Design for Thought and Emotion

Suited For: All Levels
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In This Course, You'll

  • Get excited as you create products and experiences that go beyond functionality to connect deeply with people. In this course, design legend and author of the bestselling book “Human-Computer Interaction,” Professor Alan Dix, will guide you through the cognitive science behind great design. You'll focus on how people think, feel, and make decisions, and why functionality alone isn't enough in interface design. As AI accelerates how fast we build and iterate, these timeless human-centered design skills will make you even more valuable across industries, from healthcare to gaming and finance. By the end of this course, you'll be able to ground your creative decisions in the principles of thought and emotion: skills you'll use for the rest of your career.

  • Make yourself invaluable as you master how to design for how the human mind works. Learn what usability means with the ISO 9241-11 framework, and use Maslow's hierarchy, Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory, and the Yerkes-Dodson curve to calibrate challenge and engagement and keep users satisfied. PwC found 52% of customers will abandon a brand after a bad experience. This means every interaction you design is an opportunity to increase retention. Whether you're switching into design from another field or stepping into a senior or leadership role, these are the skills companies hire for to reduce bounce and drop-off rates and build long-term business value. In fact, McKinsey found that companies that invest in human-centered design grow revenues 32% faster and deliver total returns to shareholders 56% higher than their industry peers.

  • Gain confidence and credibility as you look past individual interactions and consider the full arc of a user's experience. McCarthy and Wright's four threads of experience will give you an analytical method to evaluate what makes an experience coherent and meaningful to users. You'll explore how to preserve what makes an experience work when you move it across platforms, from mobile to desktop to voice. And you'll see how even the smallest interactions influence how your users feel about your products over time.

  • Craft your personal portfolio with optional hands-on projects where you'll analyze enjoyable and frustrating interfaces, conduct casual user research, and develop niche personas. You'll finish the course with portfolio-ready case studies to show hiring managers and stakeholders your work is grounded in evidence, not assumptions.

Learn From Industry Leaders

Master complex skills with proven best practices and toolkits directly from industry leaders. Meet your expert for this course:

  • Alan Dix: Author of the bestselling book “Human-Computer Interaction” and Director of the Computational Foundry at Swansea University.

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Earn Industry-Recognized Certificates

Industry giants trust our courses to train their teams, and prestigious universities integrate our content into their curricula. Add your certificates to your LinkedIn profile, résumé, and job applications.

Our clients: IBM, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, NASA, Adobe, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, LinkedIn
Course Certificate Example

Is This Course Right for You?

  • You want an evidence-based curriculum taught by industry leaders.
  • You want real-world design skills that translate directly into professional practice.
  • You want to earn industry-recognized credentials.
  • Your time is too valuable for scattered free content with no structure.
  • You want learning that leads to better roles and stronger earning potential over time.
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Loved by People Around the World

View full testimonial from Andy Gingerich
Andy Gingerich
Andy Gingerich
Product Designer

Alan is very passionate about the topic and makes it more engaging. The videos are just short enough to keep my attention without wandering...

IxDF Course Certificate awarded to Andy Gingerich for completing the "Design for Thought and Emotion" course
View full testimonial from Constanze May
Constanze May
Constanze May
IT und Software Berater

The course was highly informative and helped me consciously reconnect with existing knowledge. What impressed me most was the realization of...

IxDF Course Certificate awarded to Constanze May for completing the "Design for Thought and Emotion" course
View full testimonial from Samira Werner
Samira Werner
Samira Werner
Industrial Designer

Alan Dix passion for the topic is so tangible and through his specific manner really contagious! I loved the digression on the topics of em...

IxDF Course Certificate awarded to Samira Werner for completing the "Design for Thought and Emotion" course
View full testimonial from Sanaullah Khan
Sanaullah Khan
Sanaullah Khan
Founder | Principal UX Designer | Service Design Strategist

Strengths: Clear explanations, practical examples, and well-structured flow make complex UX research topics easy to understand.

IxDF Course Certificate awarded to Sanaullah Khan for completing the "Design for Thought and Emotion" course

How It Works

  1. Build High-Impact AI and Design Skills

    Industry leaders from companies like Adobe, Google, and NASA teach you real-world skills grounded in industry practice and research.

  2. Combine AI and Timeless Design Skills

    Learn both AI and the human-centered design skills that AI can't replace.

  3. Earn Industry-Recognized Certificates

    Add IxDF Course Certificates to your LinkedIn profile and résumé to show you've completed an evidence-based curriculum taught by industry leaders.

  4. Turn Your Skills Into Career Opportunities

    Use your new skills to take on higher-value work, qualify for promotions or find a role that fits you better.

  5. Build a Network That Supports Your Career

    Connect with designers in 497 cities across 107 countries. Learn together, get mentored, and build relationships that open doors.

Course Overview

  • Each week, one lesson becomes available.
  • Study flexibly. Take as much time as you want.

Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour, 32 mins.

Lesson 1: Welcome to Lesson 1 of Design for Thought and Emotion

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours, 43 mins.

Lesson 2: Emotion and Experience

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 3 hours, 59 mins.

Lesson 3: Experience and Enchantment

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours, 42 mins.

Lesson 4: IxDF Course Certificate and Course Wrap-up

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 13 mins.

Preview the Course

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What's Inside IxDF Membership?

  • High-impact design and AI skills

  • Learn from 210 industry leaders

  • 42 evidence-based courses

  • 162 one-hour Master Classes

  • Industry-recognized certificates

  • $2,189 worth of toolkits

  • 10,129 active design jobs

  • 10 structured career programs

  • Global community in 497 cities

  • $6,649 worth of premium tools

  • 276 ready-made templates

  • and much more

Start Today

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Andy Gingerich
Andy Gingerich
Product Designer

Alan is very passionate about the topic and makes it more engaging. The videos are just short enough to keep my attention without wandering off.

Cheryl Paquin
Cheryl Paquin
Senior Product Designer

Alan was very fun to watch and listen to. His examples were interesting and his enthusiasm was great.

Constanze May
Constanze May
IT und Software Berater

The course was highly informative and helped me consciously reconnect with existing knowledge. What impressed me most was the realization of how crucial the integration of all five dimensions is for high-quality design and meaningful user experiences. It became clear that great design doesn’t stop at the surface—it’s deeply rooted in thought, emotion, and lived experience.

Denny K. Schuldt
Denny K. Schuldt
Product Engineer

I enjoy his clarity. I've taken another course of his, and he's brilliant.

Samira Werner
Samira Werner
Industrial Designer

Alan Dix passion for the topic is so tangible and through his specific manner really contagious! I loved the digression on the topics of emotion and experiences, while having it tied back to design constantly.

Coral Isabel Vilaverde Herranz
Coral Isabel Vilaverde Herranz
Student

The instructor demonstrated outstanding knowledge. His explanations were very clear and calm, always supported with examples. I’m very satisfied with the course.

Umesh P
Umesh P
Digital Experience Designer

The content is clear and motivating, and I really enjoy the practical examples.

Sanaullah Khan
Sanaullah Khan
Founder | Principal UX Designer | Service Design Strategist

Strengths: Clear explanations, practical examples, and well-structured flow make complex UX research topics easy to understand.