Case Study: Web Standards Project InterACT

Online User Research Course Design

A Usability II course that combines theory and practical application of user research/testing and related concepts. Manageable parts that build on each other.

The Work

Course design for WaSP InterAct Curriculum. We developed a Usability II course that combines the theory and practical application of user research/testing and related concepts. The course is made up of manageable parts that build on each other so that the student is always encouraged. The progress-tests and scoring  help the students and their teachers keep track of the fieldwork and theoretical parts of the course as well as being good markers of progress.
Any school can use the open source course to teach students about user research and anyone can use it to teach themselves

The Client Perspective

Kate’s passion for user experience design is matched by her voluminous knowledge of the subject. As the lead on the InterACT curriculum for The Web Standards Project, I worked closely with Kate as she co-authored a course on user research. The course she created is well crafted, and reflective of the best practices in the field. Kate is someone you can count on to solve problems thoughtfully and in a timely manner.

– Aarron Walter, Former InterACT Curriculum Lead, Director of User Experience at MailChimp

The Collaborator Perspective

“In 2010, I had the pleasure of working with Kate Cadwell in developing a course for WaSP InterAct Curriculum, which is a non-profit entity specializing in connecting educational and industry. Our goal was to develop a Usability II course that takes into consideration the theory and practical application of user testing/concepts in industry. Kate’s experience and depth of knowledge in user experience was critical in helping to establish the curriculum. She provided insight to resources that would be applicable to this course, as well as leveraging both her industry experience and theory to establish student activities that are attainable and reflective. Our collaboration on this project was bi-weekly communications that involved discussing the flow of the course, developing assignments and establishing rubrics for each assignment. I welcome the opportunity to work with Kate again.”

– Dara Solomon, PRC, Managing Partner, User Experience, Satori Consulting Inc.