HCI Concentration for SCS Majors

Introduction

In this concentration, students learn techniques, processes, principles, and theory of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). This interdisciplinary field aims at understanding how interactions with digital technologies and services can augment what humans do. It also aims at understanding what design, prototyping, and evaluation processes lead to innovative digital technologies and services that fulfill human needs. The concentration enhances what is learned in the SCS majors by addressing how digital products and services can be designed and evaluated so they benefit individuals, small groups, organizations, larger networks, and societies. It is synergistic with SCS majors in that envisioning, designing, and implementing innovative digital interactions benefit from superior technical skill. The concentration consists of 5 courses (2 required courses and 3 electives).

The concentration helps prepare students for jobs as technically skilled specialists in design and development of interactive systems. The concentration will give students a broader perspective on how technologies impact humans, which may help them move faster into product management positions. It also lays a foundation for graduate study in the field of Human-Computer Interaction.

Concentration Form

To request approval to add or drop the HCI Concentration, please fill out the following HCI Concentration Form (pdf) and then send your completed form to Amelia Baisley, academic program manager, via email.

Learning Objectives

Students will learn skills and methods for:

Eliciting and understanding human objectives, preferences, and needs through qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis
Generating and imagining possible solutions and design concepts that involve human/technology partnerships
Basic visual design, including typography, grids, color and the use of images
Design of interactive systems, experiences, and technologies
Developing and evaluating interactive prototypes as a way of iteratively refining designs
Evaluating interactive technologies to assess and improve their functioning through data-driven redesign, including discount and empirical evaluation methods

Students will also learn about:

Digital technologies, such as: web and mobile platforms, conversational technologies, wearable computing, gadgets, digital fabrication, virtual reality and mixed reality
Human psychology, regarding individuals, groups, organizations, societies, and cultures, as it relates to interactions with digital products and services