IAD Interaction Design

Course Description

BA Course, 2nd Semester, Spring 2011
Lecturer: Karmen Franinovic and Nicole Foelsterl

This year, the topic is religion and spiritual experience. See the course blog for more information  http://blogs.iad.zhdk.ch/ixd-process-2011/

Interaction design process is the methodology that designers use in order to create an interactive experience. It is the core of interaction design practice and is based on a variety of methods applied to different stages of the project. A design method is always related to a specific design question it aims to answer and a specific goal it aims to accomplish.  Interaction design process applies different methods in several stages of project development: Context/User Inquiry, Concept Generation, Idea Testing, Prototype Development, Evaluation and Concept Iteration.

The course is project-based and will allow students to have a hands-on experience with a range of methods at different stages of interaction design process. Organised in groups, students will develop innovative design concept for a product, a service or an experience. Following a structured stages of observation, creation, and evaluation we will discuss and apply from situated and user-centered methods to creative design practice (eg. bodystorming, context analysis, video scenarios). The final concept will be grounded in the research and be represented in the form of video, one of the most convincing  ways of communicating an interactive experience.

During the design process students will follow the stages of:

1. Observation and Analysis: User, context and/or technology inquiry

Methods: direct and participatory observation, video ethnography, interviews, questionnaires, photography, cultural probes etc.

Organisation of collected data and presentation of findings. Methods: task analysis, use of the space analysis, transcription and analysis of the interviews, qualitative data analysis etc.            

3. Idea Generation 

Ideation of many new interaction ideas. Methods: sketching, bodystorming, brainstorming, participatory user methods, mock-ups, extreme characters etc.

4. Evaluation and Concept Iteration

Testing your ideas through an iterative process. Methods: user testing with prototypes (in or out of the real context of use), acting out an experience, participatory methods, etc.

5. Presentation: Video Prototype

Communication of a convincing concept. Methods: video scenario, storyboard, working prototype, mock-ups, presentation of design process etc.    

During the course the student will learn:

- how to design through  personal exploration and in communication with others (participatory design)

- how to search for new possibilities/opportunites/alternatives for interactive products, rather than responding to a set of given requirements

- how to use a variety of methods and tools which can be existing design practices, can be borrowed from other disciplines and can be developed by designers themselves