ARTICULATION DOCUMENT
T242 Interaction Design
MODULE STRUCTURE
Module Category: Specialisation
Level (year of study): Year 2
Credit Units: 4 Modular Credits
Curriculum Hours: 90
Contact Hours: 60 over 15 weeks (4 hours per week)
Module Assessment: Continuous Assessment: 40%
- 15 Daily Grades
Summative Assessment: 60%
Understanding Test 1: 15% (online & paper)
Understanding Test 2: 15% (online & paper)
Understanding Test 3: 30% (online & paper)
SECTION 2: MODULE OVERVIEW
T242 Interaction Design is an introduction to the process of designing to improve on the human
condition, examining the simple and complex, dynamic, and sometimes hidden relationships
between people and the products and services they use. The module will explore various user‐
centered approaches in the theory, practice, and methodology of interaction design and related
studies, e.g. user experience design (UxD), user interface design (UI), human‐computer interaction
(HCI), service design, spatial and environmental design.
School of Technology for the Arts, Republic Polytechnic
T242 Interaction Design
It hopes to cultivate awareness and
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understanding of user experiences, through analyses of individual / group needs and wants,
balanced against industry / business‐oriented goals, ecological issues, and the technical /
technological capabilities of various design disciplines.
MODULE OUTCOMES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
In the course of the module, students will acquire a critical understanding of the following principles
in interaction design:

Interface and interfacing

Usability and heuristic evaluation

Affordance vis‐a‐vis the user (James J. Gibson, Donald Norman)

Ergonomics and ecology / environmental factors

Abstraction / Wireframing

Proof of concept

“Reverse engineering”
Enhanced by the iterative process of the pedagogical approach at the institute, students will develop
skills and aptitudes in:

Doing fieldwork in relation to user research.

Evaluating users in various contexts.

Sensitivity towards user needs.

Analysis of user experiences.

Sketching user experiences.

Constructing ‘scenarios’ and ‘personas’ to communicate user experiences.

Prototyping in relation to usability testing.

Concept mapping / modelling.

Hypothesis testing.

