May Final Presentation
Project-Based Programming 2023 semester
What I worked on this month:
In May, I spent a total of 21 hours and 52 minutes working.
This semester, I spent a total of 76 hours and 29 minutes (3 days, 4 hours, and 29 minutes) working towards my main goal.
What I worked on this semester:
What were my goals for this semester?
My main goal was to earn the Google User Experience (UX) Design Certification by completing the Google UXD Course via Coursera.
This course is designed to take almost an entire year to complete in its entirety.
What were some challenges I faced?
I did not enroll in Project-Based Programming until mid to late January. As a result of this, I only had 4 months to work on the course, as opposed to most of my classmates, who had all 9½ months of school to work on their projects. As such, the main challenge I faced was time.
Some other challenges I faced:
Did I reach all my goals for the semester?
In short, no.
My original semester goals were as follows:
However, there’s more to it than just that.
I did complete the last 2 goals, which were to experiment with Blender (free, open-source 3D modeling and multimedia program) and RenPy (free game engine used to create visual novel games, it uses Python).
It’s also not like I didn’t do anything for the Google UX Design course. In fact, I did around 95% of the work for it. However, one can only earn the certification if they complete all the graded activities, the majority of which involve posting your work for others to view and peer reviewing others’ work.
What I did were all the video assignments, reading assignments, and ungraded activities. A few of the Weeks in the courses had a timed test as their graded activity, and I completed those as well.
Regretfully, though, due to my time constraints and personal circumstances, I was unable to complete all the peer review activities to earn the certification, which is why I did not reach my main goal, despite getting extremely close.
Although I did not reach my main goal, I did learn how to use 2 new programs that, currently, are prevalent in the UX industry.
Here is a screenshot from a wireframe I made in one of the programs I learned to use, Figma.
Here is a screenshot from a wireframe and low-fidelity prototype I was working on in Adobe XD.
What is a wireframe?
A wireframe is an image or set of images which displays the functional elements of a website or page, typically used for planning a site's structure and functionality. The typical process for creating wireframes is to start on paper, making quick sketches of the layout of a webpage with minimal detail, and then copy those paper wireframes onto a program like Figma (subscription-based web app, no download needed) or Adobe XD (subscription-based application). Once you finish your digital wireframe, the next step is to connect those frames and make them interactive in a low-fidelity prototype.
What is a Low-Fidelity (Lo-Fi) Prototype?
Low-fidelity (lo-fi) prototyping is a quick and easy way to translate high-level design concepts into tangible and testable artifacts. The first and most important role of lo-fi prototypes is to check and test functionality rather than the visual appearance of the product. The process of prototyping involves using an app like Figma or Adobe XD to create interactive buttons and gestures that will connect the screens of the wireframe. The end result will provide an experience similar to that of interacting with any website one can think of, just with minimal detail and color.
All in all, I think that taking the UX Design Course was a good decision. It was fun, interesting, and relevant to what I want to do. I think that, if I’d had a little more time, I absolutely could’ve earned the certification.
I definitely plan to complete the course’s graded assignments and earn the certification when I have more time.
Thank you.