Skip to content
All work

Academy of Digital Arts

Curriculum design

Teaching UX to people who have never designed

Role
Lecturer, freelance
Institution
Academy of Digital Arts
Period
Jan 2024 to Mar 2025
Scope
Two academic terms

The challenge

What does a student need to encounter first, and in what order, to leave able to run a UX process themselves?

What it turned out to be

Theory anchored to apps they already use, then research, wireframes, and a presentation they have to defend.

Teaching a discipline forces you to decide what it actually is. You cannot sequence a module until you know which idea the next one depends on.

I delivered a UX design module on the Higher Certificate in Web Publishing and Interactive Media. The role covered in-person lesson delivery, slide content creation, and assessment design.

I wrote two summative assessments around real apps and real research methods. Students went from competitive benchmarking and usability testing through to wireframes and final presentations.

Sequence

What a student meets, and in what order

Each stage has to leave them holding something the next stage needs. Get the order wrong and the assessment becomes a test of improvisation.

  1. 1

    Roles & history

    Produces

    Context for the discipline

  2. 2

    Research methods

    Produces

    A method they can run

  3. 3

    Benchmarking

    Produces

    A competitive review

  4. 4

    Wireframes

    Produces

    A testable artefact

  5. 5

    Presentation

    Produces

    A defended argument

Each stage leaves the student holding something the next stage needs.

Lessons

Foundational content

Lesson 01

Introduction to UX Design

Introducing the discipline and the people who build the web.

UX Designer
Researches user needs and designs solutions that solve real problems.
UI Designer
Focuses on visual design: colour, typography, layout, and component systems.
Front-End Developer
Builds interfaces using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Back-End Developer
Manages servers, databases, and the logic behind the product.
Full Stack Developer
Covers both front-end and back-end across the full product stack.
Product Manager
Owns the product vision and aligns teams around delivery priorities.
Content Designer
Shapes the words, structure, and tone users interact with.
Copywriter
Writes marketing and interface copy that drives action.
SEO Specialist
Optimises content and structure for search engine visibility.
DTP Specialist
Handles layout and print-ready document production.
Lesson 02

Overview: Birth of UX

How the field shifted from engineering-led to human-centred design.

1975: Altair 8800
Early personal computers were built for engineers. The user was not considered.
1984: Apple Macintosh
The GUI made computing accessible. Usability entered product thinking.
1988: Don Norman at Apple
Norman coined the term user experience to describe the full interaction a person has with a product.
1990s: UX as a discipline
The term entered industry vocabulary. Human-centred design became a formal practice.
Paradigm shift
Design moved from engineer and machine first to human and experience first. Products began to serve people rather than systems.

Students respond to authentic briefs. Hypothetical scenarios produce weaker work, so both assessments use real apps, real competitors, and real users.

Assessment

Two summative briefs

IUD-03NQF Level 560% of module mark

App Redesign: lekkeslaap

Students redesign the lekkeslaap short-term rental app using a structured UX process. The brief is anchored to a realistic persona and requires research, journey mapping, and mobile-first wireframes.

The persona

Name

Sam

Age

28

Role

Marketing Manager

Books weekend getaways and values a smooth, fast booking experience on mobile.

Deliverables

  • User research: survey or interview findings
  • User journey map based on Sam's experience
  • Mobile-first wireframes for the redesigned app
  • Final presentation of process and decisions

Marking

Design process
35%
Design
25%
Wireframes
25%
Presentation
15%
Module 3NQF Level 560% of module mark

Affinity Diagram: Food Delivery App

Students benchmark two competing food delivery apps, run usability testing, and synthesise findings into an affinity diagram. The goal is to identify patterns and propose feature improvements.

Apps benchmarkedUber EatsMr D

Deliverables

  • Competitive benchmarking report, Uber Eats against Mr D
  • Usability test protocol document
  • Recorded usability test session
  • Affinity diagram synthesising all findings
  • Feature suggestions based on insights
  • Final presentation

Marking

Benchmarking
15%
Usability test protocol
10%
Usability test recording
15%
Affinity diagram
30%
Feature suggestions
10%
Presentation
20%

Findings

What teaching surfaced

Insights

  1. 01

    Students engage more deeply when briefs use real-world apps and contexts

  2. 02

    Foundational theory lands better when anchored to recognisable industry examples

  3. 03

    Marking rubrics need to be explicit to support fair and consistent assessment

  4. 04

    Teaching it forces you to articulate what the discipline actually is

Outcome

Two full academic terms of UX design content delivered. Students completed research-led assessments involving real apps, usability testing, and final presentations.

Reflection

What I took from it

  • 01

    Designing for learning is its own discipline. Clarity and sequence matter as much as content

  • 02

    Students respond to authentic briefs. Hypothetical scenarios produce weaker work

  • 03

    Assessment design forces you to define success before you can teach toward it