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LEADING THE WAY IN UX DESIGN Classes on human-centered design and user experience prepare CCAD students for jobs of the future.
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s the service economy demands a more skilled workforce, employers are searching for individuals who understand human interaction and can push problem-solving past the user interface—how a user interacts with a product, typically through an app or website—to improve the overall user experience (UX) and create design solutions that extend beyond digital platforms. Columbus College of Art & Design is answering that call by expanding its curriculum to train students to use the powers of creativity, human understanding and visual design to engineer new or improved services. Before coming to CCAD, alum Bona Park didn’t know a lot about UX design. But after taking the course “UX Strategy Interaction” with adjunct professor Tim Frank, the advertising and graphic design major was hooked. The class’s first project was redesigning the mobile app for Bird, the electric scooter and bike company. “When I first started that project, it was really fascinating, because the [design process] itself was very data-driven. Graphic design is more about the outcome and how it looks for the viewer.
But UX design requires a lot of testing, like usability testing, and a lot of ideating and problem-solving,” says Park. “And that’s where I was very interested. It was fun to solve problems for the user and then incorporate that into my design.” Jordan Bell, assistant director of career services at CCAD, says the college is seeing an increased number of requests from companies seeking UX design talent—and Park’s experience is common among students. Because UX design isn’t taught at the high school level, it’s not a subject most students are familiar with before enrolling. “I like when students do an internship in UX design,” he says. “They come back to campus, present their experience to their peers, and I see all the light bulbs going off among other students like, ‘Wow, this is really cool, and I now want to explore UX.’” Bell says user interface design has always been part of the CCAD curriculum, but the college is now expanding that curriculum to include humancentered UX design as the demand for talent increases across industries. It’s part of the reason Tamara Peyton was brought on as an associate professor in August. Peyton worked in UX design for
▲ CCAD students collaborate on building human-centered design frameworks. Photo by Ty Wright
11 years—“before we even called it that,” she says—and is now developing a new Master of Professional Studies program in user experience design. “Our curriculum will be co-created by leading industry experts and offer realworld experiences, network connections and mentorship. We’re teaching in-demand skills that you can apply and use in a business setting,” Peyton says. “What employers are looking for is people who are better at working in collaborative teams and who understand that creativity isn’t just about art; it’s also about problem-solving.” The Master of Professional Studies program in user experience design will begin accepting students in fall 2023. “Expanding CCAD’s presence in this space—working with people from Columbus and Ohio in general, to ensure that our curriculum meets the need for UX talent—creates new areas for CCAD graduates to really make a difference,” Peyton says.
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