The Courses

WORKING IN THE UX SPACE – UX 360 (formally UX 460)

What will you learn from this course?

UX 360 introduces you to professional ethnography, and the diverse applications of ethnography in both public and private sectors. We will explore the relationship between usability testing, design thinking, and ethnographic inquiry.

 What critical skills will you build?

By deepening your knowledge of the applications of ethnography, this course prepares you to persuasively make the case for the value of ethnography to clients and employers for varied purposes.

 How will you build those skills?

You will develop your understanding of the power of ethnographic inquiry by engaging in practical exercises that build on your own experience as a consumer, combined with readings and reflections on examples of the work of professional ethnographers that add depth and perspective. You will test your learning by making the case for ethnography to co-participants in the course.

Ethical User Research– UX 361(formally 461)

What will you learn from this course?

UX 361 introduces you to the complex ethical issues that surround the professional practice of ethnography. Ethnography is a high touch craft, requiring significant and often extended interactions with “human subjects.” In this course you will learn how to manage high touch interactive research with your fellow humans in an ethical manner.

What critical skills will you build?

You will develop and articulate a personal vision of the ethical practice of ethnography to guide your professional work in the future. 

How will you build those skills?

You will develop your personal ethical vision by completing Certification via Boise State’s Office of Research Compliance; critically comparing existing ethical codes and extracting fundamental, shared principles; and exploring the complexities of applying ethical principles in actual research contexts. You will challenge your thinking by comparing your ethical responses to case studies with those of other participants in the course.

Asking and Listening – UX 362 (formally UX 462)

What will you learn from this course?

Conducting effective qualitative interviews in the ethnographic tradition is challenging. In UX 362, you will learn why planning carefully in advance is necessary, even though things rarely go according to plan, and why defining a purpose is important, even though key insights are often emergent and unexpected. You will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of interviews utilized by ethnographers. 

What critical skills will you build?

You will develop your ability to successfully meet the challenge of conducting successful, ethical qualitative interviews, a core practice in user research and professional design ethnography.

 How will you build those skills?

You will explore the powers and limits of ethnographic interviews by planning, conducting, and reporting the results of two interview exercises. You will address ethical implications and questions of method. You will evaluate your effectiveness by extracting design insights to share with other participants in the course.

Contextual Inquiry – UX 363 (formally UX 463)

What will you learn from this course?

The tradition of participant observation defines the very heart of anthropological ethnography. In UX 363, you will explore the restructuring of traditional participant observation as contextual inquiry. This accelerates the research process to generate insights that can inform specific design problems in a timely manner. You will learn to plan in advance but be prepared to revise, and evaluate the uses of varied observational techniques.

 What critical skills will you build?

You will develop your ability to successfully meet the challenge of conducting successful, ethical contextual inquiry, a core practice in user research and professional design ethnography.

 How will you build those skills?

You will explore the powers and limits of contextual inquiry by planning and conducting two observational exercises. You will address ethical implications and questions of method. You will evaluate your effectiveness by extracting design insights to share with other participants in the course.

Design Thinking for Better UX – UX 364 (formally UX 465)

What will you learn from this course?

Developments in design thinking fundamentally restructure professional ethnography even as they increase the role of methods originating in ethnographic research. UX 364 introduces you to the dynamic, plural, overlapping worlds of design thinking, from human centered design to participatory design. You will explore the relation between ethnography and core design concepts such as rapid prototyping through iterative cycles, empathy maps and design personas, story mapping and customer journeys, touch-points and channels, pain points and unmet needs, and more!

 What critical skills will you build?

You will develop your ability to practice ethnography informed by design thinking, and to conduct ethnographic research that speaks to the needs of designers. This course will change the way you think about ethnographic inquiry.

 How will you build those skills?

You will collaborate with other participants in the course to develop your knowledge of core design concepts and practices, and work with partners to conduct user research that informs design problems. You will construct personas, and story map a customer journey.

Go Deeper with Theory – UX 365 (formally UX 467)

What will you learn from this course?

Design anthropologists agree unanimously: design ethnography goes deeper with theory. UX 365 will introduce you to key current, tested approaches in scientific anthropology, ranging from social networks to pathways of cooperation, and a new approach known as Behavior Centered Design.

 What critical skills will you build?

You will learn the critical role that theoretical concepts play in generating insights from ethnographic research.

 How will you build those skills?

In UX 365 you will reexamine exercises from earlier Certificate courses, and explore new exercises, going “deeper with theory” by applying concepts from current scientific anthropology to rethink your insights. You will share your work with and gain insights from other participants in the course.

Communicating User Research – UX 366 (formally 468)

What will you learn from this course?

Every advertisement for jobs in design ethnography stresses the critical importance of communication. You need to master communicating in multiple media to diverse audiences in a concise and accessible manner. The goal of this course is to expand and refine your communication skills, and introduce the concept of universal accessibility.

 What critical skills will you build?

You will develop your ability to communicate projects typical of design ethnography effectively and accessibly using multiple media.

How will you build those skills?

Each module explores a different communicative challenge, focusing on a particular design ethnography project utilizing specific media. You will collaborate in developing resources, and share your work with and gain insights from other participants in the course.

Just Enough Research– UX 367 (formally UX 464)

What will you learn from this course?

UX 364 introduces you to three core challenges in design ethnography: (1) identifying problems that are appropriately studied using ethnographic methods; (2) reducing complex design problems to focused questions that can be answered in a reasonable amount of time; and (3) selecting specific ethnographic methods that are well suited to particular design problems.

What critical skills will you build?

You will develop your ability to successfully identify design problems appropriate to ethnographic inquiry, and to successfully apply ethnographic methods well suited to delivering timely, focused results.

How will you build those skills?

You will practice matching methods to problems by planning and conducting two exercises in rapid ethnography. You will address ethical implications and questions of method. You will evaluate your effectiveness by extracting design insights to share with other participants in the course.

Plan a Productive Capstone – UX 368 (formally UX 466)

What will you learn from this course?

UX 466 introduces you to the full planning process necessary to conduct a successful ethnographic research project, from gaining ethical and stakeholder approval to gathering data and reporting results. It takes you through all the steps needed to develop and complete your individual Capstone project in UX 469.

What critical skills will you build?

You cannot work professionally unless you know how to propose, conceptualize, conduct, and report the findings of ethnographic research. You will learn how to do that in this course.

How will you build those skills?

You will work through the process of developing your proposal step by step, from identifying your stakeholder to preparing your design brief, receiving feedback from other participants in the course.

User Experience Research Capstone – UX 469

What will you learn from this course?

The Capstone project presents you with an opportunity to demonstrate your competence as a design ethnographer by proposing, conducting, and reporting the results of an individual project in design ethnography. Check out past projects from our alumni.

What critical skills will you build?

UX 469 develops your ability to propose, plan, and conduct ethnographic research that delivers actionable insights to stakeholders in a professional, ethical, and timely manner.

How will you build those skills?

You will begin by gaining approval for your proposal from the Boise State Office of Research Compliance and an external stakeholder who will host your project. You will then conduct three weeks of qualitative ethnographic research, applying methods that are appropriate to the problem you have defined. On a tight timetable, you will deliver a report of your findings to your stakeholder. You will share your frustrations and triumphs with other participants in the course, and work with a professional mentor to conclude your project successfully, and refine your professional social media profile.

Check out past projects from our alumni.