ClassInfo

HCI 590 Topics in Human-Computer Interaction

Cynthia Putnam

Office: CDM 736
Fall 2025-2026
Class number: 15511
Section number: 701
W 5:45PM - 9:00PM
LEWIS 01217 Loop Campus
Course homepage: See d2l

Summary

See D2L for the complete syllabus and the password and user name.

Course Description

Research with user experience (UX) practitioners has established that within industry, storytelling is considered essential for collaborating, engaging stakeholders, and shaping professional identities. The topic of UX storytelling is multidimensional and eing a good storyteller and story creator requires multiple skillsets. This course will help students understand effective UX storytelling, practice their storytelling skills, and appreciate how storytelling can shape their academic and professional success.

Learning Objectives

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

  • Identify and articulate the elements of purposeful stories in the UX contexts.
  • Apply traditional story telling principles and methods to communicate about technology use and user journeys
  • Demonstrate and explain how to adjust user stories for diverse business audiences.
  • Write and present compelling stories based on HCI user research.



Texts

Required

  • You will be required to rent or buy two movies, including a Pixar movie.

Recommended (in the syllabus under 'Readings')

  • StoryTelling in Design (2020) by Anna Dahlstrom
  • StoryTelling For User Experience (2010) by Whitney Quesenbery and Kevin Brooks
  • Universal Principles for Storytelling for Designers (2025) by Lyle H. Sandler

Other books for further exploration

  • Articulating Design Decisions (2020) by Tom Greever
  • Design is Storytelling (2017) by Ellen Lupton
  • The Story Factor (2019) by Annette Simmons


School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

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.

Online Course Evaluations

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.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

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.

Academic Policies

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 with Disabilities

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