Module: Interaction Design

Module Specifications..

Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024

Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Interaction Design
Module Code	CM269
School	School of Communications
Module Co-ordinator	Semester 1: Andreas Aurelio Rauh Ortega Semester 2: Andreas Aurelio Rauh Ortega Autumn: Andreas Aurelio Rauh Ortega
Module Teachers	Davorka Naletilic Marcos Dias Andreas Aurelio Rauh Ortega
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

None
Array

Description

Using an interdisciplinary approach, this module provides students with an understanding of the theories and practices used in designing interactive experiences with digital media. The content focuses on the fundamentals of interaction design and user-experience, requiring students to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of human-computer interaction. It adopts industry standard tools and methods for designing, prototyping, user-testing, and collaboration in teamwork. Students should be able to develop the skills required in the industry, and to be able to critically assess third-party interactive design work.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge and critical evaluation of theories and applied principles of human-centred design in the assessment and development of user-experience, including HCI interfaces.
2. Be able to identify the main components of UX and interaction design, its pros and cons, and design HCI according to good practices for user-centred interaction design.
3. Create an industry-level design report incorporating details of a product, its interface, interaction, and limitations of design
4. Develop skills required in team work and project development
5. Recognise and implement the appropriate use of multimedia assets and techniques to formulate a valid and creative solution

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	Lectures
Assignment Completion	20	First Assignment - critique and presentation
Assignment Completion	35	Second Assignment - Research and final production
Independent Study	34	No Description
Class Presentation	12	Second Assignment - Presentation of conceptual design and interface prototype
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction to Structure and Organisation of Module

Survey of key themes and concepts to be addressed; Definition and explication of learning objectives; Applications of interface design in multimedia - an introduction.

Principles of Commercial Product Design
Historical Perspectives

Origins and evolution; Key historical developments;

Principles of Interface Design
Historical Perspectives

Origins and evolution; Key historical developments; New media and graphic design; analogue and digital;

Principles of Information Design
Defininginformation;

Information vs. communication - functions of communication; Towards a working model of information and communication.

Principles of GUI - Graphic User Interface
Tools

Categorisation - theory and applications; Visualisation
the significance of the graphical in information design; Paradigms and genre as structuring devices; Navigation and the simplification of complex structures; Site architecture, wayfinding and mapping;

Human Centred Design

Precepts and principles; Factoring human cognitive processes into information and interface design; Perception as a factor in the design of interfaces; Metaphor and the representation of abstract concepts, objects and ideas.

User Testing

Developing user profiles, questionnaires and models. Understanding the relationship between the commercial client, interface designer and user.

Case Study
Graphical User Interfaces

The limitations of contemporary interfaces; Alternatives to graphics based interfaces -using communication channels; Use of authoring software for the development of user interfaces for specific audiences.

Case Study
Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Wayfinding in architectural studies; Mapping complex data; Navigating structured data.

Case Study
Integrating Data and Display in Multimedia Environments

The graphical display of complex information; Navigation and structure in complex data - a visual approach; Information delivery in the multimedia environment - general principles and problems; Information kiosks -a detailed case study.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	Analyse, evaluate, suggest improvements, and review a webpage using the persona method of user-testing. Present findings in a report (1k words) written with academic standards.	20%	Week 7
Assignment	Develop a prototype for a new service which is devise suitable.	60%	Week 12
Presentation	Participation in lectures, workshops, and activities required to the successful completion of the module.	20%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Bryce L. Allen: 1996, Information tasks, Academic Press, San Diego, 0120510405
written and edited by Stuart K. Card, Jock D. Mackinlay, Ben Shneiderman: 1999, Readings in information visualization, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, San Francisco, Calif., 1558605339
edited by Usama M. Fayyad ... [et al.]: 0, Advances in knowledge discovery and data mining, 0262560976
Jennifer Fleming,: 1999, Web Navigation: Designing the User Experience, 1565923510
edited by Christian Gram and Gilbert Cocton [sic]: 1996, Design principles for interactive software, Chapman & Hall, London, 0412724707
edited by Robert Jacobson: 1999, Information design, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 0262600358
Nicholas V. Iuppa: 2001, Interactive design for new media and the Web, Focal press, Boston, 0240804147
edited by Morten Kyng and Lars Mathiassen: 1997, Computers and design in context, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 9780262112239
Kevin Mullet, Darrell Sano: 1995, Designing visual interfaces, SunSoft Press, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 0133033899
Donald A. Norman: 2002, The design of everyday things, Basic Books, New York, 0465067107
Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfeld: 2007, Information architecture for the World Wide Web, O'Reilly, Sebastopol, CA, 0596527349
Ben Schneiderman: 2009, Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective HumanComputer Interaction, 9780321601483
Valery I. Frants, Jacob Shapiro, Vladimir G. Voiskunskii: 1997, Automated information retrieval, 0122661702
Karen Sparck Jones (Editor), Peter Willett (Editor): 1997, Readings in Information Retrieval, 1558604545
Rory Stuart: 1996, The design of virtual environments, McGraw-Hill, New York, 0070632995
Edward R. Tufte: 1997, Visual explanations, Graphics Press, Cheshire, Conn., 0961392126
Tay Vaughan: 2008, Multimedia, McGraw-Hill, New York, 0072264519
Susan Weinschenk, Pamela Jamar, Sarah C. Yeo: 1997, GUI design essentials, 0471175498
Richard Saul Wurman, Peter Bradford (Editor): 1997, Information Architects, 978-0823064557

Other Resources

None

Programme or List of Programmes

MMA	BSc in Multimedia

Date of Last Revision

09-MAY-11

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