Computer Interface Design SWEN 3313

Course description:

Modern commerce is at a point in its evolution where engineer-driven product design does not drive purchase decisions. Instead, rich, immersive end-user experiences that permeate social groups are required to connect with customers. Almost any job function – especially in the online space - can benefit from user-centric design thinking.
This course will introduce you to the latest tools, techniques, and methodologies used by leading agencies and enterprises to develop world-class user experiences. Topics include market research and analysis, user personas, mental models, information architecture and wireframes, prototyping, and usability testing. 

Course Aims:

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the user experience design process, and is intended to familiarize students with the methods, concepts, and techniques necessary to make user experience design an integral part of developing information interfaces. The course provides students with an opportunity to acquire the resources, skills, and hands-on experience they need to design, develop, and evaluate information interfaces from a user-centered design perspective.

Course outcomes:

After the completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Define the critical issues and theoretical underpinnings of User Experience (UX) design;
• Establish requirements for UX design concepts using techniques such as persona development, task description, and use cases;
• Develop alternatives for UX design concepts using techniques such as competitive analysis, scenario-based design, and story-boarding;
• Demonstrate the construction of UX design artifacts using techniques such as flow diagrams, wire-framing, and paper prototypes;
• Evaluate UX design artifacts using techniques such as representative user testing, inspection methods, and expert analysis; and
Apply feedback from UX evaluations to improve information interfaces through a process of iterative, user-centered design.