Want to become an interaction designer? Or just curious to learn more about this important subset of UX design? You’ll surely find a course that suits your needs in our list of top interaction design courses.
A specialized field within UX design, interaction design focuses on the creation of intuitive and compelling experiences between users and digital interfaces. Skills in this field are becoming increasingly sought after as companies recognize the impact user experience has on attracting and retaining users and customers.
With this in mind, many design and web professionals are seeking to learn more about the field of interaction design in order to offer these skills to potential employers and clients. However, with an array of educational options out there, knowing the best place to onboard this skill set can be a minefield to navigate.
In this article, we want to make finding the right course a little easier. We will be outlining seven of the leading interaction design courses for every type of learner, from beginners looking to learn about all aspects of UX design (including interaction design) to UX design professionals looking to add interaction design skills to their resumes. For each program, we’ll be covering price, duration, and learning styles as well as providing an in-depth summary of what you can expect from each course.
Contents:
Let’s start with a little bit of an introduction to interaction design before we dive into the courses.
What is interaction design?
Interaction design is a subset of UX design that aims to create meaningful, seamless, and intuitive interactions between users and digital interfaces. Through user research and data analysis, interaction designers seek to better understand user needs and desired outcomes and use this knowledge to inform improvements to a digital product’s interface or system. By focusing on accessibility and usability, the interaction designer creates seamless experiences for users across all device types and platforms, in doing so enhancing overall user satisfaction with a brand or organization.
Best interaction design courses
Whether you’re looking for a short, video-based interaction design course to update your current design skill set or a more in-depth, immersive UX design bootcamp that includes modules and teaching in interaction design, our list has programs that suit your needs and desired learning outcomes. Let’s take a look at some of the leading interaction design courses available.
1. AND Academy–UX UI CERTIFICATE (PART-TIME)
AND Academy’s UX UI Certificate is a complete UX and UI design education package for those looking to launch new careers in the field of interaction design. Over 20 weeks, the part-time, comprehensive course covers user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design with students learning about the theory and application of user research, Design Thinking, wireframing, prototyping, and Figma, in addition to the fundamentals of visual and interaction design and their real-world application.
Students graduate from the industry-focused course with knowledge of the fundamental elements and processes of user experience design that are essential to creating user-centric digital products, as well as a professional UI UX Design Portfolio that showcases real-world projects and technical skills. In addition to 120 hours of live sessions, students also receive job placement support to enable them to hone their skills within a professional setting.
In summary
- The course costs Rs. 80,000 in total.
- Students receive six hours a week of live sessions and are expected to commit six hours a week to self-managed study.
- A career services team offers personalized guidance and advice based on each student’s skills, specialization, and career goals.
- Project briefs simulate the real world enabling students to gain a real feel for the industry.
- Students learn how to use the latest design tools and technologies such as Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Miro.
Link to course: AND Academy UI UX Design Courses
2. IDF (Interaction Design Foundation) – Interaction Designer
Founded in 2002, the Interaction Design Foundation is the largest design school in the world, boasting 172,523 graduates in subjects ranging from User Experience Design to Gestalt Psychology. The Foundation’s Interaction Designer career pathway consists of 18 courses in four parts which, when all are completed, leave graduates with the specific skills needed to launch a successful interaction design career.
While some of the interaction design courses in the pathway cover user experience and Design Thinking, the majority of the modules focus on interaction design itself, with the program covering both the design approach’s principles and its practical application. The Interaction Designer Beginner courses tackle subjects such as Journey Mapping and Human-Computer Interaction while the Interaction Designer Intermediate courses dive into several high-level subjects and topics including Accessibility: How To Design For All and Mobile UI Design.
In summary
- Cost: $14 per month annual fee.
- A mixture of video and text-based learning materials.
- Students can select whichever courses they want or follow the recommended career paths for particular professions.
- Interaction design Courses for every level, from beginner to advanced.
- Access to course materials for the duration of the membership.
- Active, online, forum-based community.
Link to course: Interaction Foundation Design
3. Coursera–Interaction Design Specialization (UC San Diego)
The Interaction Design Specialization from UC San Diego (available on Coursera) consists of eight separate courses that support students in learning about the theory behind and the application of interaction design. Through a combination of online lectures, readings, and assignments, students learn how to generate and prototype new design solutions in addition to learning the principles of visual design, perception, and cognition that inform effective interaction design.
The modules that make up the specialization cover subjects including human-centered design and information design, and finish with an Interaction Design Capstone Project- a 35-hour module in which students get the chance to apply the skills they’ve learned during the previous modules addressing real-world challenges. Upon completion of the course, students are presented with a career certificate from the University of California San Diego.
In summary
- An intermediate-level interaction design course.
- The course duration is three months at 10 hours per week.
- Students learn at their own pace thanks to the flexible schedule.
- Those who complete the interaction design course receive a career certificate from the University of California San Diego which can be displayed on LinkedIn, a CV, or a portfolio.
- Course is run by UC San Diego which is an established and recognized educational institution).
Link to course: Coursera- Interaction Design Specialization
4. Coursera–User Experience & Interaction Design for AR/VR/MR/XR (University of Michigan)
The University of Michigan offers a User Experience & Interaction Design for AR/VR/MR/XR course via Coursera. The program, part of the Extended Reality (XR) for Everybody Specialization, and designed for those of intermediate experience, teaches students how to critique new and existing XR experiences, create XR storyboards and physical prototypes, use authoring tools to build XR prototypes and infer technical requirements for these prototypes.
