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Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title Interaction Design
Module Code MCO1007 (ITS: CM269)
Faculty Communications School Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 5
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


WorkloadFull time hours per semester
TypeHoursDescription
Lecture24Lectures
Assignment Completion20First Assignment - critique and presentation
Assignment Completion35Second Assignment - Research and final production
Independent Study34No Description
Class Presentation12Second Assignment - Presentation of conceptual design and interface prototype
Total Workload: 125
Section Breakdown
CRN10821Part of TermSemester 1
Coursework0%Examination Weight0%
Grade Scale40PASSPass Both ElementsY
Resit CategoryRC1Best MarkN
Module Co-ordinatorDónal MulliganModule TeacherAndreas Aurelio Rauh Ortega, Kata Szita
Assessment Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
AssignmentAnalyse, 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
AssignmentDevelop a prototype for a new service which is devise suitable.60%Week 12
PresentationParticipation 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;
RC1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module.
RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element.

* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None

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.

Indicative Reading List

Books:
  • 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


Articles:
None
Other Resources

None

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