Psychology of Interaction Design: The Ultimate Guide

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How This Course Will Help Your Career

What You’ll Learn

A deep, cognitive understanding of the human behind the term “user,” including the user’s memory and decision-making and problem-solving skills
How to understand what the user sees when confronted by your product
How to identify potential pitfalls in your design before any of them become a problem for your users
How to elevate your design above those of your competitors by creating user-centered products, virtually free from frustrating elements
How to design products that provide satisfying user experience and, in turn, increase sales

A deep understanding of human psychology is essential for all designers when creating a user-centered product with great user experience. While many individual differences will never cease to exist between users, we are united by our shared psychology; the constraints and abilities of the human mind are much the same for all of us. Developing an understanding of these cognitive limitations and capabilities is the key to interaction design and a great user experience. Without an awareness of how we interact with things in the real and virtual worlds, you’ll find that your designs will fall short of their potential.

This course will equip you with the knowledge to relate to your users psychologically, thus allowing you to create stand-out products. Through learning about different aspects of human cognition—and how they relate to interaction design—you will find yourself much better equipped to put yourself in your users’ shoes, shifting their thoughts to the forefront and keeping a firm hold of them there when designing your next creation.

Gain an Industry-Recognized UX Course Certificate

Use your industry-recognized Course Certificate on your resume, CV, LinkedIn profile or your website.

Our courses and Course Certificates are trusted by these industry leaders:

Our clients: IBM, HP, Adobe, GE, Accenture, Allianz, Phillips, Deezer, Capgemin, Mcafee, SAP, Telenor, Cigna, British Parliament, State of New York

Is This Course Right for You?

This is an advanced-level course; even so, it is recommended for both newcomers to design and seasoned professionals alike:

UX, UI, and web designers keen on applying knowledge in psychology so as to create interactive designs that are satisfying to use
Software engineers interested in gaining a deep understanding of human cognition and interaction design
Entrepreneurs who want to ship products that are user-centered and free from flaws that might blight their competitors’ products
Newcomers to design who are considering making a switch to UX or interaction design

Courses in the Interaction Design Foundation are designed to contain comprehensive, evidence-based content, while ensuring that the learning curve is never too steep. All participants will have the opportunity to share ideas, seek help with tests, and enjoy the social aspects afforded by our open and friendly forum.

Learn and Work with a Global Team of Designers

You'll join a global community and work together to improve your skills and career opportunities. Connect with helpful peers and make friends with like-minded individual as you push deeper into the exciting and booming industry of design.

Practical Info

Price: Free for Members

Take as many courses as you want for a flat fee.
Self-Paced Online Course with No Deadlines

Never miss a class or a deadline.
Permanent Access to Course Material

Access your course material for the entire duration of your membership.
Online Lessons with Optional Meet-Ups

Take your online courses from anywhere. Join optional meet-ups in your city.
30 hours 29 mins over 11 weeks (Estimated)

No time limit to finish a course, take as much time as you need.
Grading by Experts, Not Machines

Experts grade your answers—that's why our Course Certificates are credible.
Learn on Any Device

Learn at the office, on your sofa and on the go.

Lessons in This Course

Each week, one lesson becomes available.
There's no time limit to finish a course. Lessons have no deadlines.
Estimated learning time: 30 hours 29 mins spread over 11 weeks .

Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 48 mins.

0.1: Welcome! (12 mins)
0.2: An introduction to courses from the Interaction Design Foundation (37 mins)
0.3: Let our community help you (1 min)
0.4: How to Earn Your Course Certificate (16 mins)
0.5: Meet your peers online in our discussion forums (6 mins)
0.6: Meet and learn from design professionals at an upcoming meet-up (1 min)
0.7: Gain Timeless Skills Through Courses From the Interaction Design Foundation (21 mins)
0.8: Mandatory vs. Optional Lesson Items (7 mins)
0.9: A Mix Between Video-Based and Text-Based Lesson Content (6 mins)
0.10: Sharing Ideas (6 mins)

Lesson 1: Interaction Design: An Introduction

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 6 hours 19 mins.

