H79.2552 Lecture 4 Credits
Instructor(s): Fabricant
This class provides students with a conceptual framework for designing interactive experiences. The tools and methods covered in this class can be applied to any platform, from screen-based applications to physical computing projects to interactive environments. The course touches on a wide range of design disciplines (graphic design, information design, product design) as they relate to the creation of compelling interactive user experiences. The course is divided into three sections: Principles, Context and Systems. It takes a heuristic approach to interactive design. Students work through a series of discrete design exercises covering basic concepts such as affordance, feedback and modality. These exercises cover different types of interactive experiences, from simple, appliance-like design problems to dense information systems. Students gain a hands-on understanding of how to combine physical controls and screen-based design elements to support different types of interactions. In the second section students acquire the tools and methods to conduct primary research with endusers, deriving relevant insights from direct observational research to shape their design solutions. In the final section we look at some of the prevailing models for interactive systems, drawing from gaming, Web 2.0 and pervasive computing. Students make use of the knowledge and experience acquired during the class to create a set of interaction design patterns that can be applied to a largescale interactive system.
