"It Was Frustrating to Have to Constantly Redesign": An Exploration of Authenticity in Advanced UX Education

Industry demands professionals who can not only grasp theory but also tackle authentic problems. While traditional user experience (UX) education provides a foundation, developing deep understanding and skills in advanced students requires learning experiences beyond typical in-class projects. This study explores experiential learning experiences of advanced university students through a complex authentic design challenge in a guided student research project, spanning two university quarters. Using an autoethnographic approach, we reflexively analyzed students’ experiences navigating the design challenge within an academic research context. Instead of teaching the basics of UX design, this learning experience focused on hands-on engagement and guided problem-solving. Students applied their design and research skills to tackle new challenges in designing scientific research kits. Through iterative testing, reflection, and collaboration, they identified design gaps, challenged assumptions, and refined their solutions. The study thus emphasizes the importance of experiential learning experiences that challenge students to apply knowledge in authentic, constrained settings and learn from them. The paper concludes with recommendations to educators for leveraging experiential learning in their courses.