INFO3171

Course Title: 
User Interface Design
Credits: 
3
Educational Level: 
III
Semester offered: 
I
Associated Programme: 
B.Sc. IT
Core Course: 
yes
Course Aims: 

This course introduces students to issues in the design, development, and evaluation of user interfaces for computer systems. Concepts in human factors, usability, and interface design will be covered, and the effects of human capabilities and limitations on interaction with computer systems will be studied. Students will apply the concepts to the design and implementation of graphical user interfaces.

Syllabus: 
  1. Overview of HCI
    • The role of user interfaces in computer applications.
    • History of human-computer interaction (HCI) and user interface (UI) systems.
    • Human Factors: perception, movement, and cognition. Ergonomics.
    • Contextual issues in HCI: culture, communication, and organizations.
    • HCI models. UI paradigms: command, graphical user interface (GUI), etc., UI Guidelines.
  2. UI Environments
    • Overview of graphics systems, display devices, input devices.
    • GUI system architecture, event-driven interaction model. UI toolkits.
    • Collaborative Systems. Embedded Systems.
  3. UI Development Methods
    • UI development cycle: investigation, design, prototyping, evaluation, and implementation.
    • Developing UI requirements: inquiry methods, developing task and workflow models.
    • Information collection and analysis methods.
    • Prototyping: storyboarding, implementation.
    • Evaluation methods: heuristic, observational, empirical.
Course Assessment: 
  • Final exam (2 hours long)     50%
  • Coursework       50%
    • In-course test (1 hour)     5%
    • Programming projects (6) with reports and presentations   45%

Students will be required to pass both the coursework and the final examination to pass the course.

Course Prerequisites: 

COMP2140 - Software Engineer OR INFO2180 - Dynamic Web Development I.