User Experience and Interactive Design with Co-op

In this course, students will learn what makes an interface intuitive and how to tell whether one design works better than another. Students will understand the fundamental principles of visual design and how to effectively organize and present information through interfaces. Students will also learn fundamentals of UI/UX principles. Moreover, through class projects and assignments, students will practise media enhancement and apply design elements to create an enriched media element for designing a UI effectively. Students will also practise using industry-standard tools and applications such as Figma, Photoshop and Lightroom Application to effectively learn and apply all design principles.

This course will explore the interdisciplinary concept of human-centered design (HCD). Topics include the principles of perception and HCD methodologies and processes, which inform effective interaction design. Students will investigate interaction design process and techniques and learn how to develop richer interactive user experiences. Students will identify user problems and the potential user of a product and explain how a product could solve a user’s problem.

Moreover, through practical components and assignments, students will practise and examine design elements and styles, giving them the foundational elements to create a style guide for designing a website UI effectively. Students will also practise UI principles using Figma to create parallax websites.

This course emphasizes the vital role of low- and high-fidelity wireframes in the field of user experience (UX) design. Students will learn that low-fidelity wireframes serve as the initial conceptual scaffolding, while high-fidelity wireframes provide detailed exploration in later stages. They'll also understand the importance of non-digital wireframes for swift concept validation and gain proficiency in popular visual design tools to translate wireframes into polished interfaces.

In essence, this course instills the understanding that wireframes are the backbone of exceptional UX design. They enable designers to ideate, refine and validate design concepts efficiently, ensuring that final interfaces not only meet user needs but also deliver engaging and delightful user experiences.

This course covers important aspects in designing a proper user interface for a mobile application. Through this course, students will learn about the fundamentals of digital design concepts involved in creating a user interface and how to run such experiments, analyze resulting data and evaluate and validate user experiences.

Moreover, through practical components and assignments, students will practise and start designing a restaurant mobile application through inclusion of design patterns, typography, colour theory, colour palettes and styles with high-fidelity prototypes in Figma.

This course will introduce students to fundamental methods and stages of the UX design research process that will enable them to effectively understand people, the sequences of their actions and the context in which they work. Through the assignments, students will learn practical techniques for making sense of what they see and will transform their observations into meaningful actionable insights and unique opportunity areas for design.

This course introduces the fundamental concepts of data analytics. It guides students in transitioning from formulating questions, assumptions and objectives to crafting tailored data management approaches that align with their specific goals. The curriculum covers a range of topics, including designing operations, advanced persona development, gathering user input and data, creating user empathy maps, journey mapping, content strategy, UX content audits and techniques for reducing and identifying bias within their data and content management practices.

Furthermore, by engaging in class activities and assignments, students will gain hands-on experience and begin to acquire proficiency in utilizing Figma's design features and functionalities. They will learn how to effectively employ these tools in the design process of a mobile application, leveraging the insights derived from research findings.

Given the prevalence of mobile users surpassing traditional desktop users, this course emphasizes the importance of creating user-friendly mobile experiences. Students delve into the role of a UX designer in crafting mobile interactions that are not only seamless but also delightful and useful. The course provides a comprehensive understanding of the user experience design process, equipping students with the skills to proficiently assess their designs in alignment with the needs of the end-users.

Moreover, students will hone their skills in high-fidelity prototyping through hands-on class activities and assignments. They will become proficient in implementing micro-interactions and other advanced prototyping concepts aimed at enhancing user experience design. All of this will be applied to the development of a comprehensive e-commerce mobile application using Figma, a widely recognized industry-standard mobile application software.

This course explores how to improve the way information in sites or applications is organized and presented and cost-effective ways of increasing user satisfaction and engagement. Information architecture can help UX designers find out how users think about the world and transition those lessons into products. Students will learn various techniques for gathering insights into user interactions, analyzing the data and crafting a validated information architecture plan. Then, plans are translated into refined menus, content classification and user flows.

Finally, students will gain expertise in conducting multiple usability tests to enhance their high-fidelity prototypes. They will also develop the ability to effectively communicate design ideas to stakeholders and team members, showcasing their work in a professional UX portfolio.

In this course, students will create a responsive website using WordPress, a widely used front-end web design tool. They will go through the entire design process, starting with understanding user needs, identifying issues, brainstorming design solutions, building pages, setting up menus, integrating plugins, customizing themes, working on various sections of website pages, developing live prototypes and conducting design tests to gather feedback.

Furthermore, students will gain expertise in translating design concepts into functional web applications, focusing on the front-end development aspect. They will acquire fundamental skills in website creation using technologies such as WordPress, HTML5 and CSS3.

In this comprehensive course, students will gain proficiency in transforming design concepts into functional websites at the front-end level, utilizing the WordPress content management system. They will develop a solid grasp of crucial concepts, comparing responsive design to alternative cross-platform and multi-device design methods.

Furthermore, students will acquire fundamental knowledge about optimizing websites for SEO, understanding web languages, editing styles and code within themes and delving into backend web technologies like cPanel. The course also covers web file maintenance, web backups, restoration and the management of website databases using MySQL.

In this course, students will explore the principles, methodologies and software tools employed by professionals to plan, develop and design information systems and administrative portals in line with industry standards. The curriculum will equip students with the ability to identify implicit queries, craft and document communication strategies and make informed decisions in the realm of business intelligence as prerequisites for creating information systems. Additionally, students will become proficient in utilizing the widely adopted business intelligence platform, Power BI Online Service, to visualize and decipher complex datasets.

Furthermore, through practical components and assignments, students will actively engage in the design of web-based administrative portals and desktop applications using Figma, a renowned user experience design application.

This course is designed to immerse students in the realm of emerging technologies, with a specific focus on AR/MR/VR experience development tools and skills. Through this journey, students will embark on a learning adventure that involves crafting captivating narratives and refining user experiences.

Students will have the opportunity to dive deep into the development process of augmented, mixed and virtual reality experiences. They will gain hands-on experience in story development, honing their skills in creating user-centered experiences. Furthermore, the course will provide insights into the intricate process of interface design and its pivotal role in enhancing user engagement within immersive environments.

In the Interactive Design Capstone Project, students will consolidate the skills they have cultivated across their course journey, spanning from the initial stages of need-finding to the intricate realms of visual design. This comprehensive experience empowers them to conceive and bring to life a fresh interface, service or product, putting their multifaceted expertise to the ultimate test.

Throughout this capstone endeavour, students will synthesize their accumulated knowledge into a tangible creation, effectively bridging the gap between theory and practice. This hands-on approach, from conceptualization to execution, ultimately results in the development of an innovative and impactful design solution, marking the pinnacle of their interactive design education.

This comprehensive course is designed to equip students with the necessary skills and tools to secure employment upon completing the program. Students will receive thorough training in various aspects of career readiness, including resume-crafting, portfolio development, job search strategies, interview preparation and salary negotiations. Additionally, the course offers comprehensive career development training, ensuring that students are well-prepared to enter the job market confidently and successfully.