REVIEW OF THE INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION (IxDF)
About two and a half years ago, after practicing UX design for years, I was so excited in that I could solve some problems using design. In my quest to solve more problems, gain more knowledge to upskill my career as a professional UX designer, I started searching the internet to read articles on UX design and processes. Luckily, I stumbled on an article by Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) that gave me a deep insight into solving complex design problems. This aroused my interest about IxDF. From then, each time I did a search, about a topic, I had to add “Interaction Design Foundation” to rout the search results through IxDF articles. The more I did that, the more I discovered great and valuable articles. I said to myself, “Wow! I have seen a great place to expand my UX design knowledge”. I researched more about IxDF and found Rikke Friis Dam and sent an email to her for directions on how to become a member. She responded timely with clear roadmap to register with IxDF and the benefits I will get. That is how I got registered and became a member and sincerely, I have not regretted it at all.
Who is Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF)?
IxDF is a non-profit educational design institution based in Denmark. It was founded in 2002 by Mads Soegaard and Rikke Friis Dam, with its executive board made up of great names in the design industry including Don Norman (the grandfather of UX). One of the main goals of IxDF is to embed UX education with open-source hands-on courses taught by very experienced practitioners and university professors.
What IxDF Offers
IxDF offers a great number of articles free of charge for everyone. It also offers over thirty (30) courses with certificates to registered members at no extra cost. Once the cheap registration/membership fee is paid, you are qualified to take all the professional courses and get the course certificates at the end of each of them. Apart from the free articles and courses, IxDF has an encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction — a top-notch resource for UX designers written by a team of experienced design practitioners and professors. In addition to the above, there are also quality master classes (online webinars) taught by great tutors with brty subsidised rate — starting from $1. I must say, “this is amazing”. Nevertheless, design bootcamps are also available in IxDF.
IxDF Career Path
The over 30 IxDF courses are subdivided into ten (10) career paths. As a member, you have the freedom to choose your career path. But trust me, once you start, you will be eager to take all the courses 😊. Each career path has courses from foundation to beginner, to intermediate, to Advance level. The different paths are listed below:
1. UX Designer
2. Interaction Designer
3. Visual Designer
4. Usability Expert
5. UI Designer
6. Front-end Developer
7. Product Manager
8. Marketer
9. User Researcher
10. Executive
Courses are grouped into the above career paths for progressive learning.
Course Structures
Courses in IxDF are self-paced. The contents are structured in a very orderly and progressive manner with sections and subsections. Both text-based and video-based lessons are used to help course takers to switch their brains and learn in different ways.
Course Grades
IxDF grading/evaluation system combines both multiple choice (objective) questions whose answers are graded instantly and automatically, and subjective questions that need descriptive answers, in which boxes are provided to help the course taker describe the answers in his/her own understanding. These descriptive answers are graded within two weeks by the course instructor. The lessons with gradable answers are called mandatory lessons. There are also optional lessons — not graded — which are also worth reading for more knowledge and understanding of the course.
Course Instructors
IxDF course instructors are top notch and the best-in-class experts in their different fields. These men/women are authorities in their subjects with the will power to inculcate real knowledge to the course takers using the wealth of knowledge they got from their many years practice in the different design disciplines.
Course/Course Topics Availability Notification
IxDF has a system of reminding course takers through their mails, the availabilities of courses after registration. This system sends reminders with very encouraging and motivational words to let you know you are making progress in any course you started.
IxDF Community
The global community of IxDF is where professionals all over the world discuss. This gives even the beginners the opportunities to meet their most senior colleagues for discussions and help.
IxDF Local Meet-ups
Apart from the global community, IxDF also gives the flexibility for professionals to meet within their locality, know themselves and share design problems and ideas. This forms a very good bonding between professional designers.
Practical Templates Downloads
IxDF courses are not just theoretical. Almost all the courses are provided with practical templates that will help the learner to practice what he/she has learnt. This hands-on experience gives confidence to the course taker to do the right thing in his/her job environment.
Course Certificate
IxDF does not stop at offering real knowledge to course takers. It issues industry-recognised certificates to course takers once the score of 70% is attained. These certificates are listed in the course taker’s profile and can be verifiably linked to LinkedIn.
Distinction Batches
To encourage course takers, IxDF also offer distinction batches to top performers in any course. These include “Top 10 Course Taker”, “Best in Class”, “Assiduous Learner Award”, “Certified Course Completer”, “Community Influence”, “Local Group Member”, “Outstanding Learner Award”, “Distinguished Scholar” batches, and many others. These awards and distinctions have a way of motivating one to be a top learner 😊. It keeps one aiming high to get the next higher award/distinction.
Course Score Progress Bare
Another energizer and motivator is the course progress bar at the top part of every course platform. This bar keeps one informed of the current progress made in any given course.
Course Ranking System
IxDF has a ranking system for individual countries, continents, and the world. This is situated at the top left-hand-side of the course page. Believe me, this ranking always drives the course taker’s passion to study well, answer the questions correctly to be the number one (#1) both in his/her country, continent, and the world.
Referral Bonus
There is flexibility to extend your membership expiry periods by months if you successfully refer/introduce others to register with IxDF. These additional periods are not only for the referrer, but the referee also gets double extended periods of the referrer.
Who should sign up and take IxDF Course
I strongly advise all those interested in building their careers as UX Designers, Interaction Designers, Visual Designers, Usability Experts, UI Designers, Front-end Developers, Product Managers, Marketers, User Researchers, Business Executives, etc. to register, learn and get the educational value from IxDF to stand out in their different disciplines.
In conclusion, I say “IxDF gives real meaning and professionalism to your design career”. Sign up today at www.interaction-design.org and enjoy the enormous knowledge benefits. You may also use my link, www.interaction-design.org/aniekan-okon-udo for an extra two months to be added to your registration period.
Cheers.
Aniekan Okon Udo
