I joined IxDF a year ago and honestly, it’s been one of the most worthwhile investments I’ve made for my UX career. I started while transitioning from a graphic design background and didn’t have much UX knowledge beyond the surface stuff. The biggest value for me was that the courses go deep into thinking, logic, and user behavior—not just “how to use Figma” or clone trendy UI layouts. Some of the newer courses (like AI, behavioral design, and ethics) are especially relevant right now and helped me speak more confidently in interviews. I’ve actually built most of my current portfolio based on what I learned and applied from their exercises. You definitely need to be self-driven. It’s not a Bootcamp and there’s no hand-holding. But if you’re the kind of person who learns by reading, doing, reflecting, and taking ownership of your growth, then I’d say it’s 100% worth it.

I just wanted to share something that’s been on my mind for a while, and maybe it helps someone else here. I studied Interaction Design in university over a decade ago, but after graduation I ended up in a graphic design role. Print, banners, digital ads, fast-paced, client-driven stuff. Not bad work, but definitely not UX. Over time, I kind of gave up on the idea of actually doing UX. I figured I was too far removed from it — weak portfolio, no job title, no real experience. It felt like the ship had sailed. A while back though, I decided to try brushing up what I’d once learned. I joined the Interaction Design Foundation and started taking some courses — not expecting much, honestly. But something clicked. It wasn’t all gone. The ideas came back faster than I expected, and suddenly I had the language and confidence I’d been missing. I also started going to some local community events (organized through IxDF) and joined a few of their Master Classes. Just listening to other designers talk through their process reminded me I still belonged in the field. Not long after that, and not without a fair share of job rejections, I finally landed my first proper UX role. Today I’m working full-time as a UX designer at one of Sweden’s largest companies. And I actually love it. If you’re in that weird space between “I kinda know this” and “but who would hire me?” — I’ve been there. It’s not too late.

Just wanted to share my experience with the Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) – honestly, it feels like falling into an ocean of resources. Every course is hyperlinked so deeply that you can’t just "complete" it like a checklist item. You click one link, it opens up a whole new world of insights, references, and case studies. It’s a rabbit hole—in the best way possible. What makes it even better is the community. You can host your own UX events, attend meetups, or join discussions with other learners around the world. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned designer, there's always something new to learn from others. Got questions? Their support team is surprisingly human—quick, kind, and genuinely helpful. Not your typical robotic replies. Also, even if you’re not a paid member, you can still read their blog posts—and trust me, they’re packed with practical takeaways.

I’m coming from a teaching background and used ixdf to break into UX last year. Their explanations felt way more structured than just bouncing around on YouTube. I paired it with some Figma challenges and joined a local UX meetup to test what I was learning. I didn’t even do all their courses, just 3-4 of the right ones and it gave me a solid base.

A lot of people have actually used IxDF to successfully pivot into UX design, especially those coming from non-design backgrounds like marketing, development, teaching, or even HR. The key thing is they didn’t just rely on watching videos or finishing courses. They took the theory and started applying it in side projects, rebirth challenges, internships, freelance gigs, or personal UX case studies. IxDF gives a strong foundation in design thinking, usability, interaction models, and more which helps them sound confident and structured in interviews. Some even paired it with free tools like Figma and community projects on sites like ADPList or UX Collective to build real world credibility. The ones who succeeded usually talked about how they used IxDF to shape their problem solving mindset and backed it up with a decent portfolio and storytelling. So yeah, it’s totally been done but it works best when you treat IxDF as the base, not the whole strategy.

I’m a senior UX designer, and IxDF helped me break through a plateau in my growth. Here’s what changed for me. After 16+ years in UX and frontend development, I hit a point in my career where I wasn’t learning as much as I used to. I was mentoring designers, leading projects, and building design systems, but I started to feel like I was running on experience alone, not curiosity. I decided to try out the Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) to see if it could give me a fresh perspective. I wasn’t expecting much beyond a few decent refreshers, but it ended up helping me reframe how I think about UX strategy, mentoring, and collaboration.

