This course provides students with an introduction to internet and web technologies, and to development on Macintosh/UNIX computer platforms. Topics include HTML and CSS, CSS3 features, digital images, web page design and website publishing. Emphasis is placed on fundamentals, concepts and standards. Additional topics include the user experience, mobile design issues, and copyright/intellectual property considerations. Exercises and projects are required.

This is a production-based course that introduces the basic elements, principles, and methods of visual design for digital applications. Students will experiment with design thinking, ideation, and concept development techniques as they explore the computer as an illustrative and image generation tool. Emphasis is on effective visual communication and design skills through digital image creation, graphic organization, and typography for screen-based output.

This course is an introduction to designing, prototyping, and creating applications and web applications for mobile devices. These devices include a unique set of hardware and communications capabilities, incorporate novel interfaces, are location aware, and provide persistent connectivity. Topics covered include user interaction patterns, connectivity, interface design, software design patterns, and application architectures. Programming projects are required.

The user experience is an important design element in the development of interactive systems. This course presents the foundations of user-centered design principles within the context of human-computer interaction (HCI). Students will explore and practice HCI methods that span the development lifecycle from requirements analysis and creating the product/service vision through system prototyping and usability testing. Leading edge interface technologies are examined. Group-based exercises and design projects are required.

This course explores how the fields of psychology, digital design, and computing converge in the design, development, and evaluation of new technologies that people find effective and enjoyable to use. Students will investigate the field of human-computer interaction (HCI), with a focus on how users' various sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities are essential to their successful use of technology. Students will be exposed to modern research methods and paradigms in field of human-computer interaction, including predictive modeling, heuristic evaluation, interpretive methods, and experimental user testing. Students will learn key design principles and guidelines and apply them to analyze existing designs and conduct a design process that is centered on human users of technology.

This course will explore how modern human centered computing design and evaluation methodologies can be effectively used to create high-quality and usable technologies for a variety of users. Students will learn how an initial design can be evaluated and improved through the use of prototyping and user evaluations. Students will investigate a variety of high- and low-fidelity prototyping techniques, plan an iterative design process for an application, conduct an evaluation of a prototype, and analyze the results of user testing to drive a design process. Programming is required.

Independent study offers a student an opportunity to explore, in greater depth, a topic previously introduced in a prior course or a topic of special interest. A faculty member supervises the student's work. A student and faculty member will collaboratively develop an independent study proposal that describes the student's plan of work, expected deliverables, evaluation criteria, and number of credits that will be earned. Requires department consent.