INTRODUCTION

A user experience engineer (UX engineer) is a hybrid role that combines the skills of a user experience designer (UX designer) and a front-end developer. UX engineers use their knowledge of both design and development to create user interfaces (UIs) that are usable and visually appealing.

UX engineers typically work on the front end of web and mobile applications, where they are responsible for the look, feel, and functionality of the UI. They work closely with UX designers to create wireframes, prototypes, and mockups, and they also work with front-end developers to implement the UI in code.

In addition to their technical skills, UX engineers also need to have strong communication and collaboration skills. They need to be able to understand the needs of users and translate those needs into technical requirements. They also need to be able to work effectively with UX designers, front-end developers, and other stakeholders.

The job outlook for UX engineers is very positive. The demand for UX engineers is expected to grow much faster than average in the coming years, as more and more businesses in Malaysia focus on creating user-friendly products and services.

Optimal UX design can lead to a 90% decrease in the costs associated with support. - UX Matters (Apr, 2021)

Seventy-six per cent of consumers get frustrated when companies don’t deliver personalised experiences. - McKinsey (Nov, 2021)

UX is fast becoming a forefront field in computer science education and in the industry and has a high income potential. It is a growing field; that enables you to be creative and keep up with the latest technologies.

There are currently 150,000 job openings in the U.S.A. alone for UX designers and engineers with a median entry-level salary of US$115,000. Malaysia has been witnessing a growing demand for UX designers in recent years as businesses recognise the importance of user-centric design and enhancing the user experience.

Some of the benefits of becoming a UX engineer:

1. You will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology.

2. You will be able to make a real difference in the lives of users.

3. You will be part of a growing and in-demand field.

4. You will have the opportunity to work with talented and creative people.

If you are interested in a career as a UX engineer this course is for you:

1. Gain experience in both design and development.

2. Understand UX design and front-end development.

3. Build a portfolio of your work.

4. Network with other UX engineers.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Some of the skills that you will gain from this course for a UX engineer role:

1. 1. Front-end development skills (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)

   2. UI/UX design skills

   3. Prototyping skills

   4. User research skills

   5. Communication and collaboration skills

   6. Problem-solving skills

   7. Making a UX Portfolio

WHO THIS BOOTCAMP IS FOR

Anyone with a background in computer science or information technology.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

To take this course, you will need a computer with a working internet connection... and commitment to invest your time in up skilling your self in this new and exciting technologies.

1. 1. You will learn the skills you need to become a full-stack engineer.

   2. You will learn about the latest technologies in the tech industry.

   3. You will be able to build and deploy full-stack applications.

   4. You will be able to work on real-world projects.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES 

1. UX/UI Designer - In this role, a UX Engineer combines user research, information architecture, interaction design, and visual design principles to create user interfaces that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. They work closely with stakeholders, designers, and developers to ensure the design vision is implemented effectively.

2. Interaction Designer - UX Engineers with a specialisation in interaction design focus on designing and prototyping the interactive elements and behaviours of a digital product or service. They create wireframes, storyboards, and interactive prototypes to demonstrate the user flow and behavior of the interface.

3. UX Researcher - UX Engineers with research skills can take on the role of a UX Researcher. They conduct user research activities such as interviews, surveys, and usability testing to gain insights into user behavior, needs, and preferences. They analyse the data collected and use it to inform design decisions and improve the user experience.

4. Front-End Developer with UX Focus - Some UX Engineers have a strong understanding of front-end development technologies and can take on the role of a front-end developer with a focus on user experience. They translate design concepts into functional code and ensure that the user interface is implemented correctly on various platforms.

5. Usability Analyst - UX Engineers in this role evaluate and analyse the usability of existing digital products or services. They conduct heuristic evaluations and usability testing to identify areas for improvement, provide recommendations to enhance the user experience, and contribute to the iterative design process.

6. Information Architect - Information architects within UX Engineering focus on organising and structuring information in a way that is intuitive and accessible to users. They create sitemaps, navigation systems, and content hierarchies to ensure users can easily find and understand the information they need.

7. UX Strategist - UX Engineers in a strategic role help define the overall user experience strategy for a product or service. They work closely with stakeholders to align business goals with user needs, define the target audience, and establish design principles and guidelines to guide the UX design process.

GENERAL COURSE GUIDE

The bootcamp will be taught by experienced engineers who will help students learn the skills they need to be successful in the technology/engineering industry.

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge of basic computing or diploma in IT, computing, or any engineering course.

