Entry requirements

General entry requirements + English 6.

Progression level in relation to degree requirements

This course partially overlaps the content in the bachelor programme Interaction design (TGIDE) and may therefore not be part of a degree from that programme.

Course contents

Students will be introduced to - and practice firsthand - a number of core methods of interaction design, as well as frameworks to inform their understanding and critical perspective on interaction design. For the most part, these activities are grounded in project work. We will cover a breadth of design project activities, from basic observational fieldwork through to prototyping.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students will be able to:

1. Analyse the interactivity of an artefact according to theoretical frameworks of interaction design.
2. Gather requirements and inspiration for a user-centred design project.
3. Ideate and explore the design space through sketching, making and engaging with users.
4. Develop functional interactive prototypes
5. Carry out a cohesive and constructive design process, integrating appropriate methods and frameworks from the course
6. Reflect critically on interactive artefacts and design processes.

Learning activities

Instruction consists classroom-based learning as well as practical design work ‘in the field’ and studios. Students will work in a combination of group and individual activities.

Assessment

The student will be examined through five tasks:

1. Analysis of an existing interactive artefact(s) (HP 6; Learning outcome 1)
2. Problem Framing: Students employ appropriate user-centred methods to understand the people and situation they are designing for, and appropriately communicate insights (HP 6; Learning outcome 2)
3. Ideation: Students open a design space and compare different design opportunities (HP 6, Learning outcome 3)
4. Making: Students program basic prototypes (HP 6: Learning outcome 4)
5. Final Design Project (HP: 6): A complete, but small-scale design project (Learning outcomes 1-6)

For re-examination of production assignments, certain circumstances apply since the examination of these assignments are dependent on student participation during certain periods of time and in specific projects. Re-examination will be given according to the student’s rights, but with adjustments to the specific assignment since it cannot be conducted in the same context as the ordinary examination.

Course literature

Students will be asked to purchase physical prototyping components up to 450 SEK, details of which will be provided on the course website.

Buxton, B. (2007) Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufman.

Stanford dSchool (2013) The Bootcamp Bootleg. Stanford University Institute of Design, available online: http://dschool.stanford.edu/

Supplementary literature and technical resources will be provided during the course.

Optional:

Moggridge, B. (2007) Designing Interactions. MIT Press.

Course evaluation

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)

Interim rules

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.

Additional information

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.