Examination arrangement

Course content

The core of this course is to introduce the students for User-centered design and they will learn to use it by identifying a problem or a need for a defined group of users. The students will then develop suggested solutions through using creative techniques and make sketches and prototypes and in a systematic way, test these solutions on the primary users. After that, the whole process is repeated partly or as a whole to develop the understanding of iterative and human-centered design methods and thinking.

Topics:

• Iterativ user-centered design
• Personas and user stories
• Development of scenarios
• Universal design
• Creative techniques
• Sketching and prototyping
• Systematic User Testing

Learning outcome

Learning outcome, knowledge:

After completing the course, the student will have the following knowledge:

• Have fundamental knowledge about what user-centered design is and what phases, methods and principles that is at the core of user-centered design
• Have fundamental knowledge about the term user experience, and user interface
• Have fundamental knowledge about regulations regarding research ethics and GDPR as it relates to a researcher handling possible person-sensitive data

Learning outcome,  skills:

• After completing the course, the student will have aquired the following skills:
• Be able to analyse end-users needs with regards to a system and map out problems with the current solution
• Be able to make sketches and prototypes
• Use creative techniques to develop solutions to established problems
• Ability to document a design project in a simple formal report.

Learning outcome, general competence:

• Ability to participate in a group-based project 
• Analyze and agree on a project topic/task as a group and execute the work according to the syllabus
• Recruit representative end-users that suits the task at hand and perform a test among this group.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, group work.

There are 4 compulsory work requirements in the course, all of which must be approved to take the exam.

Compulsory assignments

• Obligatoriske arbeidskrav

Further on evaluation

Assessment: Written exam at the end of the semester. Letter grade A-F

Compulsory submissions: There are 4 compulsory work requirements in the course, all of which must be approved to take the exam.

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

Requires admission to study programs: Bachelor in Web Development, Bachelor in Interaction Design, Bachelor in Programming and the one year program in Informatics.

Course materials

Obligatory course material, may be subject to change before start of the course:

• The design of everyday things. Don Norman (Author)
• Understanding your users. A practical guide to user research methods. Kathy Baxter, Catherine Courage and Kelly Caine (Authors)