The San Francisco Bay Area is a global leader in UX design and design thinking. Home to such companies as Google, Facebook, Apple, Adobe and Oracle, the Bay Area has led the way in developing design methods that spark innovation. These courses will teach you not only about design, but about how to think like a designer.
Courses
DES 448 User Experience Design (3 Units)
Explore user experience (UX) design process, research methods, prototyping techniques, and UX in industry contexts. Specific topics covered include user interface (UI) design, iterative prototyping methods, user research (for designers), usability testing, heuristic evaluations, ethics and social justice in UX design, design systems, strategy, and articulating UX problem-solving in presentation and writing. May be repeated for a total of six units. Activity (Plus-minus letter grade, CR/NC/RP).
SF State Students: Restricted to upper-division Design majors; DES 300*, DES 327*; or permission of the instructor.
International Students: Students should have some knowledge of HTML/CSS and ability to build a simple website. Some knowledge of Adobe CS tools including Illustrator and Photoshop is beneficial.
DES 456/756* Design Thinking Principles and Practices (3 Units)
Design thinking is a method for problem-solving and innovation that promotes an understanding of, and empathy for, the needs of the end-user of the product or service. It emphasizes an iterative, process-based approach to problem-solving. This course will introduce design thinking methods including user-based research techniques and prototyping, offer opportunities to apply these methods to class projects, and examine case studies.
SF State Students: Prerequisite for DES 756: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor. For DES 456: Restricted to upper-division Design majors; DES 200*, DES 356* and DES 370* with grades of C or better; GPA of 3.0* or higher; or permission of the instructor.
International Students: You must have some sketching skills and an ability to present your work in a professional way. Knowledge of Adobe CS especially Illustrator and Photoshop is a major plus.
*Graduate students may enroll in this course as DES 756 for graduate credit. Undergraduates should take DES 456.