Interface Craft
The small decisions that make software feel considered.
An entry course in interaction design concerned with the granular level: states, transitions, affordances, errors and the quiet feedback that tells a person their action landed. Built around making, not theory.
3.7h
Study time
12
Lessons
3
Modules
4.7
Rating
528 reviews
Enrolment
Enrol to open Interface Craft in the learning workspace, track progress and take the assessments.
Demo enrolment — no payment or real enrolment occurs. Sign in to see the full workspace.
Subjects covered
5 topics
Knowledge map
What you will be able to do
- Design the full state set of a component rather than its happy path
- Give feedback that is timely, specific and quiet
- Write error messages that help a person recover
- Prototype an interaction quickly enough to test it
Curriculum
3 modules · 12 lessons
- 01Empty, Loading, Partial, Full, ErrorMaking states explicit enough that somebody else could repeat it.20m
- 02Designing the Empty State FirstThe working method for feedback, reduced to what actually matters.18m
- 03Disabled Is Rarely the AnswerThe judgement calls behind affordance, and what each of them costs.16m
- 04Documenting States for EngineersWhere errors usually goes wrong, and how to notice it early.18m
- 01Latency and Perceived SpeedThe working method for prototyping, reduced to what actually matters.22m
- 02Confirmations Nobody ReadsThe judgement calls behind states, and what each of them costs.18m
- 03Undo Beats ConfirmWhere feedback usually goes wrong, and how to notice it early.20m
- 04Motion With a ReasonHow affordance works in practice, once the deadline is real.16m
- 01Anatomy of a Useful ErrorHow errors works in practice, once the deadline is real.20m
- 02Validation That HelpsWhere prototyping usually goes wrong, and how to notice it early.22m
- 03Recovering State After FailureThe judgement calls behind states, and what each of them costs.18m
- 04Writing for the Worst MomentWhere feedback usually goes wrong, and how to notice it early.16m
Assessment
Practical submissions marked against stated criteria, plus low-stakes module quizzes.
Quizzes
No quizzes in this course — assessment is by written submission and exercise.
Assignments
No assessed assignments — each lesson closes with an unassessed exercise.
What students say
- 4 out of 5Suzanne Whitfield — Researcher
I have taken a lot of courses on this subject and this is the first one that explains why the rules exist rather than just listing them.
- 4 out of 5Meike de Vries — Product designer
The reading is short and the practice is not, which is the right way round. I finished the first module in an evening and then spent a week on the exercise.
- 5 out of 5Idris Farah — Engineering manager
What I did not expect was how much of this is about writing things down. Half the value was being forced to state what I was optimising for.
Fictional reviews — demonstration content only
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