Human Centered Design & Engineering      University of Washington

Syllabus

Week 1

September 26

Introduction to course

AGENDA:

Explain course content, assignments, and procedures.

Concepts for information design: Communication, Discourse, Medium, Information Design, Mediation, Document, Genre, Negotiation of meaning, Canvas, Format, and Behaviors.

Week 2

October 3

Genres of consumer-information graphics; Preview of design guidance

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings.

Concepts for information design: Structure, Linearity/Non-Lineary, Modularity/Chunking.

Discussion of the Radiation Label case study.

Informal presentations: Each student discusses two of the Berkeley Competition labels.

Group review of preliminary version of Radiation Labels.

ASSIGNED:

Read the Radiation Label case study and prepare a preliminary design. Be prepared to discuss it both as an individual design and as an instance of the consumer-information graphics genre.

Read Pettersson, It Depends. Read the guidelines (pp. 171-77). Then peruse the preceding chapters of the book.

Read Larson & Farkas, “Indicating Impact: The Environmental Life-Cycle Rating Label.”

Read Farkas, Larson, & Naranjo, “LabelPatterns.Org: A Comprehensive Pattern Library for Environmental and Consumer-Decision Labels.”

Examine selected Berkeley Competition nutrition labels and prepare to discuss two (5 minutes for each).

Week 3

October 10

The design process

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings.

Concepts for information design: Theme, Style, Mood, Stance, Color, Aesthetic appeal.

Group discussions of students' design practices.

Group review of second Preliminary versions of students' Radiation Labels.

Informal discussion of the usefulness and limitations of (1) design patterns generally and (2) Label Patterns.org.

ASSIGNED:

Be prepared to identify three Berkeley Competition nutrition labels that violate one or more patterns in LabelPatterns.org. Be prepare to discuss the relevant design issues.

Reflect on your design practices across media and genres, with special attention to your use of existing models and guidance. Be prepared to discuss your design practices.

Read Iliinsky and Steele, Designing Data Visualizations, pp. 1-46 and 91-93.

Read Hartley, “Text Design.”

Read Farkas & Farkas, “Graphic Design,” from Principles of Web Design.

Week 4

October 17

The design of infographics and data visualizations

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings.

Informal student presentations on Beta versions of Radiation Labels. Students are encouraged to borrow ideas from other Beta versions for their own final designs.

ASSIGNED:

Submit the Beta version of your Radiation Label with explanatory annotations/memo.

Read van der Waarde, “The Graphic Presentation of Patient Package Inserts.”

Read Iliinsky and Steele, Designing Data Visualizations, pp. 46-83 and review pp. 91-93.

Be prepared to display and discuss your Radiation Label design.

Week 5

October 24

Patterns and pattern libraries

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings.

Informal discussion of the use of design patterns and pattern libraries.

Discussion of design patterns. Planning for writing your patterns.

ASSIGNED:

Submit your proposal for the individual design project.

Submit: your four 1-paragraph descriptions for the design pattern assignment.

Read Marcus, “Patterns within Patterns: Introduction to Design Patterns,”

Read excerpt from Alexander's Timeless Way of Building

Peruse selected pattern libraries.

Be prepared to discuss the usefulness and limitations of design patterns generally and LabelPatterns.org.

FROM THE INSTRUCTORS:

Return the Beta Radiation Label assignment.

Week 6

October 31 (Halloween)

Longer documents

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings.

Concepts for information design: Hierarchy, Standard Expository Model, Display unit/Display unit boundaries, Exigency and Problem-Solution Structure.

ASSIGNED:

Submit: Final Radiation Label with explanatory annotations/memo.

Read Farkas, “Linear-Hierarchical Model.”

Read Heller, “Tom Suzuki, 76, a Designer Who Transformed Textbooks, Dies.”

Read Tracey, Rugh, and Starkey, STOP Report.

Peruse QuikScan.org.

FROM THE INSTRUCTORS:

Return pattern proposal with the instructors' choice of two patterns for you to design and produce.

Respond to proposal for the individual design project with recommendations.

Week 7

November 7

Hypertext and multimedia

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings.

Concepts for information design: Multimedia/Hypertext/Modularity/Interactivity

ASSIGNED:

Submit Beta of two design patterns with hyperlinks and explanatory annotations/memo.

Read Farkas, “Hypertext and Hypermedia.”

Read Bernstein, Hypertext Gardens. Look at both Web and PDF versions.

Read Keep, et al, Electronic Labyrinth.

Read Raban, excerpt about modular writing.

Read Mayer and Moreno, “Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia.”

Read Wortham, “Shorter E-Books for Smaller Devices.”

FROM THE INSTRUCTORS:

RETURN: Final Radiation Label.

Week 8

November 14

The infinite canvas

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings

Concepts for information design: Infinitive canvas, Immersive VR, and augmented VR,

ASSIGNED:

View Aguera y Aracas, Blaise, Photosynth demo.

Peruse selected Prezi demos (to be announced).

Read McCloud, “Follow that Trail (I Can't Stop Thinking #4).”

Examine, McCloud, “Zot Online: Hearts and Minds” (Part #12).

Examine Horn, “Interactive Visual Scenario for the PanDefense 1.0 Conference,” 2006.

Examine Horn, “Mega-Flu Pandemic: Not Quite the Worst Case Scenario V.2,” 2005.

Read Nielsen, “Transmedia Design for the 3 Screens (Make That 5).”

Read Bosman, “E-Books Fly Beyond Mere Text.”

Read Rich, “Curling Up With Hybrid Books, Videos Included.”

FROM THE INSTRUCTORS:

Return Beta of two design patterns.

Week 9

November 21

Adaptive documents and synthetic interviews

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings.

Presentations on individual course projects.

ASSIGNED:

Submit final version of two design patterns.

Submit Beta of individual course project with explanatory annotations/memo.

Cawsey Cawsey, Grasso, and Paris, “Adaptive Information for Consumers of Healthcare.”

Kiernan, “Multimedia Data Base at Carnegie Mellon Lets You 'Interview' Albert Einstein.”

Peruse the Synthetic Interview Studio website: http://www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/si-studio/team.html

Peruse the HCDE 510 Elvis Presley interactive interview (Team A and Team B).

Marinelli and Stevens, “Synthetic interviews: the Art of Creating a 'Dyad' between Humans and Machine-Based Characters.”

Ostinelli, “The Composite Intelligence of Virtual Assistants.”

Be prepared to display and discuss individual course projects. Send instructors a URL, PPT file, or equivalent (etc.) 9:00 on Nov. 21.

Week 10

November 28

Information production: Crowdsourced vs. curated content, text mining

AGENDA:

Discussion of course readings.

Presentations on design patterns.

ASSIGNED:

Submit beta of individual course project with explanatory notes/memo.

Prepare to discuss your two design patterns.

Read Analore, “GM Uses Wiki to Tell its Story.”

Read Krag, “Book Sprint Methodology,” http://www.booksprints.net/book-sprint-methodology/

Read Rockley, “Dynamic Content Management.”

Read Fisher, “Moving from Single Sourcing to Reuse with XML DITA.”

Read “Text Mining” in Wikipedia.

Read Farkas and Farkas, “An Introduction to Copyright Law,”

FROM THE INSTRUCTORS:

Return final versions of two design patterns.

Return Beta of individual course project.

Class 11

December 5

Course Review; Exam

ASSIGNED (for December 10):

Submit final of individual course project.

Finals week

ASSIGNED:

Return final of individual course project and complete grading.

 

In progress

 

 

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