[irondavycole]

These are definitely UX methods used by practitioners in larger workplaces/agencies. The issue is that most startups don't have a UX person that focuses exclusively on UX. For better or for worse, there aren't many resources given to UX in startups so the person (it's usually only one person) that is responsible for UX is often also responsible for UI, visual design, branding, marketing, HTML/CSS, etc.

So, someone in that role has to condense each field of work into their most efficient/cheap forms. Formal UX processes like wireframing, rapid prototyping, and user stories can directly result in product decisions.

Other tasks are meant more for gathering inspiration, forcing lateral thought, challenging assumptions: exercises that inform product-level decisions. While that's very valuable, many startups already have a fairly clear path determined by folks from the engineering or business segments. The designer is usually taking pre-determined product decisions and crafting them into something usable, attractive, cohesive, marketable, and high-conversion. No easy feat, but not quite where unfocus groups are helpful.

This isn't what I would necessarily describe as ideal, but it is how it often works in my experience. I would hope that the fuzzier UX processes find a home in startups but I don't often see design having that much of a priority, in terms of resources allocated or level/stage of input.

[frio]

I think you've made an important distinction here, which is easy to gloss over: that UX isn't necessarily UI. I tend to think of the UI more as the layer of gloss that's put over the top; whereas UX is the actual interaction flow a user will participate in. FWIW, a product the company I work for is designing is extremely pretty to look at, but when it comes to using, it becomes painfully obvious there's been little to no external user testing. I'm not involved with the project, but it pains me to see them not stump up the cash for even a basic expert evaluation.

For the OP, while at an undergrad level those techniques might seem trivial (I can remember being an absolutely arrogant prick while we were learning them!), it quickly becomes apparent either in the workforce or at postgrad level that they're valid and necessary tools for turning out a great UX. There's no point in designing something you find pretty and easy to use, when other users (your personas) might struggle with it.

They might bore you now, and I know from experience that lecturers can take weeks to teach what can seem a simple idea, but if you are seriously interested in UX rather than UI, write them up and put them in a notebook somewhere you can refer to later. You'll almost definitely find them useful :).