Course Syllabus

1. Introduction
   1. Definitions of human-computer interaction and user interface design
   2. Importance of interface design in software design
   3. Cost/benefit of good interface design
2. The Process - Usability Engineering: Stages in the development of user interfaces
   1. Needs analysis
   2. Systems analysis
   3. User profiling
   4. Preliminary design, including design notation
   5. Rapid prototyping and interactive design
   6. Formative evaluation techniques, including usability testing
   7. Using standards and guidelines
3. The Product
   1. Input and output devices
   2. Dialog styles
   3. Screen layout and design
   4. User documentation
   5. Evaluative testing

Knowledge Acquisition Goals

1. General concepts
   1. Understand how the user interface characteristics of everyday objects affect their usability.
   2. Understand the history of user interface design and why it has become increasingly important to software development.
2. Human capabilities and limitations
   1. Understand some human behavioral and perceptual capabilities and limitations that affect interface design.
3. Interaction styles
   1. Understand different interaction styles and designs, their advantages and disadvantages, and under what circumstances their use is appropriate.
4. Quality assessment
   1. Understand the dimensions of usability and some possible measurements.
   2. Understand basic principles of user interface evaluation and the use of standards and guidelines.
5. User interface development
   1. Understand development methodologies and lifecycle modelsfor building user interfaces.
   2. Understand the roles of prototyping in user interface design.

Skill Goals

1. Participate in team and/or individual activities to evaluate different types of user interfaces, using the techniques from the course.
2. Build user interfaces using interface development tools such as Visual Basic.
3. Participate in project(s) that emphasize the different phases of the user interface lifecycle.