This course is an introduction to prototype development. The aim is to develop a good understanding and promote good user experience and design of IoT systems. The project format will provide the student with the opportunity to apply technical knowledge associated with the IoT to design-oriented thinking and iterative evaluation of the user experience, as well as the suitability of a technical solution.

Students will become familiar with accepted techniques for describing and visualising concept ideas, prototype development, and various approaches to user testing to validate the relevance and design of IoT systems.

The course introduces current tools and techniques for:

Specific aspects for IoT systems related to design and development are discussed to provide justification for the design of concepts and prototypes, as well as evaluation of user experiences and technical possibilities.

The course also introduces strategies for identifying and using relevant representatives of intended user groups to support the design of user groups (including aspects such as gender, ethnicity and age distribution) as well as forms of evaluation of user experiences.

To pass the course, the student must be able to:

1. Describe known issues related to the design of IoT systems.

2. Describe a concept for a new, or more widely developed, IoT system using scenarios and relevant techniques for the visualisation of usage and functionality.

3. Describe a minimum viable product (MVP) using relevant techniques for system description and user experience (UX), and justify the choice of technology.

To pass the course, the student must be able to:

4. Implement relevant parts of a major IoT concept into an MVP within a given time frame.

5. Plan and conduct usability tests of concepts and MVP.

6. Analyse results from usability tests, use and technology evaluation to justify the need for revision and/or further development of concept idea or MVP.

To pass the course, the student must be able to:

7. Critically reflect on alternative ways of evaluating concepts and MVPs.

8. Critically reflect on the potential of a minimum viable product.

9. Reflect on ethical choices and dilemmas of IoT systems, including the chosen concept and MVP, in terms of user experience and in what way the chosen solution is based on design-for-trust.

10. Critically discuss the importance of different parts of a system, and the order in which they should be implemented.

Lectures, seminars, laboratory work and projects.

In order to achieve a passing grade (A-E), all the parts must have been completed with a grade E or G. In order to achieve a final grade above E, the project work is decisive.

Reference literature:

The University provides students who are taking or have completed a course with the opportunity to share their experiences of and opinions about the course in the form of a course evaluation that is arranged by the University. The University compiles the course evaluations and notifies the results and any decisions regarding actions brought about by the course evaluations. The results shall be kept available for the students. (HF 1:14).

When a course is no longer given, or the contents have been radically changed, the student has the right to re-take the examination, which will be given twice during a one year period, according to the syllabus which was valid at the time of registration.

The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.