Interested in training your UX skills? You want to learn from the heavy weights in the field? Then 2014 is your year. From March 31 to April 4, Amsterdam will be the location for Usability Week Amsterdam.
Usability Week is organized by the Nielsen Norman Group (founded by Don Norman and Jakob Nielsen), which since 1998 has been a leading voice in the user experience field: conducting groundbreaking research, evaluating interfaces of all shapes and sizes, and guiding critical design decisions to improve the bottom line. The company is based in the US and most Usability Weeks are held in US cities. For that reason this is a great possibility for us Europeans! You might be familiar with Don Norman’s Emotional Design or The design of everyday things. If not, have a look at my resources page to find out more.
As NN Group states on their site: “Usability Week helps you get up to speed on user experience best practices so you can create successful interfaces.”
What to expect?
- 5 days of in-depth, full-day courses
- Proven methods and best practices
- Practical skills
- Expert instructors
There are courses on different topics which cover most of the UX field from basic UX training to the human mind and usability testing. Each day has a series of courses from which you can choose one. Each course runs from 9 am – 5 pm. Here you can have a look at the program. You don’t have to commit to all 5 day. There is the possibility to choose only the courses you would like to attend.
My ideal schedule for Usability Week
The topics cover a wide range and to choose isn’t easy. There are actually 2-3 courses I would attend every day. Here is a list of all the courses with more detailed information for you to check out. These are the courses I wouldn’t miss:
Day 1
Mobile Websites and Apps I Essential usability principles for mobile design
We all know mobile is big and has been on the rise in the last years. As Ux designers we probably will spend a great amount of our professional life to improve user experience on mobile devices. So, I would definitely attend this course. Read more here.
Raluca Budiu is a Senior Researcher with Nielsen Norman Group. She consults for clients from a variety of industries and presents tutorials on mobile and tablet usability, cognitive psychology for designers, and principles of human computer interaction. She coauthored the NN/g reports on tablet usability, mobile usability, iPad usability, and the usability of children’s websites, and the book “Mobile Usability
Day 2
Emerging Patterns for Web Design I Innovative trends that impact the user experience
In UX you have to keep your eyes on the ball. It’s a fast evolving field and this course focus on emerging trends in UX design including mobile design patterns, designing for context, gamification, infographics. This course would be top of my list for day 2. Read more here.
Day 3
The Human Mind and Usability I Apply psychology principles to predict and explain how your customers think and act
Day 3 makes it difficult to choose. I would attend all of them, but what would a Ux training (organized by NN) be without at least one course in psychology? Ux design can never be great without insights into the human mind. We are creating for people, and to do so we have to know the whys. This is my favorite for day 3. Read more here.
Day 4
User Interface Principles every Designer Must Know I Applying human-computer interaction lessons to inform and defend UX decisions
As the title says, every designer must know the fundamental principles of user interface design and even though you already know them, why not getting some deeper insights. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) integrates concepts and methods from computer science, design, and psychology to build interfaces that are accessible, easy to use, and efficient. Put me on the list for this course on day 4. Read more here.
Day 5
Cross-Channel User Experience I Create a seamless and usable experience across multiple channels, including the web, mobile devices, email, phone and online chat.
This, I think, is one of the major concern of many businesses: how to design a consistent user experience across multiple channels? This course presents guidelines for creating a seamless and usable experience across various channels, including the web, mobile devices, email, phone and online chat. A must! Read more here.
BUILD SKILLS AND GET UP TO SPEED ON UX BEST PRACTICES
All the courses are all-day, immersive training courses that teach practical skills and offer design recommendations that you can apply immediately.
Prices and Registration
Registration prices depend on when you register. You can find the price list here (scroll down, under program you’ll find the prices per day). There is also the link to register, hotel accommodation, cancellation, refund.
Enjoy!
