Course Syllabus

Course: CS 1430

Division: Natural Science and Math
Department: Computer Science & Engineering
Title: User Experience Design

Semester Approved: Spring 2020
Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2025
End Semester: Fall 2025

Catalog Description: This course explores the requirements, analysis, design and evaluation of the User Interface in the context of the Software Engineering process. Usability is one of the key factors determining whether a software project succeeds or fails. Specific methods and design problems will be illustrated with real-world examples in information technology, the internet, communications, etc.

Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 1; Lecture: 1; Lab: 0

Prerequisites: MATH 1050 which may be taken concurrently or higher

Justification: A positive user experience is a key differentiator between successful apps and unsuccessful apps. The focus of the course is to develop conceptual designs based on the needs of users. This is a required course as part of the Software Engineering Bachelor's degree.


Student Learning Outcomes:
Gather useful information about users and activities through asking, looking, learning and experimenting with alternatives. This will be assessed through homework exercises, quizzes, exams and/or project work.

Become familiar with tools to create mockups of mobile and web applications. This will be assessed through homework exercises, quizzes, exams and/or project work.

Have experience conducting live user testing of different designs and mockups. This will be assessed through homework exercises, quizzes, exams and/or project work.

Create mockups and prototypes of varying levels of fidelity, understand the purposes of each with their advantages and disadvantages. This will be assessed through homework exercises, quizzes, exams and/or project work.

Understand the difference between user-interface design and user-experience design. This will be assessed through homework exercises, quizzes, exams and/or project work.


Content:
Study the principles of user experience design, which includes user interface design. Learn how user experience impacts all stages of the software development lifecycle from design to implementation through maintenance.


Key Performance Indicators:
Homework exercises 20 to 40%

Quizzes 0 to 20%

Exams 0 to 30%

In-class participation 0 to 15%

Final project 10 to 40%


Representative Text and/or Supplies:
The Design of Everyday Things (Current version); Don Norman

Don't Make me Think, Revisited (Current version); Steve Krug


Pedagogy Statement:
This course will be delivered through in class discussions, lecture and project mentoring.

Instructional Mediums:
Lecture

Maximum Class Size: 24
Optimum Class Size: 18