This course will focus on the major user centered design methodologies used in the development of applications and environments. Topics include: evolution of software design methods, emergence of user-centered design, and key concepts, attributes and process of the major design methodologies. Software design projects will be required.

The user experience is an important design consideration in the development of any product or system. In this course, the foundations of user-centered design and human / computer interaction (HCI) are introduced through team-based projects, in-class activities, and individual work. Students will be introduced to a development lifecycle, from idea generation, requirements gathering, research and benchmarking, project planning and team roles, design development through storyboards and prototyping, usability evaluation through iterative testing.