A four-week UX/UI course prototype designed and developed in TalentLMS, using a Course Content Map to translate an instructional plan into a structured, learner-centered online learning experience.
Challenge
The challenge was to design an introductory UX/UI learning experience for graphic design students who already understand visual design but may have little or no experience with user experience and user interface design.
Although these students have a strong foundation in design fundamentals, transitioning into UX/UI requires a different way of thinking. They must begin considering user needs, usability, interaction, and the effectiveness of digital interfaces rather than focusing exclusively on visual presentation.
The goal was to build on students' existing knowledge while gradually introducing UX/UI concepts, research methods, tools, and processes through a structured learning experience.
Target Audience
Undergraduate graphic design students with an established foundation in typography, color theory, composition, and visual hierarchy. Students are beginning their transition into UX/UI design and need opportunities to connect their existing design knowledge to user-centered thinking, interface design, usability, and prototyping.
Learning Objective
By the end of the four-week course, students will be able to apply foundational UX/UI principles, use Figma to develop interface designs and prototypes, and communicate design decisions through user-centered research, usability analysis, and practical design projects.
Course Design & Instructional Strategy
I designed the course as a four-week learning experience that progressively moves students from foundational UX/UI knowledge toward practical application.
Rather than introducing complex interface design projects immediately, the course builds on students' existing graphic design skills and gradually introduces the concepts, tools, and processes needed to approach design from a user-centered perspective.
• Week 1 — UX/UI & Figma Foundations
Students explore the differences between UX and UI, learn about usability heuristics, and develop foundational Figma skills. Guided demonstrations and instructional resources introduce the tools and concepts students will use throughout the course. The week concludes with a Landing-Page Recreation & UX Analysis assessment, where students recreate a well-designed interface and compare it with a poorly designed version.
• Week 2 — User-Centered Design, UX Research & UI Fundamentals
Students build on their foundational knowledge by exploring user-centered design, research methods, usability principles, and interface design fundamentals. Activities introduce ways to understand user needs and evaluate design decisions while continuing to develop practical Figma skills.
• Week 3 — UX Research & Design Development
Students continue developing their understanding of the UX process through research, user needs, and design planning. The learning progression moves toward translating research findings into design decisions and developing interface concepts.
• Week 4 — UI Design & Prototyping
Students bring together the concepts and skills developed throughout the course through interface design and prototyping activities. The focus shifts toward applying UX/UI principles in Figma and communicating design decisions through a completed design project.The progression was intentional: students first develop an understanding of UX/UI, then learn to evaluate and research experiences before moving toward interface development and prototyping.
Course Content Map
Before developing the course in TalentLMS, I created a Course Content Map to organize the instructional sequence, learning materials, activities, and assessments.
The map served as the planning foundation for the LMS prototype, helping me coordinate instructional videos, readings, live sessions, downloadable resources, discussions, and assignments across the four-week experience.
Week 1 was designed as a live, instructor-led class introducing students to UX/UI fundamentals and Figma. The session included instructor demonstrations of Figma, an introduction to usability heuristics, and guided exercises to help students become familiar with the platform and its tools. Supporting readings and videos reinforced the concepts, while follow-up assessments asked students to apply their knowledge by recreating and analyzing an interface.
The map also helped establish how each learning activity contributed to the larger course progression, ensuring that students had opportunities to develop foundational knowledge before moving into more complex design work.
LMS Development & Implementation
I selected TalentLMS to develop the course prototype because it offered a variety of tools for organizing and delivering online instruction without requiring extensive technical development.
I built the course environment to support instructional videos, downloadable resources, assignments, discussions, live sessions, and course navigation.
The course begins with an overview and welcome video to introduce the learning experience, establish expectations, and help students understand where to begin.
From there, the weekly learning environments organize instructional materials and activities into a structured learning path. I focused on making course expectations, resources, and assignments easy to locate so students could spend more time engaging with the content and less time figuring out how to navigate the LMS.
Learner Experience & Navigation
Throughout development, I evaluated the course from the learner's perspective, considering how easily students could locate materials, understand instructions, and move between learning activities.
I used consistent organization, clear instructions, and visual cues to help students navigate the course and identify what was expected of them.
I also considered how individual LMS features worked together. Discussions, assignments, and downloadable resources needed to function as part of a connected learning experience rather than isolated activities.
Design Considerations & Reflections
Building the prototype allowed me to evaluate TalentLMS beyond its feature list and consider how the platform actually supports the learner experience.
One challenge involved the discussion feature. Although TalentLMS supports discussions, the discussion interface is separate from the main course experience and did not provide the grading workflow I wanted. To address this, I created a follow-up assignment where students submit a screenshot of their discussion and response.
While this solution provided a way to document participation, it also introduced an additional step for learners.
I encountered a similar consideration with downloadable project files. Although TalentLMS provides a central location for course resources, those files are not always accessible directly within the assignment workflow. I addressed this by repeating instructions and incorporating visual cues to help students locate the necessary materials.
These experiences reinforced an important design consideration: having a feature available in an LMS does not automatically create an effective learner experience. The development process helped me recognize where instructional design can improve navigation, reduce friction, and compensate for platform limitations. Ultimately, effective LMS design is about how the individual components work together to create a clear and cohesive learning experience.
Deliverables
• TalentLMS course prototype
• Weekly instructional content and learning environments
• Instructional materials, activities, and assessments
Key Competencies
Instructional Design · Course Architecture · Curriculum Mapping · LMS Development · Learning Experience Design · UX/UI Education · Assessment Design · Learner-Centered Design
Tools
TalentLMS, Figma, InDesign, Camtasia
Academic Course Achievement: Completed with an A
Project Evaluation: Full Sail University