DAY 1

1. UI/UX DESIGN
Session 1: Introduction to UI/UX Design (2 hours)

1. Understanding the fundamentals of UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) design

2. Exploring the importance of good design in digital products and services

3. Differentiating between UI and UX design roles and responsibilities

4. Overview of the design process and its stages

5. Test/Assignment

Session 2: User Research and Understanding (2 hours)

1. Introduction to user research and its significance in the design process

2. Conducting user interviews and surveys to gather insights

3. Creating user personas and defining target audiences

4. Analysing user needs, goals, and behaviours

5. Utilising research findings to inform design decisions

6. Test/Assignment

Session 3: Information Architecture and Wireframing (3 hours)

1. Introduction to information architecture and its role in organising content

2. Creating site maps and user flow diagrams

3. Wireframing techniques for sketching out interface layouts and interactions

4. Understanding usability principles and best practices

5. Iterating and refining wireframes based on feedback and testing

6. Test/Assignment

DAY 2

Session 4: Visual Design and Prototyping (4 hours)

1. Introduction to visual design principles and aesthetics

2. Applying typography, color theory, and visual hierarchy

3. Creating high-fidelity mockups using design tools (e.g., Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD)

4. Incorporating visual elements such as icons, images, and illustrations

5. Prototyping interactive experiences to demonstrate user interactions

6. Test/Assignment

Session 5: Usability Testing and Iteration (3 hours)

1. Understanding the importance of usability testing in evaluating designs

2. Planning and conducting usability tests with target users

3. Collecting and analysing user feedback

4. Iterating and refining designs based on usability test results

5. Collaborating with stakeholders and development teams for implementation

6. Test/Assignment

DAY 3

2. FIGMA

Session 1: Introduction to Figma (1 hour)

1. Overview of Figma and its role in UI/UX design

2. Exploring the Figma interface and key features

3. Understanding Figma's collaborative capabilities

4. Creating a new project and setting up artboards

5. Test/Assignment

Session 2: Designing User Interfaces in Figma (2 hours)

1. Working with shapes, vectors, and layers in Figma

2. Applying colours, gradients, and text styles

3. Utilising grids and guides for layout design

4. Creating and managing components for design consistency

5. Using plugins and integrations to enhance productivity

6. Test/Assignment

Session 3: Prototyping in Figma (2 hours)

1. Introduction to Figma's prototyping features

2. Linking screens and creating interactive transitions

3. Adding hotspots, overlays, and animations

4. Defining interactions and micro-interactions

5. Previewing and sharing prototypes for feedback

6. Test/Assignment

Session 4: Collaborating and Handoff in Figma (2 hours)

1. Collaborative design techniques in Figma

2. Working with design teams and version control

3. Commenting and feedback features for design collaboration

4. Generating design specs and assets for development handoff

5. Integrating with other tools and platforms for seamless workflows

6. Test/Assignment

3. FRONT-END DEVELOPMENT SKILLS (HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT)

DAY 4

Session 1: Introduction to Front-end Development (2 hours)

1. Overview of front-end development and its importance

2. Introduction to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

3. Setting up a development environment

4. Basics of web browsers and how they interpret HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

5. Test/Assignment

Session 2: HTML Fundamentals (3 hours)

1. Introduction to HTML structure and syntax

2. Understanding HTML tags, elements, and attributes

3. Creating a basic HTML document

4. Working with headings, paragraphs, lists, and links

5. Adding images and multimedia content

6. Understanding semantic HTML and its benefits

7. Test/Assignment

Session 3: CSS Fundamentals (4 hours)

1. Introduction to CSS and its role in styling web pages

2. CSS syntax and selectors

3. Applying styles to HTML elements

DAY 5

4. Working with colours, fonts, backgrounds, and borders

5. Layout and positioning techniques

6. Introduction to CSS frameworks and libraries

7. Test/Assignment

Session 4: JavaScript Essentials (4 hours)

1. Introduction to JavaScript and its role in adding interactivity

2. JavaScript syntax and variables

3. Working with data types, operators, and functions

4. Handling events and user interactions

5. Manipulating the DOM (Document Object Model)

6. Validating forms and handling errors

7. Test/Assignment

FINAL SESSION: MAKING A UX PORTFOLIO (1 HOUR)

TAKEAWAYS

1.  Upon successful completion of this course, participants can expect to acquire a strong foundation in UI/UX design, proficiency in using Figma for designing user interfaces and creating interactive prototypes, as well as essential front-end development skills using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

2. Participants will be equipped with the knowledge and practical experience necessary to pursue careers in UI/UX design, work collaboratively with design teams, and contribute to the development of user-centred digital products and services.

3. They will also have the ability to apply their skills to create visually appealing designs, conduct user research, wireframe and prototype interfaces, conduct usability testing, and collaborate effectively in a professional design environment.

