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Unit outline_

DECO2200: Interaction Design Studio

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit introduces principles of interface and interaction design through design projects. Students will develop technical as well as methodological skills for designing and developing interactive products and services. Elements of interaction design including menus, screen design, animation, and graphics design will be addressed for various platforms, including online applications and mobile devices. The unit builds on the design methods introduced in DECO1006/DECO2016, such as user research, storyboarding, and prototyping. It allows students to develop an advanced understanding of these methods through applying them in a specific design context. Students will learn about methods for collecting user requirements, synthesising and visualising concepts, prototyping user interfaces, e.g. in the form of mobile apps, and evaluating prototypes.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Design Lab
Credit points 12
Prerequisites
? 
(DECO1006 or DECO2016) and DECO1016
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Soojeong Yoo, soojeong.yoo@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Research report
Report
30% Week 05 To be added by the unit coordinator
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO7 LO9
Presentation group assignment Concept presentation
Present three conceptual solutions
30% Week 09 To be added by the unit coordinator
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10
Assignment group assignment Final report and process journal
Portfolio
40% Week 12 To be added by the unit coordinator
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Research report: Students will submit a research report describing their user research methods and findings, and their synthesis. This will be delivered in the form of a website.
  • Concept presentation: In a group of three, students are required to design three conceptual solutions to the problem they have selected from their research in assessment 1.
  • Final report and process journal: The final report will demonstrate evidence of the group’s design process (including ideation, prototype user testing and evaluation), a video walk-through of the interface being used, and links to a live interface. This will be delivered in the form of a website.
  • Pre-reading and quizzes: There will be pre-readings and associated quizzes from weeks 2 – 11 delivered via Canvas.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Work of outstanding quality, demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes assessed. The
work shows significant innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight,
creativity, and/or exceptional skill.

Distinction

75 - 84

Work of excellent quality, demonstrating a sound grasp of the learning outcomes assessed.
The work shows innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity,
and/or superior skill.

Credit

65 - 74

Work of good quality, demonstrating more than satisfactory achievement of the learning
outcomes assessed, or work of excellent quality for a majority of the learning outcomes
assessed.

Pass

50 - 64

Work demonstrating satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed.

Fail

0 - 49

Work that does not demonstrate satisfactory achievement of one or more of the learning
outcomes assessed.

 

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction Lecture (1 hr) LO1
Identifying possible problem areas Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO9
Investigating possible problem areas Studio (3 hr) LO8
Week 02 Advanced interaction design research Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO9 LO10
Online Ethnography and Competitor analysis Tutorial (2 hr) LO8 LO9
Creating a research plan Studio (3 hr) LO8 LO9
Week 03 Defining and reframing Lecture (1 hr) LO7
Reframing your problem Tutorial (2 hr) LO7 LO8 LO9
1. Analysing data; 2. Follow-up research Studio (3 hr) LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 04 Ideation – exploring opportunities Lecture (1 hr) LO5
User interface elements Tutorial (2 hr) LO5 LO10
Design principles in the real and digital world Studio (3 hr) LO5 LO10
Week 05 Inspire – design solutions Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO7 LO10
Science fiction prototyping for ideation Tutorial (2 hr) LO5 LO8
Prototyping for ideation Studio (3 hr) LO5 LO8
Week 06 Interface design basics Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3
Wireflows, Sketching and Wireframes Tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO5 LO8
Wireflows, Sketching and Wireframes Studio (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO5 LO8
Week 07 Low-fidelity prototyping Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Introduction on Balsamiq Tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Work on the low-fidelity prototyping with team Studio (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8
Week 08 High-fidelity prototyping Lecture (1 hr) LO4 LO5
Usability testing methods (including heuristic evaluation, SUS) Tutorial (2 hr) LO5 LO6 LO8
Data analysis and iteration Studio (3 hr) LO5 LO6 LO8
Week 09 Animations and transition design Lecture (1 hr) LO3 LO4
Creating high-fidelity mock-ups Tutorial (2 hr) LO3 LO4
Concept presentation Studio (3 hr) LO8
Week 10 Futures in interaction design Lecture (1 hr) LO10
Clinic sessions -Usability evaluation -Figma -Adobe XD Tutorial (2 hr) LO7 LO8
Prototype design Studio (3 hr) LO4 LO6 LO8
Week 11 Clinic sessions -Usability evaluation -Figma -Adobe XD Tutorial (2 hr) LO7 LO8
Prototype design Studio (3 hr) LO4 LO6 LO8
Week 12 Report presentation Tutorial (2 hr) LO8 LO9 LO10
Report presentation Studio (3 hr) LO8 LO9 LO10

Attendance and class requirements

(1) Students are required to be in attendance at the correct time and place of any formal or informal examinations. Non-attendance on any grounds that is insufficient to claim special consideration or disability adjustment will result in the forfeiture of marks associated with the assessment. Participation in a minimum number of assessment items may be included in the requirements specified for a unit of study.

(2) Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for each unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Head of School and Dean, Associate Dean Education or relevant Unit Coordinator. The Head of School and Dean, Associate Dean Education or relevant Unit Coordinator may determine that a student fails a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items when attendance is lower than 90%.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 12 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 240-300 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  • Tomitsch, M., Wrigley, C., Borthwick, M., Ahmadpour, N., Frawley, J., Kocaballi, B., Núñez-Pacheco, C., Straker, K. and Loke, L., 2018. Design. Think. Make. Break. Repeat. A handbook of methods. Bis Publishers.

 

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. assess the requirements of an interaction design problem
  • LO2. assess the structural and navigational requirements of web sites, mobile applications and computing devices
  • LO3. prototype, develop and document designs that involve interaction
  • LO4. design and develop web sites, mobile applications and/or tangible computing using state-of-the-art prototyping techniques
  • LO5. apply a variety of design approaches and techniques for ideation, prototyping, and evaluation
  • LO6. evaluate the performance and user experience of a design solution
  • LO7. reflectively document their process and design solution
  • LO8. work effectively in teams
  • LO9. demonstrate rigor in research
  • LO10. understand, discuss and apply interaction design principles and concepts.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.