Designing Interfaces for Connection
Overview
- Online (Zoom)
- 5 weeks · 16 seats total
- Mondays, Feb. 3 - Mar. 3, 2025
- 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST
Weekly Structure
- 2 hours of live class
- 1 hours of async demo/lecture recordings
- Optional office hours
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From texting a friend “brb” to asking an AI bot to plan your next vacation, chat interfaces have become a default for digital interaction. But in a world where every chat window looks identical, how might we reimagine these spaces for connection? In this practical 5-week course, we'll examine chat interfaces through both playful experimentation and critical analysis.
Deepen your understanding of interface design through engaging lectures and discussions. Topics will range from the evolution of chat interfaces—from command line to conversational AI—to analyzing design patterns that challenge conventions.
Each week, we will explore an element of chat interface design using Figma as our primary tool. You’ll experiment with text effects, chat bubbles, animation, and visual systems, learning how small design decisions can dramatically impact user experience. Along the way, we’ll explore questions like: How can we break free from conventional chat aesthetics? How do personality and tone influence our trust in chat interfaces? And how might playfulness and customization transform the chat experience?
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid understanding of Figma, and a polished project that’s ready to showcase in your portfolio—one that demonstrates your ability to design chat interfaces that are not only functional but engaging, unique, and meaningful to you.
Audience and Format
The ideal student can range from someone who is completely new to Figma wanting to learn design to a seasoned product designer who is looking to explore a popular interaction medium.
This class will be taught online via Zoom and Discord. There will be homework each week that encourages you to iterate on the ideas we learn in class.
Goals
- Create a chat interface product that is portfolio-ready
- Challenge conventional chat interface design through experimental approaches
- Have an understanding of the product design process
- Create a supportive community of product designers
Learning Outcomes
- Learn how to mock up an interface in Figma
- Learn how to build a working prototype in Figma
- Understand visual design and interaction design patterns
Material Requirements
- A reliable internet connection
- A laptop or desktop computer that can run Zoom and Figma at the same time
- A free Zoom account
- A free Figma* account, students all receive a free Education account
- A free Discord account (an invitation to a class group will be sent to each participant.)
*The instructor will be working, demoing, and providing tutorials using Figma. You do not need any prior experience with Figma to join the class.
Scholarship Information
Scholarship seats are available for this course. Please check out more details on the scholarship page. This scholarship is open to all Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, with priority given to those who have limited resources or access to educational opportunities.