I’ve been on a similar path, completely self-taught and relying heavily on IxDF. Honestly, it’s been super solid for building core UX knowledge. The courses go deep into usability, design thinking, and user research without feeling overwhelming. What helped me most was pairing the courses with small Figma projects and doing mini case studies based on what I learned. The only real “gap” I felt was around design tools and portfolio storytelling IxDF gives you the theory and structure, but you’ll still want to get hands-on with actual tools and learn how to present your work. But overall, if you stay consistent, IxDF gives you a legit foundation.

I used IxDF when I was shifting careers and did not want to invest in an expensive Bootcamp, so I can share how it worked for me. The courses gave me a structured way to cover UX fundamentals and build confidence, but the key was taking what I learned and turning it into case studies with Figma and real projects. IxDF alone did not hand me a portfolio but it gave me the theory and frameworks to create one. When I combined that with my design background and side projects I was able to start freelancing and eventually land interviews.

I've seen quite a few folks successfully pivot into UX using IxDF, especially those coming from design or adjacent fields. IxDF is super budget-friendly and offers deep, structured courses that go beyond surface-level theory, great if you’ve already explored basics. Their content is used by MIT and IBM, so it’s legit, and the courses include practical exercises you can turn into real portfolio projects. Plus, with 30+ topics (like UX Strategy, UI Design Patterns, and even AI for Designers), you can tailor your learning. If you’re self-taught and need structure without bootcamp pricing, IxDF is a solid investment.

I’m newer like you, and everything I’ve read says your portfolio matters more than where you learned. It sounds like it comes down to your learning style and how much support you want. I’m currently taking IxDF courses and learning a ton. My biggest hurdle will be real life projects (which most boot camps don’t offer, either). After I learn a bit more, I’m going to ask to shadow a project at my company even though I work in a totally unrelated department. IxDF is so inexpensive and has some pretty great content, but you need to be motivated to make progress.

I think IxDF can be a solid starting point, especially if you're transitioning from another field. the courses are structured and well-researched, and while they’re not a replacement for real-world projects, they’re definitely something worth adding to your CV. Just make sure to apply what you learn and build a portfolio alongside.

I made the switch from another design field too, and IxDF was honestly a great starting point. The content goes deeper than most free resources and is well-structured, especially if you’re self-teaching. While employers don’t necessarily look for IxDF, listing specific courses and tying them to real projects or case studies has definitely helped me in interviews. It's not a golden ticket, but it’s respected for the quality and depth it offers — and way more affordable than most bootcamps. Worth it if you're serious about the transition.

Coming from a visual and branding background, diving into UX fundamentals can feel like peeling back a whole new layer. IxDF is solid for grounding yourself in user-centered design and accessibility basics, which too often get overlooked. What’s stood out to me is how accessibility and inclusivity are not just checkboxes but foundational to good UX. It’s humbling realizing how many design decisions silently exclude real people until you actively test for it.

I have been learning with IxDF for some time now and I’m more than happy with the content provided, how it’s structured - text and videos, how it’s organized and the amount available - more than 30 courses, plus Master classes on various, hot topics. Masterclasses on AI and UX are for example now available. I love the fact that there are courses with Don Norman as well, I already passed one and looking forward to the other one. On top of all that - there is an open library with tones of useful reading, materials and templates, and a wide community for sharing experiences and encouragement. My warm, warm recommendation!

They won me after a short visit to IxDF from a short e-mail recived. Instantly after that, I understood what UX truly is. On my first visit on IxDF website I wanted to create an account but I closed it halfway because something intervened. After a few days I received an e-mail from ixdf where they asked me if I encountered any technical problems during my account creation. That made my day because I’ve never seen any company do this with their customers. The quality of the courses is outstanding. It is a great structure with a lot of examples that help you understand how the methods are applied in real life. The Interaction Design Foundation is between the very few where their focus is only on teaching and not on earning. When you do something with passion it's impossible to fail. Keep up the good work.

One underrated gem is Interaction Design Foundation’s free UX literature and beginner guides. Most people jump to paid courses, but IxDF has deeply researched, beginner friendly content that many skip. Also, check out their glossary and topic maps they are gold when you are trying to connect concepts. It is a solid place to build a real foundation before diving into pricey bootcamps.

