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Department of Computer Science and Technology

Part IA CST

 

Course pages 2023–24

Interaction Design

Principal lecturer: Prof Hatice Gunes
Taken by: Part IA CST
Term: Easter
Hours: 16 (8 hours lectures+ 8 hours practicals)
Format: In-person lectures
Suggested hours of supervisions: 2
This course is a prerequisite for: Further Human–Computer Interaction
Exam: Paper 3 Question 5, 6
Past exam questions, Moodle, timetable

Aims

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to interaction design, with an emphasis on understanding and experiencing the user-centred design process, from conducting user research and requirements development to implementation and evaluation, while understanding the background to human-computer interaction.

Lectures

  • Course overview and user research methods. Introduction to the course and practicals. User-Centred Design. User research methods.
  • Keeping usera in mind. User research data analysis. Identifying users and stakeholders. Representing user goals and activities. Identifying and establishing requirements.
  • Design and prototyping. Methods for exploring the design space. Prototyping and different kinds of prototypes.
  • Visual and interaction design. Memory, perception, attention, and their implications for interaction design. Modalities of interaction, interaction design patterns, information architecture, and their implications for interaction design.
  • Evaluation. Practical methods for evaluating designs. Evaluation methods without users. Evaluation methods with users.
  • Case studies from industry and research. Guest lectures (the topics of these lectures are subject to change).

Objectives

By the end of the course students should

  • have a thorough understanding of the user-centred design process and be able to apply it to interaction design;
  • be able to design new user interfaces that are informed by principles of good design, and the principles of human visual perception, cognition and communication;
  • be able to prototype and implement interactive user interfaces with a strong emphasis on users, usability and appearance;
  • be able to evaluate existing or new user interfaces using multiple techniques;
  • be able to compare and contrast different design techniques and to critique their applicability to new domains.

Recommended reading

* Preece, J., Rogers, Y. and Sharp, H. (2015). Interaction design. Wiley (4th ed.).