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SIMS 213 - User Interface Design and Development

Overview

Introduction

This course will cover the design, prototyping, and evalution of user interfaces for computers, which is often called Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

HCI covers many topics including:

• Human capabilities (e.g., visual and auditory perception, memory, mental models, and interface metaphors)
• Interface technology (e.g., input and output devices, interaction styles, and common interface paradigms)
• Interface design methods (e.g., user-centered design, prototyping, and design principles and rules)
• Interface evaluation (e.g., software logging, user observation, benchmarks and experiments).

This material will be covered through lectures, reading, discussions, homework assignments, and a course project.

Goals of the Course

The goal of the course is for students to learn how to design, prototype, and evaluate user interfaces using a variety of methods. In order to achieve this, students should come away with an understanding of:

• how to study the tasks that a prospective user will need to accomplish with a software system
• the cognitive and perceptual constraints that affect UI design
• techniques for evaluating a user interface design
• the importance of iterative design in producing usable software
• the underlying technology used to prototype and implement user interface code
• how to work together on a team project and to communicate the results of work, both in oral and written form.