Course syllabus spring 2010
Course syllabus spring 2010
Title
Thesis Project
Swedish title
Thesis Project
Course code
KD637A
Credits
30 credits
Grading scale
UV / Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG)
Language of instruction
English
Decision-making body
Board of Studies at Faculty of Culture and Society
Syllabus approval date
2008-05-09
Syllabus valid from
2008-09-01
Entry requirements
Prerequisite course for this course is: KD634A Philosophy of Science (passed)
The course is an mandatory element in the Interaction Design programme. Entry requirements are completed coursework from the first year in the Interaction design program.
Level
Advanced level
Main field
Interaction Design
Progression level
A2E
Progression level in relation to degree requirements
Mandatory course for the Master degree in Interaction Design.
Course objectives
In the thesis project the students demonstrate their ability to carry out an individual interaction design project that contribute to the field on research level in a selected area of study.
Course contents
The thesis project is an individual specialization planned and carried out by the student under tutoring covering practical design work and theoretical reflections on design, and including readings necessary for grounding design work as well as reflection.
In principal, there are three types of thesis projects:
projects integrated in on-going research projects at the School of Arts and Communication or elsewhere
projects carried out in cooperation with an external organisation
projects based on the individual interest, knowledge and abilities of the student
Each thesis project should contain the following documented milestones, regardless of type:
Survey and research of target group, related design examples and relevant theory.
Field studies of use contexts, with the purpose of developing an understading for the context of use and empathy for typical users.
Problem framing: a detailed problem framing with a clear focus on target use qualities.
Concepts: one or more concepts represented using techniques corresponding to the communicative demands of the project.
Evaluation: report on core questions, methods and results from evaluation of concepts and their use qualities.
A written report describing the above.
Learning outcomes
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
After completing the course, the student should
-display substantial knowledge in the area of study in interaction design selected for the thesis project
-display knowledge of the design materials most important for the area of study in interaction design selected for the thesis project
-display knowledge of the design methods applicable in the area of study in interaction design selected for the thesis project
SKILLS AND ABILITY
After completing the course the student should
-display ability to formulate fruitful problems in complex design situations based on limited information
-display ability to develop a creative framing of the design problem that reaches beyond the assignment as orginially formulated, to explore a range of possibilities and thereby gradually develop knowledge about what problems should be focused given the limited resources available
-display skills in selecting and using relevant methods, techniques and tools for interaction design, including a broad repertoire of forms for representing interaction designs, software as well as hardware aspects
-display ability to evaluate design concepts, prototypes and implemented systems regarding functional, aesthetic, and ethical values, in particular method and theories the focus on the use situation
-display ability to reflect on the design process and its results, and thereby articulate new knowledge contributing to development of the field of interaction design
-display ability to, in national and international contexts, describe and discuss in speech and writing and/or through audio or visual language give form to knowledge contributions achieved through design work, including arguments for such contributions
CRITICAL SKILLS AND APPROACH
After completing the course the student should
-display ability to exercise judgement accounting for societal and ethical aspects of the design process. In particular, the student should develop ability to assess design qualities related to perspectives on gender, migration, ethnicity and environment.
-display insight into the role of information technology in society, and the responsibility for the interaction designer to develop technology that aligns with a humanistic tradition, making technology meaningful to people and enriching the society and culture it becomes a part of.
-display ability to reflect on the design process, acknowledging experience gained and identifying new learning goals, thereby take responsibility for the individual learning process.
Learning activities
The pedagogical approach takes as its starting point a fundamental assumption about learning as reflective practice. A teacher with competence in the area of interaction design selected for study is appointed as supervisor. The principal role of the supervisor has the double goal of assisting the student in developing good solutions for the design situation at hand, and also to help the student in acquiring valuable knowledge for design practice as well as stimulate reflection to develop knowledge contributions from the project work.
Assessment
The thesis project is assessed regarding design work and knowledge contribution. The following areas of the design work are assessed: problem framing, concepts developed, expression of concepts, knowledge contribution. The following criteria are used:
Innovativeness: how innovative is the framing of the problem or design situation? How innovative are the concept(s) developed? How innovative are the forms for expressing the concepts?
Pedagogical relevance: does the design work respond well to the theme as presented or does it lead astray? Is the design work firmly grounded in current research and design examples related to the theme? It is perfectly possible to present a fruitful problem framing, and concepts that are highly innovative, well fitted to contexts of use, and clearly presented, but where the design work as a whole has a weak connection to the original theme with its current research and design examples.
Contextual fit: is the problem framed in a way that displays a good sensitivity to the particulars of the users and the design situation? Do the concepts reflect this sensitivity with high precision in the fit between interaction details and user needs? Is the presentation of the concepts convincing? Does it capture the sensitivity in understanding the user and the precision in interaction details?
The design work is also assessed from technological, aesthetic, and analytical/critical perspectives.
Finally, the thesis project is assessed regarding what knowledge is articulated through reflection on the design process and its results, and to what extent this knowledge contributes to further development of the field of interaction design. If the results handed in do not comply with the requirements of the course, the student is allowed to hand in additional material or an improved version of the original results.
Course literature and other study material
Part of the thesis project consists of the student surveying and selecting readings relevant for the chosen area of study, as well as for the specific problem framing of the project, in dialogue with the supervisor. Recommended literature that students can choose from includes:
Buxton, B. (2007). Sketching user experience. San Fransisco: Morgan Kaufmann.
Krippendorf, K. (2006). The semantic turn. A foundation for design. Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis.
McCarth, J & Wright, P. 2004. Technology as experience. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Löwgren, J & Stolterman, E. 2004. Thoughtful interaction design. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Dourish, P. (2001). Where the action is: The foundations of embodied interaction. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Dunne, A. (1999). Hertzian tales: Electronic products, aesthetic experience and critical design. London: Royal College of Art.
Dunne, A., Raby, F. (2001). Design noir: The secret life of electronic objects. Basel: Birkhäuser.
Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press.
Johnson, S. (1997). Interface culture: How new technology transforms the way we create and communicate. New York: Basic Books.
Ling, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cell phone's impact on society. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann.
Schuler, D. & Namioka, A. (eds.) (1993). Participatory Design: Principles and Practice. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Schön, D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Shedroff, N. (2001). Experience design 1. Indianapolis, IN: New Riders.
Thackara, J. (2005). In the bubble: Designing in a complex world. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Course evaluation
Two intermediary course evaluations are carried out during the course, where results in relation to expected learning outcomes are discussed with each individual student. At the end of the course, a written course evaluation is carried out.