HCI Project I

Course Information

Course Number

HCI Undergraduate: n/a
HCI Graduate: 05-671

Program Requirement

This is a required course for
MHCI

Course Description

This is the first consecutive course in the two-semester MHCI Capstone Project.

In Capstone, students work in interdisciplinary teams with a client to design and deliver a working prototype that serves as a proof of concept for a new service or product. The client defines the problem space and provides ongoing guidance, situating student work within real organizational, technical, and market constraints.

For Project I (spring semester), teams focus on understanding users, stakeholders, and contexts through background research, contextual inquiry, and direct user engagement. Students synthesize research findings to frame complex problems and generate innovative concepts that respond to identified needs while considering ethical, social, and accessibility implications. With regular client feedback, teams evaluate alternatives and converge on one or more promising directions.

This Capstone project begins in the spring semester before graduation and continues full-time through the final summer semester; MHCI Project I and II must be taken in consecutive spring and summer semesters.

Semester Offered and Units

Semester: Spring
Graduate: 15 units

Enrollment Requirements

This course available to MHCI program students only.

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