Traditional teaching methods are evolving. Project-based learning, flipped classrooms and a prevalence of technology are the norm. Higher education design affects student learning, so it’s important to design a space that matches twenty-first-century learning styles. This is the logic driving user experience (UX) design and an important reason why it’s beneficial for students to play a role in designing their classrooms.

Why Get Students Involved?

The UX is the general experience of a person using a product or space, especially because of how easy, enjoyable and intuitive it is to use. It’s impossible to create an exceptional UX for students without plenty of input. In addition to university students getting a voice, student-designed spaces have other benefits. Including students in the process builds a positive culture and gives them a sense of personalization and connectivity.

What to Ask?

While it doesn’t hurt to discuss a broad range of ideas with students, seating is something you certainly won’t want to skip. How many people at a table are too many? Do students want comfy chairs for reading or seats near outlets for working on their laptops? How do they want to sit when working as a whole group? Understanding students’ seating preferences early on in the process can save you a lot of headaches down the road.

The Process is Ongoing

A key thing to remember with UX design is that it is ongoing. No good UX designer creates a space, hands it over to the user, and forgets about it entirely. Instead, they conduct user testing to find out what works and what doesn’t. If necessary, they make changes and try again. Just because students choose a setup conceptually doesn’t mean it will work perfectly in the real world. Regular evaluation isn’t just a simple optimization, it’s a critical component!

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