Module: CCO4002-20 Experience Design

Level: 4

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Jake Hobbs

Module Tutor Contact Details: j.hobbs@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

Creating compelling interactive experiences requires more than a proficiency in programming. We need to be aware of the expectations and habits of end users, and ensure that the artefacts we build are intelligently researched, visually appealing, intuitive to navigate, and thoroughly tested. As games, apps, websites and other forms of media experience proliferate, it is becoming more difficult for digital product designers to stand out from the crowd. If we are to do so, we must learn methods of forming a clear understanding of who our audience is, and be prepared to respond to their needs via sympathetic design. We must start with people rather than specification, consider the whole experience rather than any single part in isolation, and understand that technology should support the user experience and not lead it. These are the cornerstones of effective experience design.

This aim of this module is to expose the full design cycle, from audience research and user profiling, through interface design (across device types) and prototype development, to testing, evaluation and iteration. You begin by interrogating a number of existing products and experiences to gain an understanding of the factors behind what typically ‘works’ and what doesn’t. Following this, you develop an idea for a digital product that is designed to address the requirements of a specific target audience, yet retains a sense of innovation and surprise. During the process you learn how to acquire and evaluate data as a way of identifying user needs, and are introduced to the key principles of effective interface design and methods of usability testing. By the end of the module, you should have a foundational understanding of experience design that can (and should) be applied to any artefact you develop both as a student and as a professional.

2. Outline syllabus:

Topics covered in Experience Design include:

Iterative design: prototyping, test, analyse, refine (and repeat)

Conducting audience research and segmentation

Customer journeys, case studies, user personas and empathy maps

People first, specification later

Visualising visions: show don’t tell

Collecting feedback early

Developing a proof of concept

Collaborative working across silos

Key interface design and user experience principles

Wireframing and prototyping (paper and digital)

The minimal viable product

Usability testing

Where next?

3. Teaching and learning activities:

Class Hours

Experience Design adopts a workshop format. You are introduced to key principles and related theory via discussion and guided demonstration, before undertaking mini briefs that help you consolidate your knowledge. Some tasks are designed to be tackled individually, yet others follow practices found in industry where design roles are distributed across small teams. The aim here is that you form both a personal approach to experience design and an understanding of how projects are negotiated in the real world.

Independent Learning

As a university student, it is expected that you fortify and extend your knowledge outside of class hours. Tutors provide guidance on where you personally should be concentrating your efforts.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Experience Design Portfolio

• % Weighting: 100