Last Updated on July 1, 2015

After reading The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman, I remember thinking to myself, “I probably learned more from this book than I learned from a majority of classes I took in graduate school.” This wasn’t the best feeling in the face of my $60,000+ graduate school loans!

My loans feel less painful though if they mean I can help others avoid student loan debt. This is why I’m thrilled to announce Udacity’s production of Design 101: The Design of Everyday Things. This series of courses is taught by Don Norman, Kristian Simsarian, and myself, and I’m confident will help current and potential designers be successful in their careers. Oh, and the best part….the class is offered to students for free! An equivalent course at a university would probably cost $5,000 or more.

Design 101: The Design of Everyday Things is based upon the new edition of The Design of Everyday Things (revised and expanded: to be published in Fall 2013). The material is been divided into three or four short courses (the exact number to be determined), each of which can be taken independently, offering students considerable flexibility. The components provide the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to understand the role of design in today’s world. We use lively videos, assign hands-on exercises, and provide an interactive discussion forum to aid in exploring principles of interaction design, human cognition and emotion, and how to become a design thinker and even a design doer.

What kind of design? Any design that focuses upon the interaction of people with technology: the fundamental principles are the same for software interaction and hardware, interaction design, experience design, and industrial design.

We also cover in these courses the relationship between design and business, and incorporate career discussions and advice from successful designers across diverse industries.

Design 101: The Design of Everyday Things will be an insightful track for those at all stages of their design careers, but I especially recommend it for those deciding if a career in design is the right path. Lots of designers are self taught these days; the series could provide you with enough information to get started in your design career without spending $60,000+ on a formal degree program.

Every opportunity I’ve had in my career has been a result of a referral from someone in my network. By taking Design 101: The Design of Everyday Things, you’ll also gain a vibrant network of others who are at diverse points in their design careers. We expect you’ll learn just as much from the course community as you will from us!

Check out the overview page for more information and to sign up for the courses, which are tentatively scheduled to start this fall: https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-the-design-of-everyday-things–design101.

See you in class soon!

Chelsey Glasson

Course Developer, The Design of Everyday Things