This was the bigger module we had this semester. With it being the bigger one worth more credits I already knew that it would be more work that 304 so I was prepared to spend more time on it. We had a 12-week run through of essential aspects of UX design, and walked through the whole design process from discovery through to deliver. We were given insights into what it is actually like to work within a team of developers and project managers, and what the role of a UX designer is, thinking about AGILE teams.

My favourite lectures from this modules were the usability testing and working in UX lectures, as I thought they were super practical and useful for going on placement next year. In the usability testing lecture, we broke into groups and took part in mock usability tests, trying out each role. This gave me confidence to do my own usability tests for my project and knowing how to setup and run the test. The working in UX lecture was the most beneficial for learning what it is like to be a real UX designer, working on real projects. We learnt all about the processes that companies use to design and develop products. I found the AGILE methodology quite interesting, and how the best products are made incrementally and not developed all at once.

The project was the hardest but most enjoyable one yet. We were given a very open brief and simply asked to create a product that is for the university sector. Starting with research, as groups we looked into areas that students or staff struggle with, looking for a potential problem or issue. Once I found my issue of students struggling with the transition of school to university and living on their own, I was ready to start doing user interviews to find a digital solution. Going from there I was able to design Nota, which is based off a user interview I completed in which someone used sticky notes to help organise his day.

Overall this module has been great and I feel like I have developed a lot since January. I think it has given me a taste of what it is like to get an open brief and use the design process to get a digital solution. I have also learnt the importance of putting user needs first and how this is done by using journey maps, user personas, and other UX methods.