University of Cape Town
User Experience Design
Enhance website navigation and craft an immersive user experience to captivate customers.
Start date
16 June 2025
Course duration
10 weeks
Excluding orientation
Language
English
Access resources from start date
Effort
7–10 hours per week
Self-paced learning online
Course overview
The percentage of consumers who’d stop what they’re doing if they had trouble interacting with content on a device.
Adobe (2019).
The percentage of abandoned purchase users who switched to a rival retailer’s website because it was easier to checkout, even if the product was more expensive.
Rogerwilco (2020).
Duration: 10 weeks (excluding orientation)
In today's digital landscape, ease of use is crucial to an effective digital environment. A website or application must comprehensively serve its purpose and provide customers with a seamless, user experience (UX).
The University of Cape Town (UCT) User Experience Design online short course helps you to understand how users interact with online content, enabling you to design environments that cater to their evolving needs. This course covers essential UX research and design techniques, equipping you to work with stakeholders, conduct user tests, design wireframes, and develop prototypes. Moreover, you'll examine current trends in the field and create a professional roadmap for yourself to leverage your newly acquired skills to launch a career in UX.
Is this course for you?
This course is ideal for those wishing to enhance their understanding of online user behaviour and gain the tools to improve website or app usability. It's suitable for professionals who need practical and transferable UX design skills to enhance their current role's performance or prepare for future career growth. Additionally, it's suitable for individuals in design, digital marketing, product ownership, or web development roles who wish to broaden their knowledge and validate their existing expertise. This course does not require any prior technical coding knowledge.
Course overview
Introduction
Duration: 10 weeks (excluding orientation)
In today's digital landscape, ease of use is crucial to an effective digital environment. A website or application must comprehensively serve its purpose and provide customers with a seamless, user experience (UX).
The University of Cape Town (UCT) User Experience Design online short course helps you to understand how users interact with online content, enabling you to design environments that cater to their evolving needs. This course covers essential UX research and design techniques, equipping you to work with stakeholders, conduct user tests, design wireframes, and develop prototypes. Moreover, you'll examine current trends in the field and create a professional roadmap for yourself to leverage your newly acquired skills to launch a career in UX.
Is this course for you?
This course is ideal for those wishing to enhance their understanding of online user behaviour and gain the tools to improve website or app usability. It's suitable for professionals who need practical and transferable UX design skills to enhance their current role's performance or prepare for future career growth. Additionally, it's suitable for individuals in design, digital marketing, product ownership, or web development roles who wish to broaden their knowledge and validate their existing expertise. This course does not require any prior technical coding knowledge.
Get this course for your team
Leading organisations recognise the value of this course and invest in it to enhance their employees' skills and expertise.
What will set you apart
A 12-month personal development road map that outlines your growth as a UX design practitioner.
The ability to analyse a website brief and make aesthetic and functional design recommendations for an enhanced user experience.
The skills to design paper and click-through prototypes, and run tests with user analysis samples.
An understanding of how to work effectively with project stakeholders to achieve design goals.Course curriculum
Orientation module
Welcome to your Online Campus
Module 1
Introduction to user experience design
Module 2
Building a product-use context
Module 3
Outcomes and stakeholder management
Module 4
Research and evidence gathering
Module 5
Evaluation, alignment, and reporting
Module 6
The aesthetics of user experience
Module 7
Wireframing
Module 8
Prototyping
Module 9
Presentation and delivery of a UX study
Module 10
A brave new world: UX in practice
What past students
think
Marcus Filler
Past Student
Online learning was flexible and accessible. The most fun aspect was the discussion forum; it was fantastic and I loved sharing with my fellow classmates. Do not underestimate the value of doing a short course. The feeling of achievement when you complete each assignment is fantastic.
Course Convenor
Dr Adheesh Budree
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Commerce, UCT
About the certificate
Enhance your understanding of user experience design and earn an official certificate of completion from the University of Cape Town.
Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with a digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the course handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the course.
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Why choose GetSmarter?
GetSmarter operates as edX's partner for premium online short course products from the world's leading universities and institutions. With edX, we leverage our people, technology, and resources to power your education and your potential.
We deliver market-led courses that equip working professionals with the expertise required to upskill, reskill or kickstart a completely new career. Through a data-driven approach, we analyze future skills requirements and ensure all courses address this need. We ensure that leading universities and institutions are your expert guides and our people, technology, and resources are your engine – together we power more than just education, we power your potential.
Read more about GetSmarter here and edX here.
Find out more about GetSmarter’s approach to digital learning, course design, and online delivery here.
Payment options
You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter. For courses 10 weeks and longer, there is a three-part payment plan available. To find out more about payment options please visit our Payment and Financing page, or contact an Enrollment Adviser, to find out which option you qualify for.
Manage your time
GetSmarter's learning model is designed to help you, as a working professional, improve your skills without compromising on work and family responsibilities. The course work is broken up into weekly, manageable bite-sized modules, with incremental deadlines, designed to help you pace yourself over the duration of the course and allow you the legroom to work when it suits you best.
At the beginning of each module you'll be presented with the course content and assignments necessary for completion. You also have access to your Success Adviser who will help you manage your time, and support you with any administrative or technical queries you might have.
Seek employer assistance
By improving your skills and industry knowledge, you'll have an influence on the success of your organization. Why wouldn't you ask your boss to help you fund your studies if it's going to have an impact on the way you do business?
Of our past students, 37 percent have received financial assistance from their employers. You can ask for help, too. Here is a guide to show you how to request financial assistance from your employer.
If you are a Learning & Development (L&D) manager, or involved in training and upskilling for an organization, you can request information regarding our corporate offering on our GetSmarter for business page.
How to change your start date
As part of our commitment to your professional development, GetSmarter offers you a two-week period to change your course start date or request your money back if you’re not fully satisfied.
To qualify for a deferral of your course start date, or to cancel your enrollment and receive a refund of your course fee, your request would need to reach our Success Advisers before the release of Module 2. For more information, please read our Terms and Conditions.
Discover the Online Campus
The Online Campus will be your virtual classroom for the duration of your course. Through its easy-to-use interface you'll have access to a diverse variety of course content formats including: interactive videos, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and additional web resources.
On the Online Campus, you'll also be able to ask questions and interact with your fellow students and teaching team through the discussion forums. If you are looking for your Online Campus login, please visit your Account page here.
Financing options
We've recently partnered with financial services firm, FeverTree, to offer you another convenient way to finance your short course education. Find out how you can apply for a short-term loan below.
How do I apply?
- You have the option of applying for a full course-cost loan agreement with FeverTree (South African citizens and short courses only)
- FeverTree works with GetSmarter to ensure your studies are financed right away, giving you the chance to join the soonest presentation
- You can find out if you pre-qualify in seconds. Send an SMS with your “Name*Surname*ID Number*Gross Salary” to 30082
- FeverTree’s application process is simple and quick – expect a 15-minute turnaround to find out if you’ve been successful with your loan application
- Even if you aren’t successful in your FeverTree application, you’ll still be eligible for the payment plan options with GetSmarter
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