HCI 454 Interaction Design and Information Architecture
Summary
Drawing upon theory and principles, students learn how to design
effective information structures and user interfaces.
Course Goals
By the end of the quarter, students will be able to:
- Design user interfaces appropriate for various users and devices.
- Produce design documentation including site maps, flowcharts and wireframes.
- Recall and apply common design principles.
- Employ common design methodologies such as card sorting.
- Select appropriate design patterns and user controls.
Tentative Projects
- Two small design projects (individual projects).
Design the interaction for two small applications.
- Information-based web site proposal (individual
project). Propose an idea for an information-based web site,
to be designed as a team project.
- Information architecture and navigable web site (team
project). Construct usable categories based on card sort
results. Design layouts and search interaction for information
architecture project.
- User interface design (team project). Design user
interface for a task-oriented application, using both form-based and
command-based interaction styles.
Texts
Required Texts
Designing Interfaces (2nd Edition)
Jenifer Tidwell
ISBN-10: 1449379702
Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning (2nd Edition)
Dan M. Brown
ISBN-10: 0321712463
Card Sorting
Donna Spencer
ISBN-10: 1933820020
Microinteractions: Designing with Details
Dan Saffer
ISBN-10: 144934268X
Optional Texts
Responsive Design Workflow
Stephen Hay
ISBN-10: 0321887867
Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated (2010)
William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler
ISBN-10: 1592535879
Grading
20% (40 points, 20 points per project) |
Small Projects (2) |
10% (20 points) |
Project proposal |
10% (20 points) |
Take-home midterm quiz |
20% (40 points, 20 per project) |
Team projects (2) |
25% (50 points) |
Final exam |
15% (30 points) |
Individual contribution |
Students receiving more than 90% of possible points are guaranteed at
least an A-, more than 80% at least a B-, more than 70% at least a C-,
and more than 60% at least a D.
All submitted work (e.g. project reports, peer reviews, online
discussions) must be original work unless its source is clearly
referenced. Failure to clearly attribute quotes or designs from other
people's work constitutes plagiarism. Violations will generally
receive no credit for a given submission.
The final exam is a proctored, comprehensive exam. A major
component of the exam addresses knowledge and application of
established design principles and patterns (a list will be provided
near the beginning of the quarter). The midterm quiz provides a
non-proctored means for learning about course expectations and
practice answering questions.
The score for individual contribution to class and team projects is
based on contributions to class activities, documented contributions
in team reports, observed team activities (in class, email or group
message boards) and team member reports at the end of the quarter.
Students who make solid contributions to their team projects and
regularly participate in class (i.e. weekly contribution) receive at
least 90% of the contribution points. Exceptional contributions
receive more than 90%.
Team presentations occur in the last week of class. All students
must contribute to the presentation, although all members do not need
to be physically present for the presentation. At the end of the quarter every student is expected to submit a
completed evaluation form for
each group member.
Team projects will generally be completed in groups of three, four
or five. To form groups, students review individual project proposals and submit preferences to work on them. Groups will then be
formed based on the preferences. Most groups will consist of students
from both the on-campus section and the online section. Some class
time will be used to coordinate among group members. When possible,
online members are encouraged to communicate with the in-class groups
using collaborative tools such as Skype and chat programs.
All group members are
jointly responsible for the entire assignment, although the group may
assign primary roles to each group member. Generally, each group
member will receive the same score on each project. However, in some
cases, additional credit may go to those who make an exceptional
contribution to a project and reduced credit to those who contribute
little to a project. Any adjustment will be based on a variety of
indications including group participation in class, contribution
summaries in reports, and student feedback at the end of the quarter.
Policies
Students are expected to attend every class or watch the lecture
online.
Tests can be made up with a serious documented excuse
(e.g. illness, death in the family) and must be arranged as soon as
possible. Arrangements involving other excuses require prior
permission from the instructor.
Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late, with a 1 point
penalty. Assignments submitted more than 3 days after the due date
will not be accepted without an excused absence cleared
by the dean
of students office (see forms for submitting an excused
absence).
Additional assignments for extra credit will not be offered.
All grade challenges must be submitted in writing and include an
explanation why the given score or grade should be reconsidered.
Prerequisites
HCI 406 and HCI 440 are prerequisites to this course.
Tentative Schedule
Week |
Topic |
Reading |
Assignment or Exam |
Sep 12 |
Course overview, Review UCD process, Overview of principles, user categories and deliverables |
Tidwell ch. 1, Brown ch. 2, 7; Optional: Hay ch. 1 |
|
Sep 19 |
Design process and deliverables |
Tidwell ch. 2, Brown ch. 4-6; Optional: Hay ch. 2-5 |
Small project 1 |
Sep 26 |
Navigation |
Tidwell ch. 3-5, Spencer ch. 1-4, Chin et al. IF article |
|
Oct 3 |
Constructing user categories |
Spencer ch. 4-9 |
Proposal for team project |
Oct 10 |
User actions |
Tidwell ch. 6, Saffer ch. 1-2 |
Small project 2 |
Oct 17 |
Controls and rules
|
Tidwell ch. 8, Saffer ch. 3 |
Midterm take-home quiz |
Oct 24 |
Feedback |
Saffer ch. 4, pp. 109-113 |
|
Oct 31 |
Modes, Automated interaction, Common errors
|
Saffer ch. 5, course notes |
Team Navigation Site |
Nov 7 |
Social Media, Mobile Design, Advanced topics |
Tidwell ch. 9-10, Optional: Hay ch. 6-7 |
|
Nov 14 |
Presentations, Review |
TBD |
Team App |
Nov 21 |
|
|
Final Exam |
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The
evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely
separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.
Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that
you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296