An NPTEL primer from IIT Madras on the design thinking process: empathise, analyse, solve and test, with workshops and stories.
Paid certificateDesign & UX
Self-pacedBeginner
An introduction to interaction design
A free 10-hour Open University course on interaction design: user-centred goals, design principles, research and prototyping.
Taught byOpenLearnAbout this course
This OpenLearn course explains what interaction design is and why it matters, including the digital divide. It covers usability goals and design principles such as affordance, consistency and feedback, how users and context shape design, and the core activities of gathering data, sketching, prototyping and iterating.
Best for: Aspiring UX designers who want a free university-level grounding in interaction design.
What you will be able to do
- Explain the scope and impact of interaction design
- Apply principles such as affordance, consistency and feedback
- Analyse users, activities and contexts
- Gather user data and iterate with sketches and prototypes
Syllabus and your progress
Tick modules off as you finish them on OpenLearn.
0 of 4 modules done
Plan your pace
At 4 hours a week you would finish in about 3 weeks, using the course time estimate above.
Progress is saved in this browser only. No account needed.
Cost and certificate
Free certificate
Free statement of participation from The Open University on completion.
OpenLearn sets the terms and can change them. Check the course page before you commit serious time, and tell us if something changed.
Quick answers
- Is An introduction to interaction design really free?
- Yes, the course material is free on OpenLearn. Free statement of participation from The Open University on completion.
- How long does An introduction to interaction design take?
- Plan for about 10 hrs in total (Provider estimate: 10 hours). It is self-paced, so you can go faster or slower.
- Do I need experience before An introduction to interaction design?
- No. It is a intermediate course with no prerequisites listed.
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