CCOG for MUC 262 archive revision 202004
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- Effective Term:
- Fall 2020 through Winter 2025
- Course Number:
- MUC 262
- Course Title:
- Interface Design
- Credit Hours:
- 4
- Lecture Hours:
- 30
- Lecture/Lab Hours:
- 20
- Lab Hours:
- 0
Course Description
Introduces theories and methods for design of user interfaces for functional, expressive, and artistic ends. Explores established and novel strategies for a positive user experience. Includes development of one or more user interfaces. Audit available.
Intended Outcomes for the course
Upon completion of the course students should be able to:
- Apply the principles of design to define inclusive interface design to a wide range of tools spanning multiple historical periods and populations.
- Develop accessible analog and mechanical interfaces that enable simple and intuitive use.
- Create polymorphic digital interfaces that apply modern design conventions that anticipate software users’ needs across different devices.
- Apply the different levels of emotional design and principles of human psychology to develop, study, and improve interfaces based on user behavior and sentiment.
- Identify interface design challenges and solutions to address the needs of a diverse global audience by designing interfaces that are intuitive, accessible, and inclusive.
Course Activities and Design
The material in this course will be presented in a classroom lecture/discussion/demonstration format, and in class hands-on exercises. There will be required readings. There will be short assignments weekly, which may be partially completed in-class. Also, longer assignments, which demonstrates techniques and skills, developed in the course.
Outcome Assessment Strategies
Projects will be a major criteria for evaluation. Emphasis will be placed on creativity, presentations, meeting assigned deadlines, and participation in collaborations and critiques. Additional methods of assessment may include quizzes, exercises, assignments, and attendance.
Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)
- What makes a "good" interface? A comprehensive survey of and framework for designing and implementing interfaces for both analog and digital applications.
- Interface design from ancient tools, through books, farm equipment, automobiles, appliances, and smartphones. Da Vinci's sketches through modern patents.
- Affordances, natural design, conceptual models, visibility and human psychology in interfaces.
- How bad interfaces reinforce patterns of blame and helplessness.
- Physical, semantic, cultural and logical constraints.
- Validating interface designs.
- The future of interface design.