Interaction: Core Studio

Parsons School of Design, BFA, 2013

Parsons The New School for Design

Instructor: Irwin Chen
Tuesdays/Thursdays 12:10pm - 2:50pm
2 W 13th, Rm 1103
Jan 28, 2013 - May 30, 2013

Course description

This course is an intensive project-based studio, focusing on the principles, history, and current best practices of interactive and online media. Students will produce projects with increasing complexity, focusing on historic precedents, information architecture, media integration as well as current and future developments. Emphasis is on critical manipulation of new technologies, an articulated design process, rigorous research and experimentation, creative engagement with the medium and principles of user experience.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of this course, students should be able to:

Demonstrate a solid understanding of interface and interaction design principles
Prototype, build and test a website, based on principles of usability
Participate effectively within a collaborative workflow
Articulate the concepts and problems within their design process
Discuss key concepts within interactive media development (UI, mobile considerations, ergonomics, responsiveness)
Creatively address new possibilities within interactive media

Class procedures

All standard student handbook policies apply to this course, especially the University’s Academic Integrity Policy and Attendance Policy.

My approach to academic integrity

Since I will be enforcing this policy, let me describe to you my interpretation of the Academic Integrity Policy. I expect you to be honest about your work and that you will give proper credit when it is due. That said, I am fully aware that this is an age of Copy and Paste, and I don’t want to discourage you from doing so. In fact, this is often the best way to learn how things work. So when you take a significant chunk of code from somewhere, note in your code where you got it. When I read your code, I should know if you’re using entire swaths of someone else’s hard work either through a comment citing the URL from whence you found it, and also how you modified it. If you feel like you made an improvement on someone else’s code, do them a favor and email the author and show them what you did. They might even thank you for it.

If I find that you are intentionally submitting writing, thoughts, and ideas as your own when you actually copied them exactly from someone else, I will not hesitate to fail you. In the age of Google, this is a very risky business. Don’t even think about trying it.

If I suspect that you have copied someone else’s code wholesale without credit, I may ask you to re-create the document in question in person to determine whether you did in fact originate the code and whether you understand it completely. If you cannot, I will dock you a letter grade on the assignment.

Attendance policy

I will strictly enforce the Attendance Policy by failing students who accrue more than three absences. Frequent tardiness will eventually contribute towards your absence count.

Post your assignments to your student website before each class. Be prepared to present and discuss your own work and actively participate in the design critique of all students and discussion topics.

Students may be assigned to two groups which regularly present on either the first or second class meeting per week. On class sessions when you are not scheduled to present, you are still expected to vigorously engage in the critical discourse of your peer presentations.

Grading

Your final grade will be calculated based on the following:


Attendance	10%
Assignments, Quizzes	10%
Project 1	15%
Project 2	15%
Midterm	15%
Final Project	35%

Projects and assignments handed in late will be mercilessly docked one letter grade per day late.

Required text

There is one required book I’d like you to purchase and have for this class:

Designed For Use by Lukas Mathis

I’ve gotten the publisher to give you a 25% discount. You have to use the following coupon code when checking out: XXXXXXXX.

Please order it asap and bring it to every class.

Other highly recommended books & websites

These are books any interaction designer should have. I strongly encourage you to own a copy of each of them. We will be discussing them in class throughout the semester.

Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud
Thinking With Type, Ellen Lupton
HTML&CSS: Design and Build Websites, Jon Duckett

Websites:

The Tumblr for this class
Complete Beginner’s Guide to Interaction Design
Thinking With Type

Class Schedule

1.1   Introduction: What is interaction design?
      Assignment: Watch Objectified.

1.2   Emotion v Reality
      Assignment: Describe an ideal and real interaction

2.1   As We May Think
      Assignment: 250 words on what Bush got right and wrong
      Bonus: KernType, Shape Type

2.2   Typography as Interface
      Assignment: Hierarchy

3.1   Information Architecture
      Assignment: Read and set “The Library of Babel” in HTML
      Bonus: Create a Sitemap for the Library of Babel

3.2   Mapping and Navigation
      Assignment: Flow diagrams

4.1   Gestalt
      Assignment: Positioning

4.2   Grids
      Assignment: Gridify your wireframes

5.1   Mental Models
      Project 1: Design a Media Browser

Assignment: Project 1, Stage 1

5.2   Paper Prototype Testing
      Assignment: Project 1, Stage 2

6.1   Paper Prototyping
      Assignment: Project 1, Stage 3

6.2   Design Patterns
      Assignment: Project 1, Stage 4

7.1   Project 1 Due
      In-Class Critique

7.2   Project 2: Product Demo Video
      Assignment: Storyboard

8.1   Midterm Exam

8.2   Modes
      Assignment: Signage or Instructions Critique

9.1   Interesting Moments
      Assignment: Grid of Interesting Moments

9.2   Ergonomics
      Assignment: SloMo Breakdown

10.1  Previsualizing the User Experience

10.2  Storytelling and Narrative

11.1  Project 2 Due
      In-Class Critique

11.2  Design Patterns II
      Assignment: Forms

12.1  Search v Browse

12.2  New Paradigms
      touch, NUI, voice

13.1  Open Discussion / Work / Individual Visits

13.2  Open Discussion / Work / Individual Visits

14.1  Open Discussion / Work / Individual Visits

14.2  Open Discussion / Work / Individual Visits

15.1  Final Project Presentations, Round 1

15.2  Final Project Due
      Critiques