Designing Better Digital Experiences: The Master’s in Interaction Design
Tair Safiulin, fresh graduate of Tallinn University’s Interaction Design Master’s programme, wanted to learn how design can make digital experiences easier, more human-centred and enjoyable.
IIn this interview, Tair shares his experience of studying fully online, his thesis collaboration with the Kadriorg Art Museum in Tallinn, and how the skills he gained help him better understand today’s digital world.
How did you start your studies at Tallinn University’s School of Digital Technologies?
I think at first I was lost, but after the introductions to the programme, courses and lecturers, it got easier. During the introductory meeting, all of the students introduced themselves and later got to know each other better when using Slack. The first semester was hard because of how many assignments needed to be worked on at the same time.
What was the main thing about the study programme that caught your eye?
At the time, after a year of COVID lockdowns, I had been thinking about the concepts of virtual exhibitions that some of the local museums were starting to explore, since people couldn’t visit galleries and exhibitions. However many of these virtual exhibitions were poorly designed, hard to use and lacked the feeling of exploration. So when I saw that the programme focuses on understanding and improving the user experience, I thought it aligned well.
The Interaction Design Master’s programme is run fully online. What are the main benefits of studying online?
I believe the main benefit was access to materials. Since all of the material was available online, including recordings of the lectures, it reduced stress because I could always access them and read at any time I needed. Since I had to submit the assignments and all of the deadlines were marked, it made it easier for me to plan out my schedule and balance studying with other stuff.
The Interaction Design MA programme is a joint programme with Cyprus University of Technology. What do you think is the biggest plus of studying in two universities at the same time?
You get two diplomas at the price of one!
Have you worked on any interesting projects during your study years? Please tell a little about them.
I think the most interesting one was the project I tried to make for my thesis. It was an interactive room that was meant to resemble a museum hall, where the user could walk around and move their head in any direction, like in a real museum. In addition, the visitor could interact with exhibits by moving to them, pressing buttons and reading the information on them.
As a stroke of good luck, I managed to collaborate with the Kadriorg Art Museum in Tallinn, which allowed me to use scans of paintings, texts from their descriptions, and audio guide recordings for the development of the prototype.
How do you use skills gained while studying in the School of Digital Technologies in your daily life?
I will say nowadays I am much better at understanding the challenges that other people could be facing, whether they might show it or not, and it has also made me better at managing my time and energy, as well as planning strategies for future actions.
In addition, the experience gained from performing interviews and usability tests has helped me improve my social skills and has made approaching and communicating with people easier.
"Nowadays I am much better at understanding the challenges that other people could be facing, whether they might show it or not."
What problems do you see in the Digital world nowadays, and how can we solve them?
That is a big list. But if I had to condense it, 1) it would be a lack of opportunities for junior specialists and 2) overly prioritising results over process.
Firstly, there are no positions available for junior specialists, as all vacancies are for seniors, or have been replaced with AI. Even when positions are open, the competition is fierce, and employers rarely respond, which makes it even more infuriating when employers complain about the lack of candidates willing to work for small positions.
Secondly, companies focus more on getting features or applications done regardless of how well they are functioning or how easy they are to use. This can be felt in the fact that many websites are hard to navigate and take more time to process the position of features, and oftentimes do not try to get user feedback unless complaints arrive. This pragmatic mindset even extends to how young specialists are treated, as companies focus more on hiring specialists with extended work experience while refusing to train or even mentor new employees (an issue that is relevant in today’s job market).
What is your favourite digital tool?
To this day, it's Figma, as it still plays an important role in the field and is very helpful for designing and planning UI for apps.