FACULTY of ARTS and SCIENCE
Digital Experience Design Minor
If you are fascinated by the ways people act and interact with the digital world—and you would like to play a role in enhancing those interactions—consider a minor in digital experience design.
In this minor, you are introduced to user design issues, theories and methods through foundational courses and electives. By learning to identify, understand and address the gaps in the ways clients use digital products, such as websites, apps, video games and wearable interfaces, you find a way to put the user's experience first.
You do not need to know how to draw or to have a background in fine art for digital experience design (DXD). DXD is a multi-disciplinary field, and digital experience designers come from a variety of disciplines, such as design, business, social science, computer science and communication.
What to expect
A balance of practice-based, hands-on, research and theory-driven courses prepare you to solve problems and find digital solutions to improve people’s lives. You learn to understand and identify client problems, recognize user needs and translate these into wireframes, prototypes and visual interfaces. You apply the processes and techniques you learn to create digital products using the latest industry tools and best practices.
Job-ready skills
There is a considerable need for digital experience designers to work with computer scientists and engineers to create more user-friendly digital products. There has been a significant gap in the Alberta digital industry for more than 15 years as our world becomes increasingly mediated by digital experiences.
Digital experience designers have a variety of career options:
- User experience designer
- Interaction designer
- User interface designer
- Web designer
- Product manager
- Information architect
- Service designer
The Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) hosts detailed occupational profiles, salary survey data, trend reports and assessment tools to help you choose and plan a career that matches your skills and interests.
FEATURE COURSE
Students interested in taking a DXD minor are required to take DESN 242: Introduction to Digital Experience Design for Non-Designers, which is offered in the Spring and Fall terms each year. If you want to take a minor in DXD, you need to take or enrol in DESN 242 by the Winter term of the year you wish to declare your minor.
DESN 242 Introduction to Digital Experience Design for Non-Designers
Academic advisors in the Faculty of Arts and Science have prepared resources to help you understand how your major/minor fits within overall degree coursework. Consult the academic planning information to choose and enrol in courses and complete the major/minor declaration process.