MSc User Experience Design

Program Overview

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The MSc in User Experience Design at Loughborough University combines analytical precision with empathy-driven skills to develop innovative product experiences. Through a blend of research methods, prototyping, and industry collaboration, students learn to design user-centered digital products and services that address complex societal problems. The program emphasizes both analytical and empathic skills, preparing graduates for careers in UX design, interaction design, and related fields.

Program Outline

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User Experience Design Degree

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Degree Overview:

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Overview:

The MSc in User Experience Design at Loughborough University delivers a program that combines the scientific method's analytical precision with the empathy-driven talents essential to UX Design.

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Objectives:

• Develop empathic digital products and services: Achieve this through experience design and negotiation of conflicting user perspectives, realized through Design Research Methods.
• Appraise user-centered design's fundamental research techniques: Investigate emotional and cognitive experiences through Usability Principles and Practice.
• Support the student's creative, analytical, or technological skills growth: This occurs within design or creative arts contexts through the Optional modules.
• Construct sophisticated Human-Machine prototypes: Employ statistics, advanced usability principles, data analytics, and experimental prototyping techniques, realized through UX Design for Advanced Technology.
• Design innovative solutions: Address complex societal problems while collaborating with other design specialties, realized through the Industry Project.
• Develop original research: Pursue unsolved or novel User Experience and Human-Computer Interaction problems through user-centered experimentation, realized through the new UX Design Research module.

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Description:

This program blends the empirical methods of data analysis with the empathy-centred skills essential for UX Design. Through collaborative projects, seminars, and guest lectures, you'll gain experience working with the UX industry and acquire essential design skills. You'll also have the opportunity to enter national design competitions and work on international projects.

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Outline:

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Program Content:

• Explore human-centred design principles and their application.
• Leverage user-centred design research techniques to investigate emotional and cognitive experiences.
• Develop creative, analytical, or technological skills within design or creative arts contexts.
• Construct sophisticated human-machine prototypes with the aid of statistics, advanced usability principles, data analytics, and experimental prototyping techniques.
• Design innovative solutions to society's complex problems while collaborating with other design specialities.
• Conduct original research into unsolved and novel User Experience and Human-Computer Interaction problems.

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Structure:

The program comprises two semesters.

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Semester 1:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Experience Design
• Usability, Principles and Practice
• Design Research Methods
• Optional Modules:
• Design for AI Products
• Experience Design for Digital Health
• Tangible Interaction Design

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Semester 2:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Industry Project
• Advanced Interaction Design
• UX Research Major Project
• Summer:
• UX Research Major Project

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Individual Modules:

• Experience Design: Introduces the human-centered design process and core experience design principles with their application to interactive products and services.
• Usability, Principles and Practice: Broadens the student designer's experience and skills to include knowledge of, and competence with, usability evaluation tools and principles.
• Design Research Methods: Introduces the design research process and how its methods and tools are used to collect, analyze, synthesize, and interpret research data.
• Design for AI Products: Teaches students to identify AI opportunities in a Product (Service) Design context, critically understand and apply the four stages of the AI Design Process, and analyze the steps to build a business case.
• Experience Design for Digital Health: Provides participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to describe, critically evaluate, design and justify their decisions when designing modern user interfaces for health data visualizations.
• Tangible Interaction Design: Expands student designers' knowledge and skills to include knowledge of, and competence with, creating interactive Internet of Things-based prototypes.
• Industry Project: Introduces students to the professional world of the experience designer through the tackling of an industry-set brief and delivering an evidence-based and meaningful design outcome for a sponsoring organization.
• Advanced Interaction Design: Advances student's knowledge and skill in advanced interaction design.
Introduces human factors, multiple prototyping methods, and user evaluation methods to achieve this aim.
• UX Research Major Project: Develops the student's in-depth knowledge about an aspect, or topic, of UX design to extend investigative, project management, and report writing capabilities.
The student realizes this aim by undertaking a research project that proposes and answers a question that, when answered, will enhance UX practice.

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Assessment:

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Assessment Methods:

• Coursework
• Oral presentations

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Assessment Criteria:

• Students work independently and in groups to collect and analyze human data, synthesize insights, generate designs, and produce prototypes through coursework.
Through oral presentations, students present their designs and defend their decisions to experts. The program employs no exams.
• Lecturers offer informal feedback on students' progress and understanding throughout the lectures to support their learning.

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Teaching:

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Teaching Methods:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Independent study
• Group work
• Workshops
• Practical sessions
• Remote laboratory
• Online tutorials
• Virtual learning

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Faculty:

The program benefits from the expertise of dedicated and experienced faculty members within the Design department.

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Unique Approaches:

• Access to online material
• Industry-standard resources in our award-winning £21 million Design building, including specialist eye-tracking software, UX prototyping software, Arduino prototyping labs, and audio-visual equipment.
• Mac lab with a wide range of design and UX software.

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Careers:

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Potential Career Paths:

• User experience designer
• Interaction designer
• User researcher
• Usability specialist
• Consultant
• Researcher/teacher/PhD studies

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Career Opportunities:

Graduates typically find employment in various industries, including design, management, and information technology, leveraging their user-centered design skills.

• Students from all academic backgrounds are welcome to apply, not just those with design experience.
• The program emphasizes developing both analytical and empathic skills for a well-rounded educational experience.
• The program focuses on emerging technologies and trends within the UX field.

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UK fee: £13,000 Full-time degree per annum International fee: £29,750 Full-time degree per annum