ITM21616 User-centered Design (Spring 2018)

This course is compulsory in:

• Bachelor in Digital Media
• Bachelor in Digital Media and Design

Elective course in other study programmes

The course comprises four main parts:

• An introduction to theories and concepts for involving users in design of information technology
• Principles and concepts of participatory design
• Methods and techniques of participatory design, including prototyping, in order to involve users in design of information technology
• Work in interdisciplinary groups

Knowledge

The student

• is familiar with important theories and principles of user-centered design
• is familiar with methods and techniques for involving users in the design process, including prototyping
• is well acquainted with participatory design methods

Skills

The student is capable of

• practical application of theories and methods of involving users in the development of IT systems
• linking his/her own work to theories and concepts in the field of participatory design
• initiating, organising and implementing projects in participatory design
• applying knowledge of participatory design to new areas of application and user groups

General competence

The student

• has acquired competence in critical reading and reflection and has gained experience of project work in groups
• is capable of analysing relevant challenges associated with participatory design as a method of system development
• is capable of disseminating theories and challenges associated with participatory design and action research to both researchers and other groups of people

Lectures, seminars and project work.

If students from international partners attend courses, the lectures will be conducted in English.

Individual portfolio exam

Portfolio exam comprising of 3-4 assignments. The assignments must be submitted by given deadlines and in accordance with specifications issued by the course instructor. A grade will be awarded on the basis of an overall assessment.

Grading scale from A to F is used.

In the event of a resit or rescheduled examination, all parts of the portfolio must be re-submitted. Any resit or rescheduled examinations will have to be taken in connection with the next ordinary course examination.

This course is evaluated as follows:

• Mid-semester evaluation (optional)
• Final evaluation (compulsory)

The course instructor prepares a course report on the basis of student feedback and on his/her own experiences of the course. Course reports are discussed with the Committee for Study Quality at the Faculty of Computer Sciences.

• Bannon, L. & Ehn, P. (2012) Design: Design Matters in Participatory design. Routledge International Handbook of Participatory Design In Simonsen, J. & Robertson, T. (Eds.) (2012). Routledge International Handbook of Participatory Design (pp. 37-63). New York: Routledge.
• Kensing, F. & Greenbaum, J. (2012). Heritage: having a say. In Simonsen, J. & Robertson, T. (Eds.) (2012). Routledge International Handbook of Participatory Design, pp. 21-36 New York: Routledge.
• Brandt, E., Binder, T. & Sanders, E. (2012). Tools and Techniques: ways to engage telling, making and enacting. In Simonsen, J. & Robertson, T. (Eds.) (2012). Routledge International Handbook of Participatory Design (pp. 145-181). New York: Routledge.
• Bratteteig, T., Morrison, A., Wagner, I., Stuedahl, D. & Mörtberg, C. (2010) Research Practices in Digital Design. In Wagner, I., Bratteteig, T. & Stuedahl, D (Eds) Exploring Digital Design Multi-disciplinary Design Practices.London: Springer-Verlag, pp. 17-54.
• Mörtberg, C., Bratteteig, T., Wagner, I., Stuedahl, D. & Morrison, A. (2010) Methods that Matter in Digital Design. In Wagner, I., Bratteteig, T. & Stuedahl, D (Eds) Exploring Digital Design Multi-disciplinary Design Practices.London: Springer-Verlag, pp. 105-144.