2025/2026 - CSC_4ID32_PS - Design of Interactive Systems

Students will learn a principled approach to rapid prototyping of interactive systems, with an emphasis on iterative, cross-disciplinary design techniques. Lectures discuss the scientific and design-based foundations of participatory design. Students will work in small groups, applying these principles in a series of hands-on exercises that involve finding out about users, generating novel ideas, creating rapid prototypes and evaluating multiple design alternatives. Specific techniques include: critical incident interviews, video brainstorming, design spaces, paper and video prototyping, interaction tables, simple experiments, and design walkthroughs. The emphasis is on learning rapid prototyping techniques that produce design artifacts, which in turn support further design iterations. All in-class and homework exercises are required to complete the final project, so class attendance and participation is essential. Grades are based on in-class and homework exercises as well as presentation of a final video prototype of each project, presented to and evaluated by an external jury.