1.1: An Introduction to Interaction Design (40 mins)
1.2: Human Cognition (31 mins)
1.3: Human-Computer Interaction (7 mins)
1.4: Personal Interactive Experience (6 mins)
1.5: Sensory Perception (11 mins)
1.6: Attention (11 mins)
1.7: Learning and Memory (18 mins)
1.8: Language - The Five Dimensions of IxD (11 mins)
1.9: Problem-solving (11 mins)
1.10: Decision-Making (12 mins)
1.11: Reasoning (11 mins)
1.12: Reflective Cognition (11 mins)
1.13: Cognition and the Interactive Experience (9 mins)
1.14: Bill Moggridge: Designing Interactions (2 hours 53 mins)
1.15: Share your Ideas (6 mins)
1.16: Perception (1 min)
1.17: Gillian Crampton Smith Interview (8 mins)
1.18: Interaction Design (6 mins)
1.19: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)

Lesson 2: The Psychology of Interaction Design: Cognitive Frameworks

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 7 mins.

2.1: Conceptual Models (49 mins)
2.2: 'Folk Theories' (9 mins)
2.3: The Gulfs of Execution and Evaluation (14 mins)
2.4: Humans as Information Processors (11 mins)
2.5: The Human Processor Model (9 mins)
2.6: External Cognition (8 mins)
2.7: Distributed Cognition (10 mins)
2.8: Embodied Interaction (15 mins)
2.9: Share your Experience (6 mins)

Lesson 3: The Gestalt Laws and Interface Design

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 39 mins.

3.1: A Valuable List of Gestalt Principles (11 mins)
3.2: 'Law of Pragnanz' (9 mins)
3.3: Applying the Laws (37 mins)
3.4: 'Law of Similarity' (7 mins)
3.5: 'Law of Proximity' (8 mins)
3.6: Law of Familiarity/Meaningfulness (11 mins)
3.7: 'Law of Common Fate' (7 mins)
3.8: 'New' Grouping Laws (7 mins)
3.9: Research (10 mins)
3.10: The Law Of Element Connectedness (7 mins)
3.11: 'Law of Synchrony' (7 mins)
3.12: 'Law of Common Region' and The Origin of The Gestalt Laws (10 mins)
3.13: Figure/Ground Organisation (10 mins)
3.14: 'Figure/Ground' (8 mins)
3.15: An example of Figure/Ground (6 mins)
3.16: Perceptual Segregation: Design Considerations (8 mins)
3.17: Gestalt Principles of Perceptual Organisation (7 mins)

Lesson 4: Visual Perception and Colour Vision

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 4 hours 7 mins.

4.1: Understanding Human Vision (12 mins)
4.2: Anatomy and Function of the Eye (9 mins)
4.3: The Fovea and Design (8 mins)
4.4: Colour Vision (10 mins)
4.5: Vision and Design: Using Colour (39 mins)
4.6: Theories of Human Colour Perception (7 mins)
4.7: Colour Blindness (14 mins)
4.8: Photoreceptors fovea (30 mins)
4.9: Object Perception (15 mins)
4.10: Vision and Design (13 mins)
4.11: Context and Other Influences (14 mins)
4.12: Using Images (10 mins)
4.13: Vision and Attention (20 mins)
4.14: Vision and Design: Visual Perception (10 mins)
4.15: Vanishing Head Illusion (6 mins)
4.16: Simplicity and Bold Vibrant Colours (1 min)
4.17: Color Vision 1: Color Basics (31 mins)
4.18: Visual Design Experience: Positive or Negative (6 mins)

Lesson 5: Human Cognition and the Interactive Experience

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 46 mins.

5.1: Models of Perception: Complex User Interfaces (10 mins)
5.2: User Specificity: Complex User Interfaces (39 mins)
5.3: Cognitive Overload: Complex User Interfaces (16 mins)
5.4: Designing for Recognition: Complex User Interfaces (8 mins)
5.5: 'Radio Kabul': Complex User Interfaces (12 mins)
5.6: User Interfaces (16 mins)
5.7: Visual Working Memory (10 mins)
5.8: Virtual Reality (9 mins)
5.9: Complex User Interfaces (13 mins)
5.10: The Power Law of Practice: Complex User Interfaces (15 mins)
5.11: Deliberate Practice: Complex User Interfaces (10 mins)
5.12: Helping The User (10 mins)
5.13: User Interface Example (6 mins)

Lesson 6: User Error: Who is to blame?

