Course Description

The design of interactive user experiences. Human perception, motivations, and how people interact with devices. User-centered design. Rapid prototyping and iterative design/development with digital toolsets.

SBC: TECH

Course Objectives

In this class, we will be alternating between the theoretical and the practical. On the theoretical side, you will learn about underlying principles, design guidelines, models and approaches. On the practical side, you will learn to use a rapid prototyping tool (AppInventor) to rapidly prototype and develop your own interactive applications. At the conclusion of the class, students will:

• understand the terminology and methods used in interaction design,
• understand users’ needs, requirements and abilities,
• understand the range of possibilities for interaction design, and
• be able to design applications and services that are user-centered.

Textbook

Dan Saffer, Designing for Interaction: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices, 2nd edition,  Peachpit Press, 2009.  ISBN: 0321643399.

Course Requirements

• Design Projects - 50%
  Over the course of the semester, you will develop two interactive applications using AppInventor. See the Project description for further details and the Schedule (below) for due dates.
   
• Exams - 30%
  Three quizzes will be given, as shown in the schedule, during class time. A cummulative final exam will be given at the end of the semester. All exams will be closed book/notes.
   
• Class Participation - 20%
  This includes participation in in-class activities and discussions of readings. See the Assignments section for further details.

Advisories

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Any suspected instance of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/.

The University at Stony Brook expects students to maintain standards of personal integrity that are in harmony with the educational goals of the institution; to observe national, state, and local laws and University regulations; and to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty is required to report disruptive behavior that interrupts faculty’s ability to teach, the safety of the learning environment, and/or students’ ability to learn to Judicial Affairs.

My Own Advice

Think of me as your cranky client. There may be times when you disagree with what I say about your work. Just remember that I am the one giving out the grades. When I make a suggestion, be sure to listen, because it is likely to have an impact on your final grade.

Start your assignments and your project early. That way if you have trouble, you can get help in time to finish your assignment by the due date. This will also help you to avoid a last-minute crunch in the lab.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't understand something, it's likely that your classmates don't understand it either. Raise questions in class. If you need further explanation, come see me during office hours. If you can't make my office hours, send me email. Be sure to do this before you get hopelessly lost.

Work with other students. I do not mean that you should copy each other's work (which will not be tolerated). Rather, you should learn from one another. If you can't figure out how to make something work, see how your colleague did it. It is also useful to discuss different ways of approaching a problem.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you anticipate having any problems with this class. If alerted to them early on, I may be able to accommodate your needs.

Topics

Throughout the class, we will be exploring both the theoretical and the practical aspects of the following topics. Although most readings will come from the Saffer text, additional readings will be made available on the Blackboard site. Readings are to be discussed on the day listed. Deliverables are to be handed in during the week in which they are listed. Please note that this schedule is approximate, and subject to change.