I think having tools/services like https://hellopingpong.com/ and https://www.userinterviews.com/ is definitely the answer.

I've posted on Quora about my whole experience. I don't feel much like pasting the whole content here, as it would look awful and tedious. Anyways, here it is: What is the best masters program to learn UX or Interaction design?

I also agree that most of the UX Design courses online are too basic or too expensive, and it's hard to find a balance point for specifics like Human-Computer Interaction or User Research.

I think you (and anyone with the same question) should try the Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) online UX design courses. These are taught by experts, and focus on the real science instead of the trending tools.

You'll also get an industry-trusted certificate but more importantly, timeless knowledge.

This is awesome, thanks so much!

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I agree!

I believe the best starting point is studying the basic principles of Interaction design, Visual Design, and ultimately, UX.

I think you’ll benefit greatly from learning about the psychological and sociological reasons that make design appealing to people, why a design is successful, and which combination of elements make for a pleasant user experience. After all, the rational, logical and subconscious reasons that made something work for the masses in 1980 are the same reasons that will make it work in 2020.

I personally come from a QA background and have learned many things through testing software. However, I struggled to put a lot of that knowledge into words, or make a practical use of it for that matter. I could see that something was wrong or wasn’t working for me as a user when I was checking an interface but I couldn’t make sense of it.

Then I started checking online material on the topic of interaction design and things started to make sense.

My sources to learn are:

• The Interaction Design Foundation Free Literature Section
• Nielsen Norman Group Free Articles
• UX Pin Free ebooks

And, online courses from beginner to advanced, with suggested learning paths:

• The Interaction Design Foundation Courses

As they've already said, I think the value of a degree will depend a lot on your ambitions and employers. For example, in traditional companies such as banks and insurance companies, a master degree + a few years of working experience will probably set you up for a management position.

However, in startups and smaller companies where teams are multitasking, it probably won't.

It’s easy to think that a four-year program of “superior” design education is the only way to guarantee the successful career you want. The truth is, however, that with proper motivation, the right resources, and relatively inexpensive training you can successfully make your way into the industry.

I have been a self-learner my whole life. I learned by myself how to tie my shoelaces, how to speak English (it’s not my native language), how to test software, and more recently, how UX and Interaction Design works.

That’s the reason why I’m very much in favor of what is called “Buccaneer Scholars”:

"A Buccaneer-Scholar is anyone whose love of learning is not muzzled or shackled by any institution or authority; whose mind is driven to wander and find its own place in the world."

That mindset helped me to make my way into the field of software testing. I found a lot of inspiration in James Marcus Bach, the author of the Buccaneer Scholars and also one of the promoters of Rapid Software Testing. This is as you said, the life-long learning journey.

So, long story short. There's no straight answer :/ maybe someone who benefited from a masters degree has a different take on this.

Loved it! Thanks for sharing :) Here's a 404 page compilation I enjoyed: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/how-to-design-great-404-error-pages