Office: TSRB 316A
Office Hours: By appointment.
Email: ledantec@gatech.edu
Class Meetings: Monday/Wednesday, 3:30–4:45PM
Location: Online
Please note that due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, this course will be held virtually for the protection of everyone involved. If you have concerns about your ability to access these materials or in participating in virtual class sessions, please let me know so we can find a workable solution.
Course Description
In this course we will study and explore the principles and practices of interaction design. You will be introduced to a number of different techniques and tools for understanding particular interaction design challenges, you will develop scenarios and storyboards, create low-fidelity prototypes, and iterate on those prototypes to create a final design project.
Prerequisites
CS 1301 or CS 1315 or CS 1321 or CS 1371 and LCC 2100 or LCC 2700, LCC 2720 strongly recommended
Course Objectives
After taking this course you should have an advanced understanding of interaction design and developed skills that will enable to you to:
- Compellingly communicate design concepts and the rationale behind them
- Create inventive design artifacts with an awareness of history, audience, and context
- Contribute to the development of new genres and forms of digital media
- Appreciate and evaluate future trends in the development of digital media
- Be able to work effectively in teams to accomplish a common goal
Grading
The total grade for the class will be based upon the following factors and weights:
| Reading responses | 10% |
| Project: Requirements | 10% |
| Project: Personas & Scenarios | 10% |
| Project: Storyboards | 10% |
| Project: Low-fidelity Prototype | 15% |
| Project: Evaluation, Iteration | 15% |
| Project: High-fidelity Prototype | 15% |
| Project: Final Presentation & Documentation | 10% |
| Project: Peer Review | 5% |
Participation
Class participation is mandatory. Participation in class discussion and in design crits are imperative because they allow you to explore content and design process collaboratively. Participation in class also challenges you to continuously question, refine, and articulate your own ideas and interpretations.
Your participation grade is determined in part by attendance, active participation in class activities and critiques, and from peer evaluation through your group project.
Lecture Material
All lecture material will be available on Canvas in the Media Gallery. You need to watch the lecture material prior to our class time to facilitate activities and discussion that will take place during our meeting times each week.
Readings & Reading Responses
All readings are either directly linked below or available in Canvas in the Perusall app. Like lecture material, you are expected to read assigned material prior to class. This semester I am trying the Perusall app to facilitate collective annotations and comments on the readings; please use these features to bootstrap discussion.
The readings are an important part of course material and will support the lectures and class discussion. To help facilitate this, you will are to write a 300- to 500-word response for each assigned readings (not each individual paper, treat all assigned readings for a day as a unit). These responses should relfect on the week’s readings synthetically (no summaries!) and may bring in prior readings (more synthesis!) or outside material.
Each response should be posted to the discussion in Canvas by noon the day the readings are assigned. Responses are graded on a 3-point scale (3 = exceptional, 2 = adequate, 1 = insufficient). I will drop your 3 lowest response scores.
Course Schedule
What follows is an outline for the semester. As the semester progresses, we may adjust dates and materials.
| Week 1 | Introduction to the course and first day administrivia. | |
| Brainstorming & Critique
Watch: Read: In class: |
||
| Week 2 | Good Interaction Design & Design Process
Watch: Read: In class: |
|
| Studio day
Semester Project Introduction |
||
| Week 3 | Understanding People
Watch: Read: In class: |
|
| Studio day
Identifying your users |
||
| Week 4 | Labor Day | |
| Personas & Scenarios
Watch: Read: In class: Project Deliverable Due (Friday, 5pm): |
||
| Week 5 | Doing Synthesis/Generating Concepts
Watch: Read: In class: |
|
| Studio day
Clarify concepts, people, goals Project Deliverable Due (Friday, 5pm): |
||
| Week 6 | Prototyping Interaction I
Watch Read: In class: |
|
| Prototyping Interaction II
Watch Read: In class: Project Deliverable Due (Friday, 5pm): |
||
| Week 7 | Modes & Metaphors
Watch Read: In class: |
|
| Studio day
Critique |
||
| Week 8 | Heuristic Evaluation
Watch Read: In class: |
|
| Studio
Critique + Work on prototypes |
||
| Week 9 | Usability Testing
Watch Read: In class: |
|
| Studio day
Critique Project Deliverable Due (Friday, 5pm): |
||
| Week 10 | Studio day | |
| Studio day | ||
| Week 11 | Studio day
Evaluation |
|
| Studio day
Evaluation |
||
| Week 12 | Studio day
Project Deliverables Due (Monday, 5pm): |
|
| Studio day
Asynchronous Critique |
||
| Week 13 | Studio day
Asynchronous Critique Project Deliverables Due (Friday, 5pm): |
|
| Studio day | ||
| Week 14 | Final Presentations | |
| Final Presentations | ||
| Week 15 | Open Studio
Project Deliverables: |
|
| Thanksgiving | ||
| Week 16 | fin |
General Class Policies
It is important to keep in mind that this class focuses on the principles and processes of information design, not on technical skills; it is therefore up to you to develop and/or hone your facility with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.
