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UI/UX Design: Research and Information Architecture

PremiumIntermediateCourse

Gain UX/UI design skills with hands-on experience in UX research and information architecture (IA). Conduct user research, create personas, design IA, and complete a portfolio-ready project.

Language

  • English

Topic

  • UI/UX Design

Skills You Will Learn

  • Information Architecture, Product Strategy, UI/UX Strategy, Usability Testing, User Interface And User Experience (UI/UX) Design, UX Research

Offered By

  • IBMSkillsNetwork

Estimated Effort

  • 10 hours

Platform

  • SkillsNetwork

Last Update

  • February 6, 2026
About this Course
Gain job-ready UX/UI skills with hands-on experience in UX research and information architecture (IA). 

This course equips aspiring designers and web developers with in-demand skills to create user-centered digital products. 

You’ll build a strong foundation in UX research and learn how it integrates into the product lifecycle. Explore methods for conducting user interviews and surveys using tools like Google Docs and Forms,  and turn research data into insights with affinity mapping. Analyze findings to develop user personas and use a prioritization matrix to translate user needs into actionable features. 

Dive into IA, a key element for efficient navigation and content organization, applying card sorting and tree testing techniques. Finally, bring your skills together in a real-world-inspired project that demonstrates your ability to implement UX research and IA, perfect for showcasing in your portfolio or interviews. 

Learning Objectives 

• Build hands-on experience in UX research and information architecture (IA) to feature in your portfolio and interviews. 
• Learn UX research fundamentals, methods, and their role in the product development process. 
• Create user personas using affinity mapping and priority matrices for new features. 
• Develop effective IA with card sorting and tree testing to enhance navigation and usability. 

Course Syllabus

Welcome to the Course 
  • Video: Course Introduction 
  • Reading: Course Overview 
  • Ungraded Pugin: Helpful Tips for Course Completion 
Module 1: Foundations of UX Research 
  • Learning Objectives 
Understanding UX Research 
  • Video: What is UX Research?  
  • Reading: How UX Insights Improve Business Outcomes 
  • Video: UX Research vs. UX Design 
  • Reading: Types of Research Methods in UX Design 
  • Activity: When and Why to Conduct UX Research 
  • Reading: Timing UX Research in Product Development 
  • Lab: Getting Started with Miro 
  • Lab: Mapping Methods to UX Design Stages 
  • Practice Assignment: Understanding UX Research 
Research Methods in Practice 
  • Video: Conducting Effective User Interviews 
  • Video: Designing Surveys with Google Forms 
  • Lab: Design a Survey Using Google Forms 
  • Video: Observational Studies & Field Research 
  • Reading: Writing Research Goals and Hypotheses 
  • Reading: Field Study Best Practices 
  • Practice Assignment: Research Methods in Practice  
Summary and Assessment 
  • Module Summary: Foundations of UX Research 
  • Graded Quiz: Foundations of UX Research 
Module 2: From Research to Insights 
  • Learning Objectives 
Synthesizing Research Data 
  • Video: Analyzing Open-Ended Survey Responses 
  • Video: Affinity Mapping 
  • Reading: Affinity Mapping Versus Theming 
  • Lab: Getting started with Figma 
  • Lab: Affinity Mapping Using FigJam 
  • Video: Creating Personas from Real Data 
  • Reading: Basics of Persona Creation 
  • Practice Quiz: Synthesizing Research Data  
From User Needs to Design Direction 
  • Video: Turning Research Into Features 
  • Video: Mapping User Needs to Product Strategy 
  • Reading: Feature Prioritization Matrix 
  • Video: Presenting UX Findings to Teams 
  • Reading: Writing Insight-Driven UX Recommendations 
  • Lab: Affinity to Action: Prioritizing Features 
  • Practice Assigment: From User Needs to Design Direction 
Summary and Assessment 
  • Module Summary: From Research to Insights 
  • Graded Quiz: From Research to Insights 
Module 3: Designing Information Architecture 
  • Learning Objectives  
Organizing Content and Navigation 
  • Video: What is Information Architecture? 
  • Video: Flat versus Hierarchical Structures 
  • Reading: Common IA Mistakes and Mental Models in IA Design 
  • Video: Card Sorting in Information Architecture 
  • Reading: Navigation Patterns in Modern Apps 
  • Lab: Sorting the Menu Using a Card Sorting Technique 
  • Lab: Building a Preliminary Sitemap 
  • Practice Assignment: Organizing Content and Navigation  
Testing and Finalizing IA 
  • Video: How to Build a Sitemap 
  • Video: Tree Testing Navigation 
  • Reading: Analyzing Tree Testing Results: Step-by-Step 
  • Lab: Validating Sitemap Using Tree Testing 
  • Video: Real-World IA Redesign Example: Travel Booking Website 
  • Reading: How to Label Navigation for Clarity and Consistency 
  • Lab: Refining BlossomRoot a Flower & Plant Store Sitemap 
  • Practice Assignment: Testing and Finalizing IA  
Summary and Assessment 
  • Module Summary: Designing Information Architecture 
  • Graded Quiz: Designing Information Architecture  
Module 4: Assessment and Final Project 
  • Learning Objectives 
Final Project/Course Summary and Final Quiz 
  • Reading: Project Overview 
  • Final Project: Redesign UX Research Driven Travel Planning Application 
  • Final Submission and Evaluation  
Final Assessment and Course Wrap-Up  
  • Video: Course Wrap-Up 
  • Course Glossary: UX Research and Information Architecture 
  • Final Exam: UX Research and Information Architecture 
  • Reading: Congratulations and Next Steps 
  • Reading: Team and Acknowledgments

General Information

This platform works best with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari. 

Recommended Skills Prior to Taking this Course

No college degree or programming experience is required. Having basic computer literacy and a background in designing is advantageous.