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 50 mins.

6.1: British Midlands Flight 92 (14 mins)
6.2: Who is to blame?: User Error (40 mins)
6.3: The USS Vincennes (13 mins)
6.4: The Air Inter Flight 148 Crash (8 mins)
6.5: The Space Shuttle Columbia (9 mins)
6.6: The Herald of Free Enterprise (7 mins)
6.7: The Three Mile Island Nuclear Disaster (7 mins)
6.8: Air France Flight 447 (12 mins)
6.9: User Error: Your Turn (6 mins)

Lesson 7: Tangible User Interface Design and the Psychology of Touch

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 25 mins.

7.1: Designing Controls (38 mins)
7.2: Specificity Vs. Generality (11 mins)
7.3: Design Considerations (14 mins)
7.4: One-to-One Couplings (8 mins)
7.5: The Paradox of Modern Technology (12 mins)
7.6: Physical Controls Vs. Touchscreens (17 mins)
7.7: Touchscreens: Tangible User Interfaces (7 mins)
7.8: Big Briar 331 Touch Plate (7 mins)
7.9: Physical Controls (20 mins)
7.10: Design Heuristics: Tangible User Interfaces (7 mins)
7.11: Physical Controls Vs. Touchscreens: Tangible User Interfaces (5 mins)
7.12: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)

Lesson 8: Comparing User Interfaces

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 14 mins.

8.1: Game Console Controllers: Applying the Information (2 mins)
8.2: Car Control Panels: Applying the Information (3 mins)
8.3: Heating Controls: Applying the Information (3 mins)
8.4: Communication Devices: Applying the Information (2 mins)
8.5: Wheelchair Control Panels: Applying the Information (2 mins)
8.6: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)

Lesson 9: Interaction Design Approaches

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 33 mins.

9.1: An Overview: Interaction Design Approaches (11 mins)
9.2: User-Centred Design: Interaction Design Approaches (44 mins)
9.3: Activity-Centred Design: Interaction Design Approaches (15 mins)
9.4: Systems Design: Interaction Design Approaches (10 mins)
9.5: Genius Design: Interaction Design Approaches (11 mins)
9.6: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)

Lesson 10: Interaction Design Methods

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 47 mins.

10.1: An Overview: Interaction Design (18 mins)
10.2: Usability Testing: Interaction Design (8 mins)
10.3: User Testing Methods: Interaction Design (11 mins)
10.4: Testing Designs: Usability Inspection Methods (18 mins)
10.5: Cognitive Walkthrough: Usability Inspection Methods (43 mins)
10.6: Prototyping: Interaction Design (11 mins)
10.7: Scenarios: Interaction Design (13 mins)
10.8: Field Studies: Interaction Design (16 mins)
10.9: Combining Methods: Interaction Design (9 mins)
10.10: Questionnaires: Interaction Design (18 mins)
10.11: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)

Lesson 11: Interaction Design: The Process

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 52 mins.

11.1: Practical Issues: User-Centred Design (44 mins)
11.2: What are the user's needs? (11 mins)
11.3: What are the alternative designs? (12 mins)
11.4: How do I choose an alternative design? (13 mins)
11.5: Integrating UCD and Other Life-Cycle Models (28 mins)
11.6: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)
11.7: Usability Testing: What to Test (1 min)

Lesson 12: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up

To be scheduled.

12.1: Get Your Course Certificate (1 min)
12.2: Course Evaluation (1 min)
12.3: Continue Your Professional Growth (1 min)

Learning Paths

This course is part of 1 learning path:

Interaction Designer Learning Path

18 courses in 4 parts

How Others Have Benefited

Vasanth Kumar Talla, India

“Lot of information which is valid and good to use in real time environment and projects.”

