User Interface Design

1. General Information and Course Contents

With the pervasive and interactive use of computers, smart devices, software and information systems, information technology and infrastructure, and related products and services in modern society or the "connected-world" by the massive and diverse user population, usability ("how easy to use it or to interact with it?") of such systems has taken on increased importance, making it one of the primary quality attributes for these users and a critical factor that determines the success or failure of the products, systems, or services.

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

• Basics: Basic concepts related to (universal) usability, and scientific, engineering, and cognitive foundations, including relevant theories, models, and methodologies from diverse fields of studies not only limited to computer science, guidelines, usability studies, and controlled experimentation. Foundations for designing user-centered systems will be covered, including those characteristics involving anthropometric, behavior, cognition, and social aspects (or layers).
• Design: Easy-to-use (often graphical, but could be other "easy-to-use" or "appropriate-for-needs" types of) user interfaces for desktops, web, mobile devices, etc., through direct manipulation, immersive environments, fluid navigation, expressive (human and command) languages, and other forms/styles of interaction, communications, and collaboration.
• Evaluation: Assessment of usability by quantitative and qualitative methods. Not only the finished products or services can be evaluated, but also the working prototypes and other artifacts can also be evaluated, and more importantly, improved (also see below). Most of the design strategies and issues will be presented and discussed in connection with how they will affect usability and how this effect can be evaluated and/or quantified. In fact, most of the "design principles" can be directly utilized as the evaluation rules or to derive quantitative usability metrics.
• Process and improvement: 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 through ethnographic observations and in-field/in-lab measurement, analysis and modeling, result interpretation and followup actions, as well as automated tool support for these activities. Some recent inter-disciplinary research at SMU linking software engineering and HCI will be covered too.

Workload and Grading

Textbook and Other Information

• Required: Ben Shneiderman, Catherine Plaisant, Maxine S. Cohen, Steven M. Jacobs and Niklas Elmqvist, "Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction, 6th Edition" Addison-Wesley, 2017
  ISBN-13: 978-0-13-438038-4; ISBN-10: 0-13-438038-X
• Highly recommended: Frank E. Ritter, Gordon D. Baxter, and Elizabeth F. Churchill, "Foundations for Designing User-Centered Systems: What System Designers Need to Know about People". Springer, 2014.
  ISBN: 978-1-4471-5133-3
• Both books are available at SMU bookstore, the publisher, or your favorite local/online booksellers.
• List of topics and tentative schedule
• Notice 1:
  • Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited by the SMU Student Honor Code.
  • 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 register with Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS). Students can call 214-768-1470 or visit http://www.smu.edu/Provost/ALEC/DASS to begin the process. Once registered, students should then schedule an appointment with the professor as early in the semester as possible, present a DASS Accommodation Letter, and make appropriate arrangements. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and require advance notice to implement.
  • 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)