Press play: A course in interactive device design

Abstract

Press Play: Interactive Device Design is a four-year-old introductory course at Stanford that explores the human-centered and technical workings behind interactive devices ranging from cell phones and video controllers to household appliances and smart cars. Students build a working MP3 player prototype of their own design using embedded microcontrollers, digital audio decoders, component sensors and other electronic hardware. Topics include electronics prototyping, interface prototyping, sensors and actuators, microcontroller development, multimodal displays, physical prototyping, user needs and usability testing. The course is intended as a deep-dive introduction to electrical engineering through the vehicle of interactive device design. Students having a general familiarity with the products of electrical engineering engage with the underlying tools and technologies that make such products possible. By focusing the class project on the design of a digital music player, we aim to attract a broad demographic, and to illustrate how human-centered design considerations can to be integrated into the system design process. We present this course description-which encompasses motivation, implementation and assessment- To provide insights and inspiration for those looking to teach similar courses. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2014.