SIT216 - User Centred Design

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Deepti Aggarwal
Prerequisite:

Four SIT coded units (excluding mathematics units coded SIT19x, SIT29x, SIT39x)

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: SIT365
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

1 x 2 hour online lecture per week, 1 x 2 hour practical experience (workshop) per week.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

Online independent and collaborative learning including 1 x 2 hour online lecture per week (recordings provided), 1 x 2 hour online practical experience (workshop) per week.

Content

User-Centred Design (UCD) focuses on designing usable solutions and determining appropriate interactions between humans (users) and computational systems. It deals with the issues surrounding the design of interfaces to afford those interactions. Aspects of UCD also relate to the field of ‘Human Computer Interaction’ (HCI) which is more than just the “human” and the “computer”; it encompasses many facets including, interface and interaction design, affordance and usability, ergonomics and psychology. Specific attention to user needs and requirements through observation, analysis and investigation is essential for ensuring the resulting design of products, objects and systems are usable.

On completion of this unit, students will be able to critically analyse existing interfaces and use HCI and UCD principles to evaluate the systems they use. Consequently, a greater understanding of users in order to determine and analyse their interface needs is necessary. Lastly, being able to demonstrate applying HCI concepts to create, develop and enhance interactions and interfaces for clients and end-users which result in successful and engaging user experiences.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1

Articulate knowledge of interface design and illustrate concerns for application in a variety of modern systems and products.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

ULO2

Develop an awareness of good practice interface design through analysis of design guidelines and principles including UCD approaches.

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO3

Evaluate usability using design guidelines, principles and ethical user testing to propose design solutions that fit user needs which in-turn improves user experience.

GLO4: Critical thinking
GLO8: Global citizenship

ULO4

Work as a group in a collaborative design team to create an interactive system prototype.

GLO5: Problem solving
GLO7: Teamwork

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1
User research and project planning (Individual)
2000 word written report 20% Week 4
Assessment 2
Low-fidelity interface design prototype (Individual)
Short design report and low-fidelity interface prototype 25% Week 8
Assessment 3
High-fidelity Interface design prototype (Group)
Collaborative design report, reflection, and high-fidelity interface prototype 35% Week 12

Assessment 4
Presentation/Pitch (Group)

Reflection (Individual)

Group presentation on proposed design project

Individual reflection on project

20% (10%
10%)

End-of-unit Assessment period

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: SIT216 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

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