The IxDF has given me a direct path for training talented young creatives in UX theory for an affordable price. As they progress through their coursework it elevates our conversation around design. The theoretical foundation of UX has always been the most difficult thing to train a student in. IxDF has made it simple, and I've been able to send the elevator of success back down much more effectively as a result.

Shortly after beginning my new role as senior designer for an advertising agency, I started taking IxDF courses at my new manager’s recommendation. The suggestion was, in part, to ensure all the agency’s designers have a similar level of UI/UX knowledge. In that regard, IxDF has been vital in filling in my personal mastery gaps. Moreso, this initiative has also led to the implementation of usability heuristics and accessibility into our ways of working across the design department. Understanding how to build accessible systems, predict how a user might interact throughout a user journey, and design those systems to adapt to different devices has given me the tools to make better decisions and become a stronger designer. I have always felt that with any design experience comes a basic understanding of usability, but to be productive and efficient, it is important to understand the process and psychology behind good design decisions. This has been my greatest takeaway from the IxDF courses.

I have enrolled on the IxDF courses a year ago and up to now it has been a great sources of learning for me. I have a background in industrial design and graphics. I have been working as a UX/UI designer for sometime now, but IxDF helped me sharpens my skills, update me on important foundations and helped me educate myself way more on UX research. I can say that the courses are very well shaped, I love the questions and tests at the end of each short class, they make you test yourself and apply your understanding directly on quick projects or samples (even more important if you are starting or want to start a career in digital design). There are courses on many different aspects of our ever changing sector, UX design/Interaction design/visual design/usability/UI design/front-end dev/PM/User research. And I am eager to study them all 😁 I have already completed 7 courses and I am using IxDF as my main source of learning and development in my professional career, it’s great! 🔥🔥🔥.

I learned about Interaction design when I was a student at NIFT by one of our professors. He shared his learnings from the course, which we found very useful. So I explored the website and got myself enrolled. I love the team of foundation, as they have always been available over email and helped me solve any problem that I faced. I love the way each course has been laid down and the motivating reminders I get when I get too busy to devote time to the courses. With my learnings from these courses, I have managed to implement a lot of this knowledge at the firm where I work. I created a UX team by involving brand strategists, managers, and designers to help me ideate and create beautiful and functional websites at my firm. I am able to see the little details with the help of my course and improve the experience of the users using our client's website. The path is long but if we have a guide or mentor, things become a little easy than before. I am more mindful of all the designs that I create today, not only for websites and apps but also for the products with which we work.

Each course I have taken has, with some attentive and consistent work, been made easy by the intuitive and engaging design of the courses. The know-how and vast experience of the course designers and instructors is evident. The sense of community among fellow participants, online and even offline, really helps on one's learning journey of exploring the whys, hows, wheres and whens, while discovering new paths and new connections enroute. It's been great!! More to come :) Just a wee anecdote: On my wall above my desk I have a 'Design is intelligence made visible' postcard I received from IxDF when I first joined in 2019. Placed under it is a small and delicate looking ornate now-tarnished silver spoon, which I received from my wonderful design teacher going-on 20 years ago. I intend to leave it in its curent unpolished state while on my learning journeys with IxDF, as I define, refine and polish my skills and shape and make design visible, or indeed invisible. It symbolises where inherent qualities and innate talents meet the enduring quality of good process and great design, which is exactly what we get to evolve at IxDF. Just to emphasise the sense of community and ethos which is notable; it really does come right from Mads and Rikke, the founders of IxDF, who are genuinely just an email away. Thanks to Rikke in particular for her warm and easy communication - which afterall is one of the key elements of good design!!

I’ve had an amazing time learning at IxDF. And particularly notable is Laura Klein's session on Agile teams. It's still fresh in my head. I'm grateful for the reminders I also had to take the course, even though it took me quite a while. The format of the course is all encompassing as there’s text and audio-visuals. Super interactive, and the variety of the course is apt. Each platforms serves a purpose, and I believe IxDF is serving its purpose of deepening one’s knowledge of UX. Focusing on foundations, one auguments that with practicing the visuals on design softwares, with the underlying principles to birth amazing user experiences. It’s work, it’s not always easy but definitely worth it!