Google UX Design Certificate Program: my experience

I recently completed the Google UX Design certificate program which is currently a hot topic for every visual designer 🙂 Some of us have already subscribed to this course and some are aspiring for the same. Through this article, I am trying to consolidate my observations, thoughts and overall experience about this course. Hope you would find them pathfinders! I had started in April first week & completed in December second week (little longer than the average estimated time though i.e. 6 months).

Click here to see my certificate.

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Why did I enroll to this course?

I do not have any thought of switching the stream or company as of now 🙂 I did this just to learn some value adding UX techniques that will enrich my visual designs with more usability and actionability.

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What is this course about?

This is a UX design professional certificate program by Google through Coursera training platform. It is specifically designed for the entry-level UX designers which will walk you through the complete UX processes through some tutorials, videos & practical assignments. At the end, participants will be prepared with three complete case studies to be included in their portfolio and will be ready to take their first step as a UX designer. This program includes 7 courses and it is recommended to complete them in order. Below is the link for more details.

https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-ux-design

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The best parts:

• Designed by Google, the brand tells itself! Google has a proven record of being a usability expert! This course is a gist of their complete research. It actually reflects the usability standards they followed internally for their products which are being used worldwide like Google Maps, gmail etc.
• Crisp, concise and very well crafted content considering the participants’ level of expertise. No jargon anywhere.
• The trainers, who are the real experts and currently leading their areas in Google. Google has selected the trainers very smartly through the diverse regions/categories of the world which will make everyone feel included. This is the best example showcasing the strength of their study.
• Combination of the different mediums like videos, tutorials, small game-like wizards, assignments that will not make users feel monotonous

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Some observations…

• This course is designed considering beginners in the mind. Experienced UX designers may not find the same interest as entry-level designers.
• Your assignments will be reviewed by your peers, not by the experts.
• You will find some disharmony between the usability standards mentioned in the course and the actual experience of the platform. For example, when the content highlights the importance of the four ‘C’s in usability (consistency, continuity, context, and complementary), you will find the site itself does not support typing comments on mobile. It might be an issue with the Coursera platform. 

Recommended for

• Entry-level UX designers
• Visual designer who wants to understand UX processes in depth and gain more usability knowledge from a visual design standpoint. Experience doesn’t matter. 

Bonus tip:

You’ll have to be self motivated throughout the program as it allows you to complete the courses as per your convenient timeline. Hence, it may happen that you start procrastinating the assignments somewhere in between, lose your interest and give up finally. At that time, find ways to re-energize yourself like take some breaks, think of the happiness you’ll get after achieving the goal of completing the program.