Theo Braden, United States

“I appreciated how the theory drives considerations for interaction design. It made the information much more digestible and intentional.”

See other reviews

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I missed the enrollment, and now the course has closed. What can I do?

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If it’s very important that you enroll now, please let us know by emailing us at hello@interaction-design.org.

Can I take more than one course at a time?

With a Professional membership, you can take as many courses as you’d like, at no extra cost. For example, if there are over 40 active courses, you can enroll in all of them at the same time and move from one to another freely.

With a Student membership, you can take a maximum of two courses at the same time. You can still take as many courses as you like—free of extra charges. You’d just have to finish (or drop them) so that you don’t have more than two ongoing courses at any one time.

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Will I receive my Course Certificate?

You’ll get a digital industry-recognized course certificate at no extra cost every time you complete a course with a score of 70% or more.

Certificates never expire and can be saved as a .jpg file, so they’re easy to share. There’s no limit to how many certificates you can earn during your membership.

You can see an example of a Course Certificate at the bottom of the Course Catalogue.

There’s no specified time by which certificates must be awarded. Instead, they’re given to you as and when you’ve answered all quiz questions. This applies even if the questions are answered long after the official end date of the course.

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The course outline provides a rough estimate of how much time you would spend learning before enrolling.

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If you need to unlock lesson content sooner, please let us know by emailing us at hello@interaction-design.org.

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Your answers will be graded by our experts and course instructors (not by machines) approximately two weeks after you submit your work.

We mark/grade in so-called "sprints." This is much more efficient than doing little batches every day. It's part of our lean/agile work philosophy and is one of the factors that keeps our membership prices so low.

I’m falling behind the course schedule and new lessons are starting before I’ve completed the previous lesson(s). Will I be locked out of these unfinished lessons?

No, you’ll not be locked out of any lesson or course.

You’ll have access to all course materials throughout your membership. There’s no pressure to keep at the same pace as the lesson release dates.

Sticking to a schedule has its benefits. When you follow along with other members, you can reap the benefits of our online community, ask questions, and exchange ideas. This has the potential to accelerate your learning.

I scored less than 70% in a course, so I didn't qualify for a certificate. Can I try again?

Yes! Everyone's learning journey looks different, and we encourage you to continue learning and improving your progress.

To retake a course, just follow these steps:

NB: Before you start, please note that when you drop a course, you’ll lose your progress and any answers you submit. Screenshot or save answers you'd like to reuse.

1. Go to your profile and click on the course you'd like to retake.

2. Underneath your progress bar at the top of your screen, you'll see “UX Courses” with an arrow (>) pointing to the course landing page.

3. Click through to the landing page and scroll to the bottom.

4. Tap the red button that says, “Drop my course now.”

5. Head back to our UX Courses page and re-enroll yourself in the course.

You're all set to try again!

In some cases, we can open lessons for members who are retaking a course so that they don't have to wait for familiar lessons to unlock each week. If you'd like us to do this, please let us know at hello@interaction-design.org.

Psychology of Interaction Design: The Ultimate Guide

How This Course Will Help Your Career

What You’ll Learn

Gain an Industry-Recognized UX Course Certificate

Is This Course Right for You?

Learn and Work with a Global Team of Designers

Lessons in This Course

Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction

Lesson 1: Interaction Design: An Introduction

Lesson 2: The Psychology of Interaction Design: Cognitive Frameworks

Lesson 3: The Gestalt Laws and Interface Design

Lesson 4: Visual Perception and Colour Vision

Lesson 5: Human Cognition and the Interactive Experience

Lesson 6: User Error: Who is to blame?

Lesson 7: Tangible User Interface Design and the Psychology of Touch

Lesson 8: Comparing User Interfaces

Lesson 9: Interaction Design Approaches

Lesson 10: Interaction Design Methods

Lesson 11: Interaction Design: The Process

Lesson 12: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up

Learning Paths

How Others Have Benefited

Vasanth Kumar Talla, India

Theo Braden, United States

How It Works

Start Advancing Your Career Now

Frequently Asked Questions

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