GBDA 210Introduction to User Experience Design
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Arts
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 3 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
In this course students will learn the basic principles and practices of user experience design and testing. Students will learn how to plan, implement, and interpret tests conducted on digital design applications, focusing both on functionality and on the quality of the user's interaction with these technologies.
Prerequisites
- Enrolled in H-Global Business & Digital Arts
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 3546 | 27 / 30 | Th 09:00–11:50 |
| LEC 002 | 3547 | 26 / 30 | Th 13:30–16:20 |
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 3847 | 21 / 30 | T 09:00–11:50 |
| LEC 002 | 7890 | 26 / 30 | M 13:30–16:20 |
| LEC 701 | 1480 | 0 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
Reviewed on UW Flow
65% liked it71% easy75% useful
From 17 ratings and 3 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Super easy class but the deliverables are a tad bit confusing and tedious with multiple pdfs and documents to submit for just one assignment (we had to conduct interviews and not only did we need to submit an analysis of the interviews, we also needed to transcribe each interview and submit the original audio files (we did 3 each)). Other than that the course was pretty chill but could get boring at times as the lectures were specifically tailored to help us with our final projects so it was kind of useless outside the context of that. Very disappointing considering I was very excited to learn about UX/UI
Mar 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
I can barely recall a single thing from this course. I believe it greatly depends who your prof is. The actual work, concepts and assignment were easy but sometimes explained in a confusing manner from the prof. It’s mostly prototyping app designs, writing and group projects. I have yet to receive my marks from my designs I’ve submitted so I’m not sure how much the marks count of your design abilities but it’s quite an important factor in UX/UI. Every week there is an in-class activity you need to submit the same day to count for attendance and, yes, it will affect your mark
Nov 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Super useful and interesting course if you're keen on going into UX, lectures can just get a tad bit dry sometimes.
Oct 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
2 posts and comments in 2 threads mention GBDA 210, October 2019 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Fall 2019
Does ARTS department have undergrad TA's? 7 points, 8 comments
“Hi! I am in 2nd year and thought of TAing ro improve my resume. Does Arts have any TAs in undergrad? If yes, how do I think of applying? please help”
u/WarrenYu: “Yes they do. If you do well in the course and ask the prof about TA positions there’s a decent chance there’s something. I was a undergrad TA in 3rd and 4th year.”
u/WarrenYu: “I TAed a few courses but one of them was in web design (GBDA 210?). I graded HTML/CSS assignments. It’s been a while so I don’t remember the courses that clearly. Keep in mind the GBDA-specific courses are all in Stratford. …”
GBDA 210 Survey 4 points, 0 comments
u/uglydemo: “Hi guys! We are a group of 2A GBDA students conducting a class project on food and student's eating habits. If you guys could spare a minute to complete this quick survey it would be greatly appreciated! …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them