Design and Usability I is a year-long course that introduces the fundamentals of graphic design, usability, accessibility, and user experience as applied to the development of digital products. The course combines theory and practice to equip students with the skills to create user-centered designs, justify design decisions, and effectively communicate proposals through practical exercises, prototyping, and oral presentations.
The main objectives of the Design and Usability I course are:
1. To provide students with a basic understanding of graphic design, usability, accessibility, and user experience as applied to digital products.
2. To introduce the fundamentals of User-Centered Design (UCD) and its impact on product development processes.
3. To develop the ability to analyze, identify, and solve usability problems in multidisciplinary environments.
4. To apply graphic and interaction design criteria to create effective and accessible interfaces.
5. To foster the ability to justify and argue design decisions through written documentation and oral presentations.
6. To develop basic oral and written communication skills related to design and user experience projects.
USABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND USER EXPERIENCE
- Understand the concepts of usability and accessibility.
- Understand the role of usability as part of the creative and production process.
- Know the application areas of usability and accessibility.
- Know the possible interaction scenarios.
- Understand the concept of User-Centered Design (UCD).
- Learn some usability evaluation methodologies.
- Learn how to conduct an expert usability test of a project.
Communication:
- Acquire oral communication skills.
- Acquire written communication skills.
- Learn to synthesize relevant concepts.
- Learn to justify the work done.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
- Understand the concept of design.
- Understand the role of design as part of the creative and production process.
- Know the application areas of design.
- Develop communication skills.
- Understanding possible methodologies.
- Developing planning skills.
Communication:
- Acquiring oral communication skills.
- Acquiring written communication skills.
- Learning to synthesize relevant concepts.
- Learning to justify the work done.
The course is based on three distinct modules:
- Graphic Design
- Usability, Accessibility, and User Experience
- Communication
During the first semester, students will work on user experience concepts: usability, accessibility, information architecture, and user evaluation techniques. The final submission will assess the communication of the submitted report, as well as the oral presentation of the practical work, in addition to the required technical content.
During the second semester, students will work on graphic design and prototyping concepts: prototype conceptualization, creation of style guides, prototype evaluation techniques, and the entire process for designing a functional mobile application. The final submission will assess the communication of the submitted report, as well as the oral presentation of the project, in addition to the required technical content.
The course meets weekly with 12 lecture sessions per semester.
Each session will begin with an introduction to the basic concepts, followed by the application of these concepts in a practical exercise that must be submitted before the end of the session. All exercises are part of the continuous assessment.
ORDINARY CALL (JUNE) The final grade of the course will be calculated from the two semester grades. Both semesters must be passed (minimum grade of 5 each) to pass the course.
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