Note: This syllabus may represent a past offering of this course and future course
offerings may differ.
HCDE 518: User-Centered Design
Instructor:
Quarter/Year:
Course Schedule:
Andrew Davidson
Autumn 2012
Tuesdays, 6:00-9:50PM
Course Description
Explores the user-centered design paradigm from a broad perspective, emphasizing how
user research and prototype assessment can be integrated into different phases of the
design process. Students learn to think like a user-centered designer and carry out
activities that are key to user-centered design.
Course Objectives
The general aims of this course are to:



Develop an appreciation for the theory and sensibilities of design
Develop skills in the use and application of a variety of design methods,
specifically applicable to user-centered design
Improve individual and collaborative skills in design-based problem solving
Upon the successful completion of this course, you should be able to:






Given a problem setting, critically discuss the appropriateness of potential design
methodologies such as contextual design, scenario-based design, participatory,
etc.
Describe the issues and challenges to achieving a human-centered design
process
Gather useful information about users and activities through observation or
systematic inquiry
Use, adapt and extend classic design standards, guidelines, and patterns
Employ selected design methods at a basic level of competence: affinity
diagrams, card sorting, scenarios of use, personas, storyboarding, sketching, and
usability evaluation
Create a paper prototype for a small system and plan and perform a usability
evaluation
Note: This syllabus may represent a past offering of this course and future course
offerings may differ.
Course Topics
Week
Topic
Week 1
Course Introduction
What is Design?
Week 2
UCD Process
Week 3
User Research 1
Week 4
User Research 2
Week 5
Personas, Scenarios, Storyboards
Week 6
Ideation & Sketching
Week 7
Prototyping
Week 8
Evaluation
Week 9
Design Specifications
Week 10
Trends in UCD
Week 11
Project Presentations
Course Wrap-Up
Finals
Online Final Exam
Grading and Assignments
Grading for this course follows the standard UW numeric grading policy (4.0 scale) for
graduate courses, explained at this link:
http://www.grad.washington.edu/policies/general/grading.shtml.
The chart below indicates the distribution (relative weight) of each component of the
various class assignments in your overall grade in the course, and gives a brief
description of each component.
Component
Class
Participation
Percentage
Description
10%
While attendance in class is not graded, per se,
your participation in class activities is an
essential part of this course. By actively
participating in class you can develop your
professional skills for design.
Note: This syllabus may represent a past offering of this course and future course
offerings may differ.
15%
Along with each collection of assigned readings,
you will also receive a set of questions and
things to think about while you read. You will
write a concise and thoughtful response to
these questions, typically about 500 words.
15%
To give you practice applying specific methods
for interaction design, you will complete three
individual design assignments in the first half of
the course.
10%
You will develop a sketchbook for the course, in
which you will think visually about objects or
interactions in your daily life and sketch ideas
for how they could be improved.
Group Design
Project
40%
A large component of this course will be to
work as a team on a design project. The topic
for the design projects will be up to the
individual teams, but suggestions will be made
by the instructor. The project will encompass
research, design, prototyping, and evaluation.
Final Exam
10%
A take-home, but timed, writing exam, will be
given as a final reflection on the course UCD
processes.
TOTAL
100%
Reading
Reflections
Individual
Assignments
Sketching
Projects