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Increase your value as a developer
A developer who can both develop and produce good UX design is a valuable asset to any client
Make your clients more money
Engaging UX design can help clients generate more value in their businesses, and get a faster ROI using apps you made
Skip the trial and error
Get the expert guidance you need to get your app built right the first time, minus all the guesswork
This course was the perfect mix of fun and informative, I most certainly got a lot from it. I think it would be beneficial to any developer looking for a fresh approach to problem-solving and ways of designing solutions around your client’s workflows.
—Orlando Pellicano, Data Ops
The UX Design Workshop can help...
It’s the premier all-in-one UX design course
for FileMaker developers
If you’re like most FileMaker developers creating apps, you’re laser-focused on building features and making them work from a technical perspective.
But you may be completely ignoring the design and user experience side of things. Or, you might figure that you’ll do it at the end, when it comes time to put it all together.
In my opinion, that’s a big mistake—especially if your goal is to build good-looking, modern apps.
While functionality is obviously very important, you also need to think carefully about designing the user experience.
But how do you do that, exactly? Contrary to popular belief, design is not something you can do at the end of your project, after you’ve already built everything.
You need to keep UX design in mind right from the very start.
And the easiest way to do that is to have a design process you can follow.
The UX Design Workshop is a UX design course that teaches you the Workflow Design Framework. It’s a set of repeatable steps you can use over and over again to take the pain out of making design decisions—no matter what kind of app you’re building, or who the users will be.
Alexis brings both technical know-how and a sophisticated aesthetic to UI/UX, to provide a rich and informative class.
—Jeffrey london, london net studio
Most developers start here
But design really starts here
Design starts here...
The Workflow Design Framework is the design process I use to create amazing app designs that my clients love and get tremendous value from.
Following this method ensures that I:
The UX Design Workshop is a UX design course that walks you through the first three (and most important) steps of the 5-Step Workflow Design Framework, since these are the parts of the UX design process that are least familiar to most developers.
The solid focus on user stories and acceptance criteria deepened my appreciation of the benefits from careful design planning. While we had always paid attention to this area, Alexis raised our understanding and skills to a new level. This leads to better results for clients from the outset.
—JOHN MATHEWSON, KYO LOGIC
Learning about design from Alexis changed the way I ask questions during projects. How the user experiences the system is now as important as every other technical decision. I now strive to make the apps I build to be as easy to learn as a game on your phone.
—SALVATORE COLANGELO, GOYA
I created this UX design course for FileMaker developers because I want as many people as possible to benefit from the power of good design.
And I believe that everyone has the ability to improve their design skills.
Hi, I'm Alexis Allen. I’m a FileMaker developer and designer from Toronto, Ontario.
I have over 25 years of experience creating FileMaker apps for a wide variety of clients (since version 3, in fact).
I’ve also taught and delivered presentations on UI/UX design at many FileMaker conferences around the world, including the most recent Claris Engage in Austin, Texas.
Oh, and I also have a music performance degree (in cello) from the University of Toronto (yes, I still play regularly!).
I’ve always been interested in design, but I wouldn’t say I’m “talented.” Rather, I’ve spent a lot of time studying UI and UX design principles and practicing my design skills through many years of project work with clients all over the world.
Many developers have honed their skills in scripting, calculations, or custom functions, but not in UI/UX design principles.
I’d like to change that, and introduce more people to the world of design, because poor UX design can cause a host of issues during an app development project. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Great UX design can start a virtuous cycle that leads to better and better results for you, your clients, and the people who use the apps you made!
You can improve your design skills and start reaping the benefits starting today!
Each week of the course, you’ll learn about a different topic.
Then, you’ll practice your skills by completing the homework assignments.
Here’s your roadmap:
Since taking the course, I look at every FM layout, document, and webpage more critically. I’m also looking very carefully at how I start projects. Instead of diving in, taking the time to analyze the purpose and user in order to make it more welcoming to read and use.
This is just scratching the surface! Every week gave me lots of food for thought!
—BARBARA DALY, UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
Through Alexis’ course, our team of developers have learned how to put the User Story front and center in planning and developing features. She also taught us the best techniques to solve difficult User Interface issues in ways that we had never thought about before.
Her course gives developers the tools and the right perspective to solve problems in the best possible way to give the best possible experience and outcome to the end user.
—JUSTIN HESSER, KYO LOGIC
This course has given me the confidence to take on certain challenging new projects that I might have shied away from in the past. Now that I’ve learned a structured design process, I finally feel comfortable taking on more complex UI/UX work, because I know exactly what to do and in what order.
—ROBERT NAUD, ACCOLADE PLUS ACCOLADE
8 weeks of easy-to-follow, step-by-step videos
Throughout the course, you’ll apply the week’s lesson to your sample project. Each weekly assignment challenges you to put that week’s lesson into practice and grow your UI/UX design skills.
Each lesson comes with a set of recommended books, links, and/or articles that provide you with additional helpful information, so you can deepen your understanding as you progress through the course, and beyond.
The key to creating modern apps that wow your clients is thoroughly understanding your users! But you can quickly get overwhelmed with all the information you collect about them.
The user persona template makes it easy for you to gather all your important user research into one place that’s easy to keep track of and refer to throughout your project.
The heart of Workflow-Based Design is creating effective user workflows. But how exactly do you do that?
Our exclusive user flowchart template shows you which steps to document in a workflow (and which ones you can safely ignore).
