Why I Chose This Course
Last spring, I decided to refresh my knowledge of mobile interface design. My last major native mobile project dated back to the UX redesign of the Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Since then, mobile design has evolved significantly: new user behaviours, new patterns, and new technologies.
I wanted to review the latest UX practices, discover current UI patterns, and explore emerging trends. I chose the Mobile UI Design course from the Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF), designed and led by Frank Spillers.
Unlike the NN Group‘s training courses, I take the IxDF training courses very, very slowly. Over a period of several weeks, I went through essential concepts, practical exercises and future directions such as augmented reality.
Here’s my take on it.
1. Laying the Foundations: Affordances and Tappability
The course starts with UX fundamentals: affordances and signifiers — two essential concepts for designing intuitive interfaces.
I particularly enjoyed the exercises on tappability — how to make a button look visually clickable and prevent hesitation from the user.
My Favourite Tool: The “One Thumb, One Eyeball Test”
I love this test from Luke Wroblewski: a good mobile interface should be usable with one hand and minimal focus. It’s a simple but incredibly effective principle for evaluating mobile ergonomics.
2. Exploring Mobile UI Patterns
The second part of the course explores UI patterns — proven, reusable solutions that make interfaces easier to design and more consistent.
- Mobile search optimization
- Design fluid, accessible forms
- Notification management, without being intrusive (we hate that!)
The module also offers an interesting reflection on dark patterns, those deceptive practices that undermine user confidence. A good reminder to maintain an ethical approach to design.
3. A Deeper Understanding of Visual Design
The Visual Design module is a great source of inspiration. It explores typography, visual hierarchy, colour contrast and micro-interactions.
For example, it recommends limiting the number of colours, typefaces, and visual variations for a cleaner experience. I often say that “Less is more”, but I have to admit that I questioned the extreme “simplicity” proposed. My designs are usually richer than that. You be the judge! 😉
Nevertheless, the parallel with Disney’s 12 principles of animation was interesting. It talks about adapting these 12 principles to mobile UX to make interactions more lively (micro-interactions).
Google Material Design: An Essential Reference
The study of Google Material Design in its latest version was frankly relevant. It’s a must if you want to better understand how to build coherent, scalable interfaces.
4. Diving into Augmented Reality (AR)
I couldn’t wait to get to the last module! Augmented reality applied to mobile design.
I learned to:
- Identify relevant use cases
- Adapt UX heuristics to immersive environments
- Design natural interactions in hybrid contexts
I have to tell you that this module came just at the right time: I had a project on the table that required this type of knowledge. I’ll talk about it in more detail in a future post, as the subject deserves a full article. 🙂
5. What I Missed: Navigation, Complex Cases, and Adaptive Design
I had three minor disappointments with this course: navigation, complex case management and adaptive design were only briefly addressed.
Let me explain: In my professional practice, I often work on large, multi-functional applications where:
- Workflows are complex or overlapping
- Navigation spans multiple hierarchical levels
- Multiple user roles interact within the same ecosystem (multiple stakeholders)
However, this type of scenario is not usually covered in detail in training courses, and this course is no exception. The examples focus on rather simple interfaces, without delving into the UI/UX challenges of complex applications.
The course mainly covers native mobile design. I would have liked to see some responsive design principles included as well, since it’s such an important aspect of interface design. (I’ll check the IxDF catalogue — it’s probably addressed in another course.)
6. Top Instructor: Frank Spillers
I really appreciated Frank Spillers. His expertise shines through in every module. His pedagogy is clear, accessible and engaging, and he offers many concrete examples to illustrate the concepts.
7. My Final Verdict
| Highlights | Why it’s useful |
|---|---|
| A solid grounding in affordances and tappability | This is essential for mobile-first design. |
| Concrete, reusable UI patterns | Directly applicable to real projects. |
| Lots of content about Material Design and micro-interactions | Consistency, consistency, consistency! 🙂 This is one of the key elements of good design, in my opinion. And Micro-interactions make your app more dynamic. |
| Exploring augmented reality | If applicable to your app, it really enriches your product. |
| Trainer quality | His teaching approach is accessible, making it easy to acquire knowledge. |
Conclusion: A Valuable Course — and Lessons Beyond
The Interaction Design Foundation‘s Mobile UI Design course is an excellent refresher for UX designers who want to :
- Consolidate their knowledge of mobile design
- Explore modern UI patterns
- Deepen their visual design skills
- Discover the potential of augmented reality
However, if your goal is to design complex applications, you’ll need to supplement this course with other resources.
FAQ — IxDF Mobile UI Design Course
1. Is the IxDF Mobile UI Design course suitable for experienced designers?
Yes. Even if the basics are revisited, the course offers modern UI patterns, practical tools and advanced thinking on AR, useful even for experienced designers.
2. How long does the course take?
Approximately 25 to 30 hours, depending on your pace and level of experience.
3. Which languages are available?
Training content (videos, texts, tools) is available in English only.
What About You?
Have you ever taken an IxDF course? Tell me about it on LinkedIn!
