Capstone User Experience Project

Course Description

Design is changing fast. AI tools have accelerated parts of the process — synthesizing research, generating explorations, building prototypes. The baseline has shifted and speed is now expected through use of AI. What's grown in importance is the work AI can't do: interviewing people, exercising judgment, and knowing what to do with what you find. Those skills have always been central to the work. What's changed is the toolset.

This capstone course is your opportunity to demonstrate those skills. You will find a real-world client, run the full design process, and produce a portfolio piece that shows you can navigate the current ecosystem through research, AI-assisted exploration, and a working prototype.

Because the cost of creating prototypes has dropped, you will work in rapid cycles — generating directions, testing assumptions, and refining based on what you learn. AI tools (including Claude) are treated as primary tools alongside your existing design toolset. You will use them for research synthesis, generating explorations, and prototyping. The goal is not whether you used AI, but whether you displayed the critical design thinking you have developed throughout your coursework here.

By the conclusion of the course you will have presented your design process and produced a high-fidelity interactive prototype to add to your portfolio.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the course, you should be able to

• Demonstrate independent work, responsibility and UX project management skills
• Complete a design project from a concept to production.
• Understand how to work with clients
• Creating a website or an application that solves a real-world problem
• Utilizing design methods and strategies in a real-world problem
• Include a significant design project in their portfolio

Topics Include

• How to produce a requirements document
• How to produce design deliverables
• How to produce a website
• How to validate a website

Working knowledge of:

• UX design processes, visual design, and design implementation. Familiarity with a code editor. Basic comfort using AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, or equivalent) is helpful but not required. We will orient to the tools in Week 1.

Additional Information

Students must have three years of industry experience, or have completed all prerequisite courses listed before enrolling in the course. Students should have server space available for posting their projects.

*This course may be applied to a certificate only if you are currently declared in a program.