Emergent themes in a UI design hybrid-studio course

Abstract

The goal of our research and teaching collaboration has been to learn more about how key aspects of pedagogy commonly incorporated in architecture and industrial design classes might positively impact the teaching of user interface (UI) design within a standard computer science curriculum. Toward that end, we studied a number of studio design courses, developed a set of curriculum guidelines, and analyzed the effectiveness of these guidelines as implemented in a UI design course. We discovered three emergent themes: 1) students need early and constant reminders that design is an iterative process involving user feedback and testing; 2) instructor modeling is critical; and 3) technology needs to be carefully managed at critical junctures throughout the class. © 2012 ACM.