Tracing back of ideas in relation to documentation / documenting.
School of Technology for the Arts, Republic Polytechnic
T242 Interaction Design
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Allocated time per day
Module Coverage
Discussions in
Study Cluster
Spatial Design
Classroom
Exhibition booth
Car parks
Service Design
Public Transport
Music
Tangible Design
Bags
Kitchen appliances
Supermarket Trolley
Packaging
Information Architecture
Mobile Interfaces
Scanner Interfaces
Specific design concepts
Existenzmaximum
Personification of designed objects
Affordance
Design ecology & materials
sustainability
Design Process & Techniques
Example: Task analysis, personas,
scenarios, scale modeling
Total = 15 Problems = 90 hours
Resource
gathering
and team
work
Skills acquisition
and practice
6
6
6
4
4
4
8
8
8
4
4
4
9
12
3
Introduced throughout the day
31
32
35
TEACHING AND LEARNING
The module is predominantly delivered via a problem based learning style curriculum. The module is
predominantly taught in a classroom and design studio, and also involves field trips and a mini
project with a simulated industry client.
School of Technology for the Arts, Republic Polytechnic
T242 Interaction Design
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LEARNING RESOURCES
Antonelli, P. (2008). Design and the elastic mind. New York: Museum of Modern Art.
Bennett, A., & Heller, S. (2006). Design studies: Theory and research in graphic design ; [a
reader]. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press.
Berger, C. (2005). Wayfinding: Designing and implementing graphic navigational systems.
Crans-Près-Céligny: RotoVision.
Bramston, D. (2009). Material thoughts. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Academia.
Bramston, D. (2009). Idea searching. Lausanne: AVA Academia.
Brody, D., & Clark, H. (2009). Design studies: A reader. Oxford: Berg.
Buxton, W. (2007). Sketching user experiences: Getting the design right and the right design.
Amsterdam: Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann.
Cato, J. (2001). User-centered web design. Harlow [u.a.]: Addison-Wesley.
Clarkson, J. (2003). Inclusive design: Design for the whole population. London: Springer.
Colin, K. (2003). Extra spatial: Focuses on Ideo's design of interactive environments. San
Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Cooper, A., Reimann, R., Cronin, D., & Cooper, A. (2007). About face 3: The essentials of
interaction design. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Pub.
Dawes, B. (2007). Analog in, digital out: Brendan Dawes on interaction design. Voices that
matter. Berkeley, CA: New Riders.
Dernie, D. (2006). Exhibition design. New York: W.W. Norton.
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Diaper, D., & Stanton, N. A. (2003). The handbook of task analysis for human-computer
interaction: [includes CD of the entire book]. Mahwah, NJ [u.a.]: Erlbaum.
Dorst, K. (2003). Understanding design. Amsterdam: BIS.
Dreyfuss, H. (2003). Designing for people: [the classic of industrial design]. New York, NY:
Allworth.
Evenden, H. (2007). Moving forward: New directions in transport design. London: V&A.
Fuad-Luke, A. (2002). The eco-design handbook: A complete sourcebook for the home and
office. London: Thames & Hudson.
Gershenfeld, N. A. (2005). Fab: The coming revolution on your desktop--from personal
computers to personal fabrication. New York: Basic Books.
Gibson, J. J. (1979). The ecological approach to visual perception. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Hara, K. (2007). Designing design. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller.
Herriott, L. (2007). The packaging and design templates sourcebook. Mies, Switzerland:
RotoVision.
Ingram, L. (2005). The everything etiquette book: A modern-day guide to good manners. The
everything series. Avon, Mass: Adams Media.
Jenson, S. (2002). The simplicity shift: Innovative design tactics in a corporate world.
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Jordan, P. W. (2002). Designing pleasurable products: An introduction to the new human
factors. London: Taylor & Francis.
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Karlen, M. (1993). Space planning basics. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Kress, G., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading images: The grammar of visual design. New
York: Routledge.
Kuniavsky, M. (2003). Observing the user experience: A practitioner's guide to user research. Morgan
Kaufmann series in interactive technologies. San Francisco, CA: Morgan
Kaufmann.
Lawson, B. (2004). How designers think: The design process demystified. Oxford:
Architectural Press.
Lawson, B., & Dorst, K. (2009). Design expertise. Oxford, UK: Architectural Press.
Lawson, B. (2004). What designers know. Oxford [England]: Elsevier/Architectural Press.
Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2003). Universal principles of design. Gloucester, Mass: Rockport.
Marzano, S. (1998). Creating value by design. Blaricum: V+K Pub.
Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper & Row.
McDonough, W., & Braungart, M. (2002). Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we make
things. New York: North Point Press.
Moggridge, B. (2007). Designing interactions. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
Nair, P., & Fielding, R. (2007). The language of school design: Design patterns for 21st
century schools. [Minneapolis, Minn.]: DesignShare.
Nemeth, C. P. (2003). Human factors methods for design: Making systems human-centered.
Boca Raton: CRC Press, c2004.
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Nielsen, J. (2004). Usability engineering. San Diego, Calif. [u.a.]: Kaufmann.
Norman, D. A. (2007). The design of future things. New York: Basic Books.
Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. New York:
Basic Books.
Norman, D. A. (1998). The design of everyday things. London: MIT.
Pruitt, J., & Adlin, T. (2006). The persona lifecycle: Keeping people in mind throughout product design.
The Morgan Kaufmann series in interactive technologies. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Righi, C., & James, J. (2007). User-centered design stories: Real-world UCD case files. The
Morgan Kaufmann series in interactive technologies. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Morgan
Kaufman.
Robinson, P. A., & Robinson, P. A. (2009). Writing and designing manuals and warnings.
Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Saffer, D. (2007). Designing for interaction: Creating smart applications and clever devices.
Voices that matter. Berkeley CA: New Riders.
Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2003). Rules of play: Game design fundamentals. Cambridge,
Mass: MIT Press.
Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York:
Basic Books.
Slack, L. (2006). What is product design? Essential design handbooks. Mies, Switzerland:
RotoVision.
Snyder, C. (2003). Paper prototyping The fast and easy way to design and refine user interfaces. The
Morgan Kaufmann series in interactive technologies. San Diego, CA:
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Morgan Kaufmann Pub. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9781558608702
Sommer, R. (2007). Personal space: The behavioral basis of design. Bristol: Bosko Books.
Sterling, B. (2005). Shaping things. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
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