CSC318

Fall 2018

    The Design of
    Interactive Computational Media


Instructors
Fanny Chevalier (Send Email)
Khai Truong (Send Email)

Office hours
Fanny Chevalier: Th3-5PM @BA5226
Khai Truong: Tu9-11AM @BA7268
TAs
Sho Conte (Send Email)
Zhicong Lu (Send Email)
Christine Murad (Send Email)
Jacob Ritchie (Send Email)

Office hours: Wed10AM-noon @BA5287 (starting Oct. 3)
Lectures (From 6 Sep. to 24 Sep.)
Mondays, 9-11am (sections 1 & 2 @ SS2102),
Tuesdays, 9-11am (sections 1 & 2 @ SS2102), and
Thursdays, 9-11am (section 1 @ NL6) or
Thursdays, 1-3pm (section 2 @ KP108)

Studios (From 4 Oct. to 6 Dec.)
Thursdays, 9-11am (section 1a @SS1086),
Thursdays, 9-11am (section 1b @AB107), or
Thursdays, 1-3pm (section 2 @BA2159)


Purpose

Understanding users,

brainstorming design concepts,

prototyping solutions,

and evaluating with users.
 
 

User-centred design results in robust solutions that successfully address real human problems. In this course, students will learn about methods and principles of user-centred design to explore a problem space and the people within that space, identifying users’ needs, system constraints and requirements, and ultimately designing solutions that incorporate all those components. Designs will be iterated from initial concepts to really valuable solutions by gathering feedback and usability testing prototypes with users throughout the course. The course project will culminate with development of a robust design that addresses the identified problem. Final project presentations will take place at the end of the course.

All lectures will be condensed at the beginning of the course (Weeks 1-4), followed by critique sessions in tutorials (Weeks 5-13). Projects competition will be held (at the end of the course). This course has no final exam.

Learning Objectives

This course is designed to provide students with the foundations necessary for understanding and applying user-centred design to address real-world problems. The learning objectives are:
  • to practice research methods for understanding user needs and practices,
  • to interpret raw data and create design artifacts (e.g., personasjob stories, scenarios),
  • to brainstorm, sketch and design prototypes that solve real user problems,
  • to evaluate prototypes (one’s and others’) for usability, learnability and usefulness,
  • to work in multidisciplinary design teams.
We will address a design problem specific to a real-world problem, inspired from the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) Student Design Competition.

Pre-requisite

CSC300H1 provides useful background for work in CSC318H1, so if you plan to take CSC300H1 then you should do it before CSC318H1. No required background, but any of the following is an asset: Graphic design / image manipulation; Technical writing; Research and literature review experience; Development, especially mobile or web; Psychology or human cognition.

Schedule

LECTURES (From 6 Sep. to 26 Sep.)

  • W1: 6 Sep.

    L1: Introduction

  • W2: 10 Sep.

    L2: Observations

  • W2: 11 Sep.

    L3: Interviews

  • W2: 13 Sep.

    L4: Questionnaires

  • W3: 17 Sep.

    L5: Design requirements and job stories

  • W3: 18 Sep.

    L6: Brainstorming and ideation

  • W3: 20 Sep.

    L7: Low-fidelity prototyping and evaluation

  • W4: 24 Sep.

    L8: High-fidelity prototyping and evaluation

  • W4: 25 Sep.

    L9: User testing

  • W4: 27 Sep.

    L10: Communicating, reporting and presenting

STUDIOS (From 4 Oct. to 6 Dec.)

  • W5: 4 Oct.

    S1: Formative study design, instruments, and protocols

  • W6: 11 Oct.

    S2: Data collection and analysis planning

  • W7: 18 Oct.

    S3: Analysis results, design requirements, and job stories

  • W8: 25 Oct.

    S4: High level design concepts and design walkthrough

  • W9: 1 Nov.

    S5: Expert evaluation of low fidelity prototype (in class)

  • W10: 8 Nov.

    READING WEEK: no classes

  • W11: 15 Nov.

    S6: High fidelity prototype, summative study design, instruments, and protocols

  • W12: 22 Nov.

    S7: Study results, expected revisions to the design

  • W13: 29 Nov.

    S8: Project presentations (Tutorial competition)

  • W14: 6 Dec.

    Competition finals