Course Description

The design of interactive user experiences. Human perception, motivations, and how people interact with devices. User-centered design. Rapid prototyping and iterative design/development with digital toolsets.

SBC: TECH

Course Objectives

As an SBC TECH course, this class has the following expected learning outcomes:

1. Demonstrate an ability to apply technical tools and knowledge to practical systems and problem solving.
2. Design, understand, build, or analyze selected aspects of the human-made world. The “human-made world” is defined for this purpose as “artifacts of our surroundings that are conceived, designed, and/or constructed using technological tools and methods.”

In this class, we will be alternating between the theoretical and the practical. On the theoretical side, you will learn about underlying principles, design guidelines, models and approaches. On the practical side, you will learn to use a rapid prototyping tool (AppInventor) to rapidly prototype and develop your own interactive applications. Therefore, at the conclusion of the class, students will:

1. understand the terminology and methods used in interaction design,
2. understand users’ needs, requirements and abilities,
3. understand the range of possibilities for interaction design, and
4. be able to design applications and services that are user-centered.

Course Delivery Mode and Structure

Classes will be held in-person and simulcast on Zoom. You will get the most out of the class, and will likely earn a better grade, if you come to all of the classes. However, if you are sick or unable to attend in person then you should attend class online. There may also be circumstances that will require me to hold the entire class online; be sure to check your Stony Brook University email before coming to class, so you can avoid an unnecessary trip. The link to the class meeting is available on the class' Brightspace page. See the Zoom for Students page (https://it.stonybrook.edu/services/zoom/students) for more information on how to download and use this application.

On the first day of class, you will be asked to select a seat in the lab. This will be your seat for the duration of the semester. You will be asked to fill out a placard with your name, which will be collected at the end of each class. Please do not sit in a seat that has someone else's name on it. This is primarily for the purpose of contact tracing, should it be necessary. It also helps me to take attendance and learn your names.

Office Hours

Office hours will also be conducted both in-person and on Zoom. You must sign up for office hours on my calendar (Google calendar appointment slots). You can also set up a special appointment with me by sending email. Please be on-time as appointments are only 15 minutes long.

If you need to contact me, the best way to communicate is through email. If you use Brightspace’s email tool from the course site, it will automatically include your full name, course name and section when you send me an email. Please allow between 24-48 hours for an email reply. Your Stony Brook University email must be used for all University-related communications. You must have an active Stony Brook University email account and access to the Internet. All instructor correspondence will be sent to your SBU email account. Plan on checking your SBU email account regularly for course-related messages. To log in to Stony Brook Google Mail, go to http://www.stonybrook.edu/mycloud and sign in with your NetID and password.

Technical Assistance

If you need technical assistance at any time during the course or to report a problem with Brightspace you can:

• Phone: 631-632-9800 (client support, Wi-Fi, software and hardware)
• Submit a help request ticket: https://it.stonybrook.edu/services/itsm
• If you are on campus, visit the Walk-Up Tech Support Station in the Educational Communications Center (ECC) building.

Required Materials

We will be using Class Question for the daily quizzes. If you already have a Class Question account, skip to step 2. If you are new to it, start at step 1.

1. Go to classquestion.com/students and click "Click here to register". This link will allow you to register for the site.
2. Once you have registered, go to classquestion.com/students and sign in.
3. Click "Add Class" at the bottom. Enter the Class Code for this class - TZVFN - and then click "Add Class".
4. Your class will be added to the dropdown menu at the top. You can now click the "Sign In" button to log into your class.

For this class we will be using Adobe XD. I have requested Adobe CC licenses (which include use of Adobe XD) for all of you to use this semester. You can also use Adobe apps on campus.

Lectures, and quizzes, will be based on the following materials. You are not required to purchase any books, though they are all recommended.

• Alan Cooper et. al, About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design, Wiley & Sons, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-118-76657-6.
• Steve Krug, Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, New Riders / Peachpit Press / Pearson Education, 2014.  ISBN: 0-321-96551-5.
• Dan Saffer, Designing for Interaction, 2nd edition, New Riders, 2010. ISBN: 0-321-64339-9.
• Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction - https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/book/the-encyclopedia-of-human-computer-interaction-2nd-ed

Course Requirements

• Interaction Designs - 20%
  Over the course of the semester, you will develop a website and an interactive application for a specific client. See Assignments for further details and the Schedule (below) for due dates.
   
• Homework - 35%
  Homeworks represent steps taken to complete the two interface designs. Homework is due on the day indicated; points will be taken off of the score every day that a homework assignment is late.
   
• Quizzes - 20%
  At the beginning of each class you will be asked questions about material covered in the previous class(es) that you will answer using Class Question (see above for how to sign up). You may miss up to 6 questions without penalty. If you answer more questions correctly, that will count as extra credit. No make-up quizzes will be given.
   
• Class Participation - 25%
  This includes participation in In-Class Activities (ICA) and presentations. If you are physically in the classroom and clearly engaged during the activity, you automatically get credit for doing that activity. If class is being held online, or if you are absent for any reason, you have 1 week to make it up. You can miss up to two (2) ICAs without impacting your grade. If you do all of the ICAs, that will count as extra credit. Make-up ICA assignments will be posted in Brightspace on the day of the activity.

Advisories

Critical Incident Management: Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. Further information about most academic matters can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Undergraduate Class Schedule, and the Faculty-Employee Handbook.   

Student Accessibility Support Center: If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, Stony Brook Union Suite 107, (631) 632-6748, or at sasc@stonybrook.edu. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Academic Integrity: Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty is required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Professions, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html

Course Evaluation: Each semester Stony Brook University asks students to provide feedback on their courses and instructors through an online course evaluation system. The course evaluation results are used by the individual faculty, department chairs and deans to help the faculty enhance their teaching skills and are used as part of the personnel decision for faculty promotion and tenure. No individually identifiable data are ever reported back to the university or instructor. Students who have completed previous evaluations can view all faculty ratings at: https://classie-evals.stonybrook.edu/. If two thirds of the class fills out the class evaluations before Reading Day (May 8), I will award everyone with an extra 2 points.

My Own Advice

Come to class when you can, and do all of the assignments on time.

Think of me as your cranky client. There may be times when you disagree with what I say about your work. Just remember that I am the one giving out the grades. When I make a suggestion, be sure to listen, because it is likely to have an impact on your final grade.

Start your assignments and your project early. That way if you have trouble, you can get help in time to finish your assignment by the due date. This will also help you to avoid a last-minute crunch in the lab.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't understand something, it's likely that your classmates don't understand it either. Raise questions in class. If you need further explanation, come see me during office hours. If you can't make my office hours, send me email. Be sure to do this before you get hopelessly lost.

Work with other students. I do not mean that you should copy each other's work (which will not be tolerated). Rather, you should learn from one another. If you can't figure out how to make something work, see how your colleague did it. It is also useful to discuss different ways of approaching a problem.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you anticipate having any problems with this class. If alerted to them early on, I may be able to accommodate your needs.

Schedule

Throughout the class, we will be exploring both the theoretical and the practical aspects of the following topics. Readings will be from About Face (AF), Designing for Interaction (DI), Don't Make Me Think (DMMT), and the Enclyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction (EHCI) and will be discussed on the day listed. In-Class Assignments (ICA) are done in-class on the dates listed. Homework and projects are due on the dates listed; late assignements will be penalized. Participation in all classroom activities and presentations is required. Please note that this schedule is approximate, and subject to change.