We are a movement to create accessible and affordable Ivy League-level design education
ABOUT THE INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION
We are an independent nonprofit initiative with an objective that sounds like a paradox—to raise the level of global design education to an Ivy League standard, while at the same time reducing costs to as low as we can possibly take them. So, we democratize learning by providing top-notch curricular materials, and we aim to strike the perfect balance between academic rigor and practical relevance.
Established in 2002 in Denmark, we were inspired by the Scandinavian educational system to create low-cost, high-quality education so as to change the way people learn the science, art and intricacies of design. Since 2002, we have built a sustainable collaboration and education platform, and have grown our global community to reach 454 local groups in 90 countries.
We continue to collaborate with top universities and companies, such as Stanford, Cambridge and SAP Labs, as well as such noted authors as Clayton Christensen and Don Norman, to share our knowledge with over a million designers every month.
HOW WE ARE CHANGING DESIGN EDUCATION
Education and Professional Development
We offer a unique and extensive library of design-related textbooks and comprehensive instructor-led online courses. Members also acquire hands-on experience through participation in real-life projects and design activities. Nonetheless, the educational process occurs outside of courses, too: members learn from each other via professional discussion forums, through local meet-ups, and by participating in IDF global design events.
Development of Leadership Skills
IDF members get opportunities to train in various leadership roles. Depending on their preference and abilities, they may guide junior designers, manage projects, volunteer to head a local community, or play a global role at the IDF. For those who need elaborate coaching skills in their work, we provide a comprehensive training course on coaching in the design profession, along with the opportunity to practice by coaching members of the IDF Design League.
The IDF's process involves a carefully balanced mix of subjective and objective assessment factors. The final recognition of a course taker's level of proficiency in UX is awarded following a thorough assessment of that person's competencies by his/her course instructors, personal coach, and the IDF Board.
Contribution to the Profession
Proven experts in the field of UX can contribute to the quality of education and professional services by developing training materials and textbooks, or by serving on the IDF Board. We also offer outstanding publishing opportunities with an immediate reach to our million-strong target audience.
Hiring and Developing Personnel
We help companies, from the smallest to the largest such as SAP and Accenture, to build great customer experiences in the most certain way. The IDF Company Membership enables company managers to:
- Access the world's largest community of UX designers
- Build UX design and research expertise in their companies by taking instructor-led courses at home or at work—these are completely self-paced so as to accommodate busy schedules
- Solve actual business problems by getting help from the IDF's worldwide network of design professionals and coaches
- Administer individual memberships and corporate accounts with no hassle or unforeseen expenses