Available as LucidChart or OmniGraffle templates, or use a diagramming app of your choice!
It can be hard to strike the right balance of simplicity and detail when creating a workflow diagram.
Too much detail can make your diagram overly complicated, while too little detail can leave important gaps that could trip you up later.
This downloadable PDF is full of handy tips to help your user workflows rock!
Writing acceptance criteria is essential for ensuring success in your app design project. But if you’ve never written them before, there are some common missteps you might want to avoid.
So I created this downloadable PDF guide chock-full of the important things to remember when writing acceptance criteria. It also includes some sample acceptance criteria, as well as some examples of what not to do.
You’re going to love this bonus...Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to do design with a client?
In this series of videos, you can look over my shoulder while I design a wireframe live in Balsamiq, sit in on my feedback sessions with a real user in real time, AND watch while I adjust my wireframe based on their feedback.
Some students have said this is their favourite part of the course!
You also get a free copy of The Confident Theme—a fully functional, completely unlocked FileMaker theme file designed by me.
So you can take a peek under the hood and see what a finished product looks like.
You also have access to the student community, and you can always post there to get personalized feedback from me on your homework assignments, as well as ask any questions you might have.
Everything in Course, plus:
Course starts May 2, 2024
10% - 30% off
Most of my studying for UI/UX designing was just through online resources and YouTube, but there’s no step-by-step process with feedback for my work. I loved how I could design something and get feedback from Alexis right away and correct any mistakes, instead of just reading lectures. This course was a great start to my career in UI/UX design, and gave me the courage to start a portfolio of my work.
Thank you Alexis!
—SHOBBIA RANGANATHAN, DIRECT IMPACT SOLUTIONS
When does the course start and end?”
You can start right now!
New videos are released each week for 8 weeks.
This is to give you time and opportunity to work on the assignments and really practice before you start a new topic.
For the course + live sessions schedule, check to see if enrollment is open.
What’s the weekly time commitment for this course?”
It depends... on your goals, level of commitment, and how much time you have available.
Each week consists of video lectures and homework. So, it’s a commitment of about 3-4 hours per week at minimum.
If you purchased the live class option, you can add at least an hour on to that. But the more time you spend practicing your newfound UX skills, the faster you’ll progress!
How does the course work?”
As soon as you enroll, you’ll be automatically added to the course. You’ll receive an email with instructions on how to access the course.
Once you log in, you can watch the introductory video. The next day, your Week 1 video will be released. After that, a new series of lessons is released every seven days. There is homework at the end each lesson, which I encourage you to complete, as it will give you an opportunity to practice the skills.
If you also purchased the live class option (subject to availability), then you’ll also be invited to a series of weekly Zoom meetings.
Will I be able to get feedback on my work?”
If you purchased the course + live sessions, then you’ll be invited to weekly meetings where you can get personalized feedback. The class size is limited in the live class, so you’ll definitely have your questions covered in those sessions.
If you’re going through the course on your own (totally doable!), you can still get feedback on your work. Just post your homework or questions in the course community, and receive feedback and support from me and your fellow students.
Is there a money-back guarantee?”
Yes! If the course is truly is not for you, please send me your first two completed assignments within 14 days of the start of the course, and we will issue you a full refund.
Do I need experience with FileMaker before taking the course?”
Yes, you should have at least some initial experience with database theory and FileMaker development.
At a minimum, you should be familiar with creating tables, relationships, and calculations, and with how to use the layout tools.
However, you don’t need to have any advanced FileMaker knowledge to benefit from this course.
Will the course help me create a [specific] app?”
No, but also yes...
Throughout the course, you work on a sample project (you have a choice of three different ones).
These sample projects are chosen specifically because they’re big enough for you to practice the concepts, but not so large that you get overwhelmed and confused. This is particularly important when you’re participating in the live sessions.
That said, once you learn the concepts, you can (and should!) apply the principles to any app of your choice.
Can I try out the course before I buy?”
Yes! You can watch a sample lesson for free.
Just sign up for the Free Preview.
Inside, you can watch the introductory Week 0 video, where I explain what Workflow-Based Design is and why you might want to learn more about it. You can download the course syllabus, and you can see the complete course structure and individual lesson topics.
How long do I have access to the course?”
You have lifetime access to the course. As long as the course exists, you’ll have full access to it.
Furthermore, if you purchase the course + live sessions, you can take the live sessions again as many times as you like. Many students have gone through the sessions a couple of times.
You’ll also be able to access any future updates that are made to the course.
English is not my first language. Will I be able to follow the course?”
The course videos are in English. However, subtitles (and homework assignments) are available in English, French, and Italian.
I’m fluent in those languages and can readily answer questions you may have. The videos themselves are very visual and reasonably easy to follow.
That said, this is honestly only something you can answer, depending on your comfort level. I suggest you sign up for the Free Preview and see if you think it will work for you.
I highly recommend this course as an outstanding learning opportunity. Alexis’ extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for FM design, combined with a thorough curriculum and hands-on experience, made for a truly transformative experience.
She was able to simplify complicated concepts, encourage a collaborative learning environment, and offer personalized guidance, making the course enjoyable and valuable.
The course covered everything from design principles to practical case studies, providing me with the necessary skills and confidence to excel in FM design
—JOE DA SILVA, ARTISAN COMPLETE
Enjoy a sample lesson completely free!