With interaction design falling under the broader umbrella of user experience (UX) design, user experience design theory and application make up a large part of the course content. The four modules of the specialization cover subjects including XR design processes, Design Thinking, and digital prototyping, among many others.
While the first two modules are focused on the theory and principles of UX design and interaction design in XR, the final two modules are when students get to apply their knowledge to creating physical prototypes and learning how to enhance them with AR techniques. The second from the last module heavily emphasizes paper sketching, while in the last module, students move over to digital prototyping techniques to increase the fidelity of their prototype designs.
In summary
- An intermediate-level course.
- Around 27 hours of study time.
- Students learn at their own pace with a flexible study schedule.
- Students receive a shareable career certificate to display on a CV or LinkedIn profile.
- The course is accredited by the University of Michigan.
- Students come away with a combination of theoretical and applied knowledge of User Experience & Interaction Design for AR/VR/MR/XR.
- Each module comes with an assessment so students can review how much they have learned.
Link to course: User Experience & Interaction Design for AR/VR/MR/XR
5. Udemy–Interaction Design IxD tutorial Web Design Patterns
Designed with web designers, developers, and digital professionals in mind, Udemy’s short, largely video-based course, Interaction Design IxD tutorial Web Design Patterns, teaches students how to create smarter web designs through the study of fundamental interaction design principles concepts and principles. The course structure consists of a range of challenges and lessons that are split into three main areas: Introduction to Interaction Design, Thinking Interactive Design, and Design Concepts Reviewed, with both video content and downloadable files available for students to learn from.
With module topics ranging from Interactive Design Patterns to UiX Core Concepts, students come away with knowledge of dynamic websites and how to design for them as well as learn the practical techniques needed to uncover and understand user goals and requirements for interactive websites.
In summary
- Cost: €12.99 for full interaction design course access.
- A collection of videos and downloadable materials for students to learn from.
- Course duration is short, with just 1.5 hours of video time.
- Students have lifetime access to all materials.
- Students who complete the course come away with a certificate of completion.
Link to course: Interaction Design IxD tutorial Web Design Patterns
6. Udemy–Interaction Design Specialist For Web Developers
The Interaction Design Specialist For Web Developers course by Udemy teaches essential interaction design principles, the importance of Design Thinking, wireframing and prototyping skills, and ethnographic and analysis methods to students with a background in web development. With teaching taking place via two hours of on-demand videos and five downloadable articles, students are tasked with the design and creation of an innovative project to teach them how to think like a designer, build wireframes they can use for their websites, and apply the fundamentals of interaction design.
Individuals thinking about taking the interaction design course should bear in mind that all students enrolled in the program are required to have prior experience in creating a website in WordPress or from scratch and have some foundational knowledge of website design as well as the programming languages HTML and CSS.
In summary
- Cost: €12.99 for full course access.
- Two hours of on-demand videos and five articles to download.
- Students have lifetime access to all materials.
- Students who complete the interaction design course come away with a certificate of completion.
- Specialist course for those with strong web development skills looking to get into interaction design.
- All About Wireframes segment is filled with practical tasks designed to refine students’ skills
Link to course: Interaction Design Specialist For Web Developers
7. UX Design Institute–Professional Diploma in UX Design
The UX Design Institute’s Professional Diploma in UX Design program is an in-depth, six-month course for those looking to launch careers in the field of UX design. It also doubles as one of the most informative interaction design courses.
In addition to offering familiar UX design topics such as User Research, Analysis Techniques, Wireframing and Prototyping and Wireframing, and Design Principles, the course dedicates a module to Interactions in which students dive into the details of interaction design and sketching. Students who choose this course get a rounded education in the larger field of user experience design and the interaction design niche, learning the theory and application of both.
In summary
- Cost: €2,350 (when paid upfront). Students can also pay in installments.
- The duration of the course is six months.
- Students are expected to commit 5 hours per week to study the course.
- The format of the course is self-paced, which means students can work on their assignments at a pace that suits their lifestyle.
- This interaction design course is accredited by the Glasgow Caledonian University.
- Students come away with a professional portfolio of their completed projects and a certificate to show to employers.
Link to course: Professional Diploma in UX Design
Conclusion
In this blog post, we’ve run through some of the leading online interaction design and UX design courses to help you find a course that suits your learning preferences, budget, and needs.
In this blog post, we’ve run through some of the leading online interaction design courses to help you find a course that suits your learning preferences, budget, and needs. With expert assistance, career support, a job guarantee, and a rounded theoretical and practical education in design, these courses are training India’s next generation of leading designers. For reference, we recommend checking out this Credit Managing Project by AND learner Vinay Bandi.
Next Steps
For further insights into the UI UX design industry and how to start your career in the field, here’s what you can do next:
- Watch this session by Shiva Viswanathan, Design Head of Ogilvy Pennywise, and Naman Singh, Product Experience Designer at RED.
- Talk to an AND Academy course advisor to discuss how you can transform your career with one of our courses.
- Learn more about our UI UX design courses. All courses are taught through live, interactive classes with industry experts and some even offer a Job Guarantee.
- Take advantage of our scholarship and funding options to help relieve some of the financial burden of starting your new career.
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
