This course teaches students about user-centered research methods to foreground user-groups within design projects. It enables the design process to be informed by understanding the needs, habits, biases and cultures of organizations and individuals. The course aims to equip students with a range of design research methodologies and analytical tools that give rise to empathetic design decisions and robust ideation processes.

Credits: 4

This course introduces the fundamental principles, methods, and practices of user interface (UI) design.  Students learn the UI design process and technical aspects of creating fully functional prototypes.  Students work both individually and in groups to explore the UI development process, including ideation, iterative prototyping, and user-testing. They learn about the application of visual and interactive elements such as typography, color theory, iconography, and UI layout design.  Students participate in focused exercises that will orient them to the process and resources required to further pursue UI design.  This class uses a virtual studio format and students will participate in online group discussions, critiques, and presentations.

Credits: 4

UX Design: Smart Mobility is a graduate-level online course exploring user experience (UX) design for mobility in everyday life. Students learn the UX design principles, methodologies, and tools to create effective and efficient human experiences.This course focuses on the design of technologically mediated interactions between users, environments and products, including the elements of visual representations, spatial interaction, physical objects, space and time, and behaviors in the context of smart mobility and mobility systems.

Credits: 4

Designing excellent user experiences requires an understanding of accessibility needs, i.e. making products for everybody.  This course explores inclusivity and accessibility for human-centered interactions with technology. This course helps students to design experiences compatible with human limitations (cognitive ergonomics) and how to ease the way they make sense of the world around them. Through user-testing, students will learn how to leverage human perception, ergonomics, and information systems to generate intuitive interactions with technology.

Credits: 4

This course introduces the fundamental concepts, methods, and practices of data-driven design, including hypothesis development, A/B testing, data analysis and visualization. Research and user testing are critical parts of the design process. In this course, students learn how to use research and data to make design decisions, and act upon insights from user testing. This course also teaches students to analyze data and communicate findings through data visualization in clear and effective ways.

Credits: 4

This course gives students a foundation in designing user experiences for the Metaverse (Meta – meaning beyond and verse – meaning universe). Students discuss the present and future state of the alternative realities and their cultural and social impact through case studies and research about specific practices in various fields such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mix-reality (MR), responsive environments, virtual presence, gaming, online social practices, storytelling and communication.

Credits: 4

This course is the first of a two-part self-directed capstone project for the MA degree. Students will undertake research to establish a theme, and critically situate the project in a specific context. Students will develop a body of well-documented iterative ideation, leading to thematically relevant creative outcomes evidencing practical impact and/or a critical provocation.

Credits: 3

This course is the second of a two-part self-directed capstone project for the MA degree. Students will build on the design research, ideation and initial prototyping undertaken in part 1 and realize a UX design outcome/product with a fully operational prototype.

Credits: 3