As computing and connectivity have become ubiquitous, interactions and accomplishing tasks with technology become highly important. This course will be organized around a collection of readings and design projects concerned with applying human-computer interaction principles to the design, selection, and evaluation of interactive systems. The principles learned in foundations of HCI will help students in working with industry projects in Intro to HCI.

Instructor: Jeff Bardzell

The goal of this course is to understand how technology and society evolved together, the relationship of humans, computers, interaction and technology. It introduces the main themes of HCI like interaction design, cognitive modeling, distributed cognition, computer-supported cooperative work.

Instructor: Hamid Ekbia

In this studio-based class, students will learn to look at design through the lens of aesthetics. You will learn why should you bring art to everything you design. Students will understand the notion and use of still digital imagery as a material of interaction design, as information and technology. Students will learn techniques of digital image making, methods of visual thinking, ethnography and diagrammatic reasoning..

Instructor: Eli Blevis

The course introduces students to data collection and analysis techniques commonly used in Human Computer Interaction. Students will learn and practice both traditional human- centered design methods as well as newer methodologies from anthropology and the humanities to understand people’s uses of technological artifacts and the contexts in which these occur.

Instructor: Shaowen Bardzell

Students select two electives offered at the university at the graduate level. They continue to focus on design skills, spend more time doing research, explore hobbies, or learn technical skills like programming, VR and AR. Students have the choice to select from hundreds of courses offered outside of Informatics.

Students will learn anthropological conceptualizations of human experience in relevant to recent HCI literature. They will examine design artifacts, from Japanese punk fashion to Chicago skyscrapers. They would critique these designs and sketch new ones based on them. Ultimately, they will develop experience prototypes & design an educational museum exhibit.

Instructor: Jeffrey Bardzell

This course will focus on the construction of prototypes (breadth, depth, look, interaction, low/high, vertical/horizontal, serial/parallel, etc.) and learning how to synthesize different materials from academic papers, digital sensors, etc to communicate design ideations and concepts. Students learn to practice different prototype evaluation techniques.

Instructor: Norman Su

The Capstone course represents the conclusion of the HCI/d professional Master’s program. In it, students pursue their own independent project, scaffolded by the course, including their peers. The Capstone is each student’s opportunity to show—themselves, their peers, and potential employers—what they are capable of, both in conception and in execution.

Instructor: Andy Hunsucker/Erik Stolterman/Norman Su

The Capstone course represents the conclusion of the HCI/d professional Master’s program. In it, students pursue their own independent project, scaffolded by the course, including their peers. The Capstone is each student’s opportunity to show—themselves, their peers, and potential employers—what they are capable of, both in conception and in execution.

Instructor: Andy Hunsucker/Erik Stolterman/Norman Su

Students select two electives offered at the university at the graduate level. They continue to focus on design skills, spend more time doing research, explore hobbies, or learn technical skills like programming, VR and AR. Students have the choice to select from hundreds of courses offered outside of Informatics.