• CD100A Imperative Programming (7.5 credits)
• CD102AObject-Oriented Programming (7.5 credits)
• CD141A Software Development and Projects (15 credits)
• CD133A Human-Computer Interaction (7.5 credits)

The course is part of the degree requirements for a Master of Science in Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering (specialisation IoT)

This course is an introduction to prototyping. The aim is for the student to develop a good understanding and to promote good user experience and design of IoT systems. The intention is to work in project form to give the student the opportunity to apply technical knowledge associated with IoT with design-oriented thinking and iterative evaluation of user experience as well as the suitability of a technical solution.

The student shall familiarise themselves with accepted techniques for describing and visualising concept ideas, prototyping, as well as different approaches for user testing to validate relevance and design of IoT systems.

The course introduces current tools and techniques for:

1. Visualisation and description of concepts of an imagined IoT system, as well as relevant scenario-based user experiences (UX) that are the aim of the chosen design.
2. Development of prototypes representing minimum viable products (MVPs), i.e., that are of particular relevance in allowing early evaluation of the intended product’s potential.
3. Evaluation of concept ideas and prototypes in terms of design choices as compared to the user experience, as well as the suitability of the technical solutions, in terms of potential for further development into complete IoT products or additional prototype development needs.

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.

Knowledge and understanding

Upon completion of the course, the student shall 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, and

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

Competence and skills

Upon completion of the course, the student shall 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, and

7. carry out a group project through teamwork and collaboration.

Judgement and approach

Upon completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

8. critically reflect on alternative ways of evaluating concepts and MVPs,

9. critically reflect on the potential of a minimum viable product,

10. 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, and

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

Lectures, seminars, lab sessions, project work and self-study.

The following are required to pass the course

• passing grade on the written concept description, including plan for use evaluation (2 credits, Pass/Fail) (Intended learning outcomes 2, 5 and 8).
• passing grade on the use evaluation and revised concept description intended for development into a prototype (2 credits, Pass/Fail) (Intended learning outcomes 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9).
• passing grade in lab session work (2 credits, Pass/Fail) (Intended learning outcomes 1, 4, 5 and 6).
• passing grade on project work with written reflection (9 credits, UA) (Intended learning outcomes 1–11).

For all assessments, the materials must be presented in a manner that makes it possible to discern individual performance.

The final grade corresponds to the grade of the project work.

• Garrett, J. J. (2010). The Elements of User Experience, New Riders Press, 2nd edition.
• Rowland, C., Goodman, E., Charlier, M., Light, A., Lui, A. (2015). Designing Connected Products: UX for the Consumer Internet of Things, O'Reilly Media.

Reference literature:

• Johnson, J. (2020). Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Guidelines, Morgan Kaufmann, 3rd edition.
• Morville, P., Rosenfeld, L., Arango, J. (2015). Information Architecture for the Web and Beyond. O'Reilly Media, 4th edition.

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.