxDF Course Certificate awarded to Salvatore Salvo for completing the "Web Design for Usability v1" course
View full testimonial from Christoph Kloecking
Christoph Kloecking
Christoph Kloecking
Product Manager/Interaction Design

I especially appreciated the part about the user stories vs persona stories as I have found myself struggling to write good user stories for...

IxDF Course Certificate awarded to Christoph Kloecking for completing the "Web Design for Usability v1" course

How It Works

  1. Build High-Impact AI and Design Skills

    Industry leaders from companies like Adobe, Google, and NASA teach you real-world skills grounded in industry practice and research.

  2. Combine AI and Timeless Design Skills

    Learn both AI and the human-centered design skills that AI can't replace.

  3. Earn Industry-Recognized Certificates

    Add IxDF Course Certificates to your LinkedIn profile and résumé to show you've completed an evidence-based curriculum taught by industry leaders.

  4. Turn Your Skills Into Career Opportunities

    Use your new skills to take on higher-value work, qualify for promotions or find a role that fits you better.

  5. Build a Network That Supports Your Career

    Connect with designers in 497 cities across 107 countries. Learn together, get mentored, and build relationships that open doors.

Course Overview

  • Each week, one lesson becomes available.
  • Study flexibly. Take as much time as you want.

Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour, 32 mins.

Lesson 1: Interaction Model

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours, 2 mins.

Lesson 2: Users

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours, 55 mins.

Lesson 3: Navigation and Content

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours, 1 min.

Lesson 4: Visual Design

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours, 53 mins.

Lesson 5: IxDF Course Certificate and Course Wrap-up

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 13 mins.

What's Inside IxDF Membership?

  • High-impact design and AI skills

  • Learn from 211 industry leaders

  • 42 evidence-based courses

  • 162 one-hour Master Classes

  • Industry-recognized certificates

  • $2,189 worth of toolkits

  • 9,906 active design jobs

  • 10 structured career programs

  • Global community in 497 cities

  • $6,649 worth of premium tools

  • 276 ready-made templates

  • and much more

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Dirck Ten Broeck
Dirck Ten Broeck
UI Lead

This lesson was one of the best, the form layout is a very hard task when we are designing, sometimes, we think that users are going to understand the form in the same way we understand it, but with this kind of examples I can see now what are some of my mistakes . Very, very helpful. Thanks.

Salvatore Salvo
Salvatore Salvo
Banking Product Manager

This course is one of the best out there. The breadcrumb lines lesson is very useful, I have to admit I didn't realize the impact of this technique.

Christoph Kloecking
Christoph Kloecking
Product Manager/Interaction Design

I especially appreciated the part about the user stories vs persona stories as I have found myself struggling to write good user stories for the reasons mentioned. However, the processes that had been implemented in that business required user stories. I am quite confident that with the arguments from these lessons I can achieve a shift towards persona centre story writing which will hopefully improve the developers understanding of the stories leading to a better product.