User Interface Design

1. General Information and Course Contents

With the pervasive use of computers, software systems, and information technology in modern society by the massive and diverse user population, usability of such systems has taken on increased importance, making it one of the primary quality attributes for these users.

User interface design, evaluation, and improvement play a key role in achieving our goal of good usability for these users. In this course, we will cover related activities and techniques, including:

• Basics: Basic concepts related to usability, and scientific and engineering foundations, including relevant theories, models, guidelines, usability studies, and controlled experimentation.
• Design: Graphical user interfaces for desktops, web, mobile devicies, etc., using menus, form, and direct menipulation. Traditional command line interfaces and other other emerging interfaces will also be briefly covered.
• Evaluation: Assessment of usability by quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Process: Other activities in the software process with a focus on usability will also be covered, including continuous improvement of usability, information solicitation and data gathering, analysis and modeling, result interpretation and followup actions, as well as automated tool support for these activities.

Workload and Grading

Textbook and Other Information

• Ben Shneiderman and Catherine Plaisant, "Designing the User Interface, 5th edition" Addison-Wesley, 2009
  ISBN: 0-321-53735-1
  Available at SMU bookstore, the publisher, or your favorite local/online booksellers.

• List of topics and tentative schedule

• Notice 1: If you need to make alternative arrangements for turning-in material or taking exams, you must contact the instructor ahead of time, unless it is truly an emergency. (Otherwise you'll receive 0 for the specific item.)

• Notice 2 (Relevant SMU policies):
  * Disability Accommodations: Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first be registered with Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS) to verify the disability and to establish eligibility for accommodations. Students may call 214-768-1470 or visit http://www.smu.edu/alec/dass.asp to begin the process. Once registered, students should then schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements.
  * Religious Observance: Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence. (See University Policy No. 1.9.)
  * Excused Absences for University Extracurricular Activities: Students participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled University extracurricular activity should be given the opportunity to make up class assignments or other graded assignments missed as a result of their participation. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor prior to any missed scheduled examination or other missed assignment for making up the work. (University Undergraduate Catalogue)