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Course Syllabus

CS 1430 User Experience Design

  • Division: Natural Science and Math
  • Department: Computer Science & Engineering
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 1; Lecture: 1; Lab: 0
  • Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
  • Semester Approved: Spring 2020
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2025
  • End Semester: Fall 2025
  • Optimum Class Size: 18
  • Maximum Class Size: 24

Course 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.

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

  1. Gather useful information about users and activities through asking, looking, learning and experimenting with alternatives.
  2. Become familiar with tools to create mockups of mobile and web applications.
  3. Have experience conducting live user testing of different designs and mockups.
  4. Create mockups and prototypes of varying levels of fidelity, understand the purposes of each with their advantages and disadvantages.
  5. Understand the difference between user-interface design and user-experience design.

Course 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.