YOUR TRAINERS

Dr Harjinthar Singh -  is a Principal Trainer at Marc & Zed. He has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, and has worked as a trainer, lecturer, and consultant for software development, product design, user interface, user experience, data analysis, RDBMS, video and image editing, and mobile development.

He is a certified Google UX Professional from Google.

Dr. Singh has taught in Singapore, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Australia. He started his teaching career in 2001 as a lecturer for software engineering at London South Bank University. In 2012, he joined a Malaysian government agency, MIMOS Berhad. From 2016 to 2017, he taught Software & Mobile Development for undergraduates, staff re-training programmes, and post-graduates intending to pursue a career as programmers and developers.

Since 2017, Dr. Singh has conducted training and workshops in UI/UX, Interaction Design, Design Thinking, DevOps, MERN FullStack, Agile, JIRA, Git/GitLab, MySQL, MS SQL Server 2016, Infographics, Graphics/Video, and mobile/web development. He is also a certified Scrum Master and Product Owner.

Dr. Singh is a highly experienced and qualified trainer, and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the IT industry. He is passionate about teaching and helping others to learn, and is committed to providing high-quality training that meets the needs of his clients.

Joaquín Antonio - is a MongoDB and MySQL Trainer and Coach at Marc & Zed. He has over 5 years of experience in the IT industry, and has worked as a developer, trainer, coach, and consultant.

Joaquín is a certified Google UX Professional from Google.

Joaquín has a strong background in software engineering, and has worked on a variety of projects using different technologies. He is also an experienced trainer, and has conducted trainings in Singapore, Germany, and Malaysia.

In his role at Marc & Zed Training, Joaquín is responsible for developing and delivering training courses on a variety of topics, including databases (SQL and NoSQL), software engineering, DevOps, cloud computing, and machine learning. He is also a mentor to other trainers, and helps them to develop their skills and knowledge.

Joaquín is a highly skilled and experienced trainer, and is passionate about helping others to learn and grow. He is also a valuable asset to the Marc & Zed Training team, and his expertise in software engineering and training is highly sought after by businesses in Singapore and Malaysia.

Dr Khairul Anuar Abd Wahid -  is a Senior Trainer at Marc & Zed. He has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry, and has worked as a trainer, lecturer, and consultant for software development, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.

He has taught in Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States. He started his teaching career in 2007 as a lecturer for software engineering at the National University of Malaysia. In 2012, he joined a Silicon Valley startup, where he worked on developing machine learning algorithms for fraud detection.

Since 2017, Dr. Khairul has conducted training and workshops in Python, R, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, and Data Science. He is also a certified Data Scientist and Machine Learning Engineer. He is a highly experienced and qualified trainer, and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the IT industry. He is passionate about teaching and helping others to learn, and is committed to providing high-quality training that meets the needs of his clients.

Dr. Khairul is a valuable asset to the Marc & Zed Training team, and his expertise in data science and machine learning is highly sought after by businesses in Singapore and Malaysia. He is a passionate educator who is committed to helping others learn and grow.

Djoshkun Diko - has been working as a developer, trainer, coach, and consultant in software engineering since 2008. His expertise includes FullStack, DevOps, Cloud Computing (Amazon Web Services & Google Cloud Platform), PHP, JavaScript, C++, Laravel, Docker, Kubernetes, Golang, VueJS, Python, Shell scripting, HTML5/CSS, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, MSSQL Server, Cassandra, and MongoDB.

Throughout his career as a Software Architect/developer/trainer, he has been involved in designing and executing distributed system architecture principles and patterns for applied machine learning products. He has contributed to various projects involving technologies such as Laravel, Symfony, Prestashop, NodeJS, ExpressJS, VueJS, MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Camunda Microservices architecture with gRP, GoLang/Python & Echo (Go framework), Flask & Panda libraries (Python Framework), Angular, Docker & Kubernetes, and JIRA & Confluence (Atlassian products).

During his freelance career, he has collaborated with several companies, developing web pages, web shops, and forums using platforms such as Joomla, Wordpress, vBulletin, MyBB, and HTML.

In 2017, he joined Marc & Zed SPACES in Kuala Lumpur as an Assistant Trainer. Although he left Marc & Zed in 2019, his interest in the training field brought him back in February 2020 as a Principal Trainer and Coach. In this role, he conducts hybrid trainings in Singapore, Germany, and Malaysia. He has also taken on web development projects for Marc & Zed, including developing their own website and creating a CMS website for propertysifu.com.my, and providing training for their staff. Currently, he is working on developing a website and providing training for another client of Marc & Zed, Cameron Adams UK Ltd., a real-estate agency.