Students whose work meets all criteria outlined for an assignment will receive a grade of C; students whose work meets all criteria and shows additional sophistication, thoughtfulness, research and creativity will receive a grade of B; students whose work meets all criteria and goes well beyond the expected in terms of sophistication, thoughtfulness, research, and creativity will receive a grade of A; students whose work fails to meet to all criteria outlined for an assignment will receive a grade of D or F.
Two points will be deducted for all typographic, spelling, and grammatical errors in all writing assignments.
Late assignments will not be accepted. Presentations must be given on the designated day.
Lectures will not be posted. It is your responsibility to take notes and remain attentive in class.
If you have questions or concerns about this or any other course policies stated in this syllabus, class assignments, email correspondence, or announced in class, please speak with me in class, during office hours, or via email as soon as possible so that we can discuss your concerns.
Debate, Diversity, and Respect
In this class, we will present and discuss a diversity of perspectives. Although you may not always agree with others’ perspectives, you are required to be respectful of others’ values and beliefs. Repeated inappropriate or abusive comments and/or behavior will be cause for disciplinary action. If you feel that your perspectives are being ignored or slighted, or you in anyway feel uncomfortable in the classroom, please contact me immediately.
The Communication Center
The Communication Center is located in Clough Commons, Suite 447. It is an excellent resource for any student (undergraduate or graduate) who wants help with a communication-related project. You can visit the center for help at any stage of the process for any project in any discipline. The knowledgeable and friendly tutors are available to help you develop and revise your projects. They are not available to “fix” your projects. Please do not ask the tutors to proofread or edit your projects.
For information on making an appointment please visit their website. If you need assistance with the appointment system, you can call 404-385-3612 or stop by the center.
All services are free and confidential.
Students with Disabilities
Students should self-report to the Access Disabled Assistance Program for Tech Students at:
220 Student Services Building
Atlanta, GA 30332-0285
404.894.2564 (voice) or 404.894.1664 (voice/TDD)
www.adapts.gatech.edu/guidebook.html
Scholastic Dishonesty and Academic Misconduct
This class abides by the university’s policies relating to plagiarism, scholastic dishonesty, and academic misconduct. Per the Georgia Tech Code of Conduct, plagiarism is defined as:
- Unauthorized Access: Possessing, using, or exchanging improperly acquired written or verbal information in the preparation of a problem set, laboratory report, essay, examination, or other academic assignment.
- Unauthorized Collaboration: Unauthorized interaction with another Student or Students in the fulfillment of academic requirements.
- Plagiarism: Submission of material that is wholly or substantially identical to that created or published by another person or persons, without adequate credit notations indicating the authorship.
- False Claims of Performance: False claims for work that has been submitted by a Student.
- Grade Alteration: Alteration of any academic grade or rating so as to obtain unearned academic credit.
- Deliberate Falsification: Deliberate falsification of a written or verbal statement of fact to a Faculty member and/or Institute Official, so as to obtain unearned academic credit.
- Forgery: Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any Institute document relating to the academic status of the Student.
- Distortion: Any act that distorts or could distort grades or other academic records.